COVID-19 treatment: Nigerian medical directors react to Stella Immanuel’s claim

The Guild of Medical Directors in Nigeria has declared that there is no scientific proof to back Stella Immanuel’s position on COVID-19 treatment.

The Nigerian-trained U.S based doctor is trending globally for her insistence that Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Zinc and Zithromax, are effective.
She claimed that over 350 patients were treated with the combination in her clinic in Houston, Texas.
Video of her speech, viewed by millions across the world, was shared by United States President Donald Trump.

At a White House briefing on Tuesday, the American leader said Immanuel’s voice was “important”.
The Guild President, Prof. Olufemi Babalola, noted that Immanuel made the comment at a news conference organised by the America’s Frontline Doctors founded by Dr Simone Gold, a board-certified physician and attorney.
He told the public that there is currently no scientific evidence, “but just her own personal unsubstantiated claims. The important point of course, is to note that medical research has subjected HCQ to intense research. While some studies suggest that it is effective, others have come to the opposite conclusion.”

Babalola agreed that Senegal, where HCQ is routinely used, has one of the lowest COVID-19 case fatality rates in the world at 0.64% compared to 3.4% in the U.S.
“A study is underway in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH),Idi-Araba, Lagos, on its efficacy and safety. Subsequently, a meta-analysis of all these studies should be undertaken to pool all the results together, and come up with a summative analysis, which will guide clinicians,” he noted.

Balalola said until then, all anecdotal claims such as the one from Immanuel must be taken with a pinch of salt.
“It should also be noted that HCQ may be a cause of serious complications and even death in some people. Other anecdotal claims such as the herbal mixture from Madagascar have subsequently been proven ineffective,” he added.
The medical expert noted that “a lot of the burden in explaining the problem as related to the video naturally falls on us, therefore, we feel it is pertinent to explain or clarify the issue for Nigerians. We must reiterate that Coronavirus is real and the disease is an indiscriminate killer.”

He regretted that coronavirus has killed many doctors and nurses all in Nigeria, “including our very own Prof. Lovett Lawson”.
Continuing, Babalola warned that the COVID-19 is not a joke.
“We strongly condemn the politicisation of the disease and the treatments currently being used to fight the pandemic,” the Professor added.