Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDCph) appealed to the government to lift all lockdowns and use HCQ treatment and early intervention instead to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The doctors’ group, which is led by former DOH chief Jaime Galvez-Tan with 5,000 members, urged President Rodrigo Duterte to implement a national protocol for the prophylaxis and early treatment of COVID-19 patients as an alternative to community lockdowns.
“We proposed to the President for the Philippines to adopt a national protocol for the prophylaxis and early treatment of COVID-19 that aims to reduce hospitalization and prevent loss of lives,” the CDCph said in a unity statement read by Galvez-Tan during the launching of the “#Flatten the Fear” campaign.
According to Galvez-Tan, the said protocol is safe, effective, inexpensive, and based on science.
“With this solution in mind, we appeal to the President to lift all lockdowns,” he added.
The CDCph president also recommended the government should focus its efforts on home quarantine and early treatment of patients and prophylaxis for high-risk individuals such as the frontliners.
Dr. Edwin Bien said the anti-viral drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) could be prophylaxis to prevent COVID infection.
He added the hydroxychloroquine is safe if administered in the right dosage upon consultation with doctors.
Doctors’ group: Lift all lockdowns, use HCQ treatment
The World Health Organization (WHO) has suspended the clinical trials for HCQ treatment.
“There were concerns that it can cause heart abnormality, but I have been using and prescribing this drug to my patients, and we are doing fine,” Bien said, citing studies stating the adverse effects were due to overdosage.
Other doctors of the group presented reports showing a low death rate among COVID-19 patients from countries that use HCQ treatment. Other studies also reported full benefit if the medication was given early or during the first five days of infection. The hospitalization rate for those who were treated early was low.
Meanwhile, doctor Homer Lim said even without HCQ treatment, early intervention could help lower the number of hospitalization of patients with moderate and severe infection.
He added daily intake of vitamins C and D could boost the immune system and prevent the virus replication when it enters the body.
“Lower Vitamin D level has higher chance of testing positive for COVID and developing severe or critical infection,” he noted.
Galvez -Tan said CDCph is willing to discuss the proposal with the Inter-Agency Task Force.