Looking For That Miracle COVID Vaccine

"Despite the absence of strong evidence, some people are already attempting to self-medicate with the drug, with disastrous consequences."
"Hydroxychloroquine can have dangerous side-effects if the dose is not carefully controlled, and cases of chloroquine poisoning have been reported in Nigeria and the U.S.A."
"Additionally, the sudden interest in hydroxychloroquine has led to reports of shortages for patients who rely on the drug to treat their autoimmune disease."
Brian Owens, The Lancet medical journal

"Minister Mary Ng recently spoke with her Indian counterpart, Minister Goyal, to discuss the importance of ensuring the continued flow of vital medical products and pharmaceutical supplies at this critical time."
"Following these discussions, India approved the export of five million tablets of the drug hydroxychloroquine to Canada."
"This particular shipment is going to be used for its original purpose, and it is separate from the trials that are happening with Health Canada."
Eleanore Catenaro, director of communications, Ministry of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade

Buzz around hydroxychloroquine    stock/Getty

U.S.President Donald Trump has been beyond enthusiastic over the promise he views as inherent in the use of a common malaria drug in overcoming and even preventing the novel coronavirus. He claims it to be an antidote to the virus, a miracle cure. And on the basis of  his championing of the drug it has fast disappeared off drug store shelves and is in critically short supply. Two things: people who self-medicate with the drug have been known to overdose with it, causing harm to their overall  health in their zeal to avoid acquiring the novel coronavirus.

And people with a legitimate reason to use the malarial drug, those with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases find themselves out of luck when routinely attempting to renew their medical prescriptions. What is known is that despite some doctors who prescribe and administer the malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to their patients claiming great success, there have never been any clinical trials, no research to validate its effectiveness or its safe use.

There are at present clinical trials testing the potential usefulness of the drug, but their results will take time to filter through, the drugs be approved if they are proven useful, and eventually distributed for that additional purpose other than to act as an anti-malarial medication. It is not the "game-changer" that Donald Trump raves about until it has undergone rigorous testing and verification by approved scientific methods.

President Trump at the White House. .Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times

The Canadian government had made a deal with India for the shipment of five million capsules of hydro-xychloroquine, and for a specific purpose; to ensure that patients requiring the drug to control their auto-immune conditions will have continued recourse to it. The purpose is defined as ensuring that an adequate supply for patients with autoimmune diseases would be available in Canada. That order originally dated back to November of 2019. And then it was suspended with the appearance of COVID-19 in India.

Exports of 24 drugs, including hydroxychloroquine were suspended in March when India felt it necessary to ensure a domestic supply was available as the virus spread in India like a wildfire. Eventually Indian authorities were prevailed upon to reconsider and the ban was lifted on the November order. As one of the world's largest producers of hydroxychloroquine, India is Canada's largest supplier; 90 percent of the Canadian supply emanates from India.

Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam  THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Acetaminophen for use in pain treatment and fever [commonly referred to as Tylenol branded] had also been blocked by export restrictions, and it too has been released. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, has cautioned against the use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of  COVID-19. She has mentioned its study in Canada as "definitely one on the list" of potential COVID treatments.