NEW YORK, Mar 22 (APP): New York State will conduct trials on a malaria drug combined with an antibiotic that could be used to treat patients with the novel coronavirus who are seriously ill, Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced.
He said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will send to New York 10,000 doses of azithromycin, an antibiotic, and hydroxychloroquine, which is used to treat malaria.
“As soon as we get those doses, we will work with hospitals, doctors and families on using those drugs and seeing where we get,” Cuomo said.
A limited study in France found that the combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine could be effective in treating patients with the coronavirus, according to media reports.
President Donald Trump also tweeted Saturday that the drugs could be “one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine.” However, doctors and other health experts are concerned about the efficacy of the drugs and potential side effects. The side effects include vision problems, irregular heartbeat and sudden death, the reports said.
New York state has the most coronavirus infections in the country, with more than 10,000 cases.
The governor said the high numbers were the result of robust testing to detect the virus more than 45,000 tests have been administered so far.
“We are taking more tests in New York than anyplace else,” he said. “More tests per capita than China or South Korea. We are also taking more tests than any state in the United States of America.”
New York has carried out double the tests of California or Washington state, which have large numbers of cases. Cuomo said his biggest concern continued to be the potential for cases to overwhelm the state’s health care system. Work was ongoing to increase capacity to meet the growing need.
Some 30,000 ventilators are needed, and his team has identified 6,000 for purchase. With many other states and countries scrambling to buy the critical equipment, Cuomo said the purchase of 6,000 was a “big deal.” The state is also racing to procure and manufacture enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers. Some New York apparel manufacturers are converting their operations to produce masks and gowns.
