Special Report
ISLAMABAD: Dr. Shahid Abbas, Consultant Allergy and Immunology and the President of the Pakistan Allergy Asthma and Immunology Society (PAAIS) has expressed his disappointment and distrust in the governments of poor countries for accepting the research published in Lancet on 22nd May about Hydroxychloroquine and not understanding the billion-dollar conspiracy to market their expensive drugs and vaccines.
He said, “Why would the authorities advocate the use of a low-cost medicine (Hydroxychloroquine) that has been scientifically proven to support the immune system and prevent Corona Virus infection, when they have the opportunity to earn billions from newer drugs and vaccines”. The Lancet research has not said anything about the prevention of coronavirus with Hydroxychloroquine so it can still be taken as preventive therapy. As an Immunologist, he said, it has been established scientifically that Hydroxychloroquine prepares the immune system against coronavirus infection and has great protective value.
An eminent physician in UK, Dr. Mubashar Saleem commented about Hydroxychloroquine that if you do not have anything specific to treat then there is always something in the corner to treat. He strongly recommends that if there is nothing else in the world then try some. He treated his own son-in-law who is HOD in 3 hospitals in Birmingham with Dr. Shahid’s protocol and he recovered in very short time. Same doctor is heading the group studying Hydroxychloroquine trial in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with dose of 200mg Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D for prevention. He in fact was treated by the Dr. Shahid’s protocol when he developed COVID-19 infection.
Another UK based world known Consultant Dr. Shahzad Sarwer believes when nothing else is available then why not to try something which is available and have strong evidence based scientific basis. There is long list of evidence-based studies describing effectiveness of Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 infection.
Dr. Shahid says that following the study (Lancet 20), the world has been divided into two groups: those stopping Hydroxychloroquine and those continuing its use. Countries that continue promoting the use of Hydroxychloroquine protecting and treating their population with include: Brazil, Algeria, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan, Romania, Portugal, Kenya, Senegal, Chad and the Republic of Congo, Thailand, Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, Iran still using to, protect and treat coronavirus infection.
Despite orders to stop the use of this important medicine, trials of Hydroxychloroquine are still in progress in the USA, UK, Canada, Nigeria, and Mexico. The research on this important medicine by some organizations like WHO is not stopped but paused only for some time. But it should be clear that study was conducted on hospitalized patients for treatment of critically ill patients and there was no objection in taking as protective or preventive medicine
the Lancet published study has included the patients who were already hospitalized and in advanced stages of the disease when it is too late and hydroxychloroquine cannot be effective. Had they included a group of the patients in the earlier stages of the disease then the results would have been drastically different.
Officially about 72,460 people are COVID-19 positive in Pakistan as of 1st June and according to one survey in Lahore Govt of Punjab, Research Study Suggests Lahore May Have Almost 700,000 Coronavirus Cases! (1st June 2020 https://www.parhlo.com/lahore-covid-spike/).
This number of 700,000 represents only one city in a population of one 12 million and one can imagine the number of possible positive cases in the country of population
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