Coronavirus In Minnesota: Health Experts Warn Against Using Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Health officials have been saying it in various forums across the nation, but it bears repeating: Don't use non-pharmaceutical substances in an attempt to self-treat for coronavirus.
This includes drugs such as chloroquine and other aquarium chemicals.
The warnings come after an Arizona man died and his wife was in critical condition after the two ingested chloroquine phosphate in an attempt to avoid contracting the COVID-19 virus.
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At a news conference last week, CBS News reports, President Donald Trump falsely stated that the FDA had just approved the use of an anti-malaria medication called chloroquine to treat patients infected with coronavirus. The FDA chief clarified that the drug still needs to be tested for that use, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, called Trump's assertions about hydroxychloroquine "anecdotal."
"In overdose situations or when used inappropriately, these medications can lead to severe toxicity, including death," Stearns County public information manager Janet Midas said. "Do not ingest aquarium use products or any other chemicals that contain chloroquine phosphate. These chemicals are not intended for human consumption and can lead to serious health consequences."
Health officials in Minnesota reminded that there are currently no pharmaceutical products that have been FDA-approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.