SARS-CoV-2 infection and some controversies concerning therapy with chloroquine and hydroksychloroquine: Case report and selected literature review

Abstract

Covid-19 is caused by a new virus and no effective therapy is available. The following article presents the case of a 47-year-old woman with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The infection was initially mild but because of exacerbation of the symptoms: cough, fever, headache, extreme weakness she was admitted to the hospital. The chest X-ray revealed pneumonia due to Covid-19, that is why CT was not done. Due to persistent symptoms of infection, therapy containing chloroquine and azithromycin was introduced, obtaining a very quick improvement in the condition of the infected patient. Because of ambiguous opinions of the efficacy of these two drugs in the therapy of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the authors wonder whether the improvement was either a result of the treatment with chloroquine and azithromycin or because of the natural Covid-19 course. The following part of the article briefly reviews research and world reports as well as problems connected with chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine therapy in patients with Covid-19. The current positions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in terms of the topic were also presented. It was also pointed out the way unprecedented before the therapy has been introduced based on several and variable report about the efficacy and safety of these drugs.