HYDROXYCHOLOROQUINE CAUSES PERSONALITY DISORDERS: SPANISH DOC

A Spanish epidemiologist has warned millions of people contemplating on following U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of hydroxychloroquine, saying it is not safe, it is not a prophylactic and could cause gastric problems, skin irritations, neurological symptoms and personality disorders.

Dr. Fernando Simon, director of Spain’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CHAE), told teleSUR on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 that hydroxychloroquine might be recommended for high-risk groups but only for a certain time because it is not safe.

"You'd recommend taking it for specific periods and then stop taking it so that there are no side effects," Simon said. Although some studies maintain that hydroxychloroquine can decrease the risk of infection, the CHAE director pointed out that this medicine, which is used to prevent or treat malaria, has side effects in up to 7 percent of those who use it.

Among the collateral consequences are gastric problems or skin irritations, both of which disappear when intake is discontinued. The epidemiologist stressed that hydroxychloroquine might produce "a little more serious" neurological symptoms in a "tiny" number of people and cause personality disorders. "It makes little sense for the recovered COVID-19 patients to use that drug," Simon recalled, commenting that there is some shortage of hydroxychloroquine because people at high risk for exposure were demanding the drug a lot. #COVID19