Coronavirus: Hydroxychloroquine used in South Dakota to fight Covid-19
South Dakota is the first state that has begun to use Hydroxychloroquine to fight the coronavirus and Sanford Health will lead the clinical trial on Monday.
After President Donald Trump insisted on using Hydroxychloroquine the Gov. of South Dakota Kristi Noem announced on Monday morning that Sanford Health will begin a clinical trial investigating the drug for the treatment and prevention of Covid-19.
The study will include 2,000 outpatient individuals exposed to the coronavirus, including frontline healthcare workers and other high-risk patients. The Gov. has asked for 1.2 million doses of Hydroxychloroquine because there are no proven drugs to prevent the virus that has taken the lives of 23,068 Americans as of April 13.
The news of South Dakota being the pioneer state was announced by the Gov. via Twitter. They announced they were going to begin the trial of hydroxychloroquine for a potential treatment for Covid-19 and Noem said she has been in constant communication with President Trump’s administration.
The first doses of the drug arrived in Mount Rushmore State over the weekend and Noem said patients may already be receiving the drug. "We're going on the offense to help every single person dealing with this virus and are willing to fight it and get better and go home to their families," Noem said during Monday's briefing.
The trial will have two components, according to Dr. Allison Suttle, Sanford Health's chief medical officer. The first side, identified as the registry component, will give every South Dakotan who has tested positive Covid-19 and is a viable candidate, the option to receive hydroxychloroquine. The second side will be a randomized trial for people who were exposed to Covid-19, including health care workers, someone who lives with someone who tested positive and people within the vulnerable population.
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
How does Hydroxychloroquine work?
During Monday’s briefing the health experts said that Hydroxychloroquine is similar to a Zithromax Z-Pak, where you take a loading dose for about four or five days but it stays inside your body for up to 50 days.
Coronavirus cases and deaths in South Dakota
As of April 13, 2020 South Dakota has a total of 730 confirmed cases of Covid-19, 197 have recovered and 6 deaths.
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