Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine, drugs used for a very long time to treat malaria, are promising for the treatment and prevention of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), an expert with the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) told Qatar TV Monday.
"The countries that use such drugs to treat malaria, such as (those in) Africa and India, have very low rates of Covid-19 infection despite having huge populations, which indicates that these drugs could be promising prevention and treatment for the disease," senior scientist Dr Fouad al-Shaaban explained.
"However, such drugs need more clinical research and testing to prove their validity and this could take up to two or three weeks more. The use of the antibodies from the plasma of those healed of Covid-19 could also be a promising treatment for new cases by creating what is called passive immunity," he observed.
"The incubation period of the virus could be 14 days and for a person with strong immunity it could take more than 28 days to recover. While some infected persons may not display any symptoms within the first 14 days , he could transmit the disease to others.
"There are a very high percentage of Covid-19 infected people who often heal well, and there is no scientific evidence so far that they could contract the disease again at least within the next six months or one year.
"The only proven method of prevention and protection against Covid-19 is social and physical distancing and health quarantine while strictly abiding by all the preventive precautionary measures to contain any further spread of the disease," Dr al-Shaaban added in his conversation with Qatar TV.
"However, such drugs need more clinical research and testing to prove their validity and this could take up to two or three weeks more. The use of the antibodies from the plasma of those healed of Covid-19 could also be a promising treatment for new cases by creating what is called passive immunity," he observed.
"The incubation period of the virus could be 14 days and for a person with strong immunity it could take more than 28 days to recover. While some infected persons may not display any symptoms within the first 14 days , he could transmit the disease to others.
"There are a very high percentage of Covid-19 infected people who often heal well, and there is no scientific evidence so far that they could contract the disease again at least within the next six months or one year.
"The only proven method of prevention and protection against Covid-19 is social and physical distancing and health quarantine while strictly abiding by all the preventive precautionary measures to contain any further spread of the disease," Dr al-Shaaban added in his conversation with Qatar TV.