FILE - Medication tablets - PublicDomainPictures/Alex Borland
CAIRO – 8 April 2020: The Egyptian Health Ministry on Wednesday denied the news that a pharmaceutical company based in the Egyptian capital Cairo started producing chloroquine phosphate medication primarily used to treat malaria patients, describing the company’s alleged statement as “void of truth.”
Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said the World Health Organization has not yet adopted any effective treatment for the novel coronavirus.
Despite being seen as a good treatment for coronavirus by many people around the world, including US President Donald Trump, many experts worldwide asserted that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) sulfate, a derivative of chloroquine (CQ), has not yet proven to be effective concerning treating COVID-19 patients.
According to the alleged statement, by a company belonging to the government-owned Arab Company for Drug Industry and Medical Appliances (ACDIMA), the company aims to produce around 200,000 doses of chloroquine by May.
The Egyptian Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed 128 new cases of coronavirus and nine deaths. Also, 17 patients, including one foreigner, were released from a quarantine hospital after recovering from coronavirus, added the ministry in a statement.
The number of cases who tested negative for coronavirus after being quarantined rose to 427, 276 of them are fully recovered, according to Megahed.
The new positive cases are all Egyptians, some of them have recently returned from abroad and others contracted the virus from previous cases.
The total number of cases who contracted the infectious virus rose to 1450, including 276 recovered and 94 deaths, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Health.
Earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister gave a speech to announce measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, including extending curfew and the flight ban in the northeastern African country until April 23rd.
The US-based Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March approved the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) sulfate by doctors, if they think it is suitable.
Trump on Sunday said the federal government has stockpiled 29 million pills of hydroxychloroquine.
CAIRO – 8 April 2020: Egypt on Wednesday extended a nationwide night-time curfew by two additional weeks, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a televised interview, as the country is tailoring measures to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in the country.
