SA: Chloroquine, COVID-19 and Lupus

The FDA recently approved the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with COVID-19. This decision has been met with mixed feelings. Opposing view points stem from the established use of these drugs to treat diseases like malaria, amebiasis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. This feeling is particularly strong among Lupus patients, as it is an autoimmune disorder that can affect any organ and may have complications like kidney failure when untreated. It also disproportionately affects reproductive-aged women, individuals of African decent, and those in the developing world. Patients and doctors are worried that these cheap drugs will no longer be available to patients with these diseases because the medication will be diverted to COVID-19 patients.

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