STATEMENT FROM N.J. STATE SENATOR JOE PENNACCHIO
GOVERNMENT SHOULD FOCUS ON USING HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AS A LARGE SCALE EARLY TREATMENT FOR COVID-19
March 22, 2020 – A recent French peer review study by renowned infectious disease specialist Dr. Didier Raoult which was published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents showed promising results in the treatment of COVID-19 with Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). The French study also showed a significant decrease in “viral shedding,” from patients treated with HCQ. The lower the shedding, the less likelihood that the virus can be communicated to other individuals. https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-researcher-in-Marseille-posts-successful-Covid-19-coronavirus-drug-trial-results As the medical profession evaluates different treatment options, public health officials should adopt early treatment measures with the existing tools at our disposal. HCQ is an inexpensive, safe drug that has been used in the treatment of malaria for seventy years. With no vaccine or antiviral in place, HCQ is the lead candidate for early treatment against the COVID-19 virus. This was the conclusion of a recent medical paper written by Dr. Raymond Chang whose affiliations include the Institute of East-West Medicine in New York and the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taiwan. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202003.0279/v1
HCQ has the ability to prevent the virus from entering the cell, as well as to prevent the virus from replicating. HCQ has the unique factor of being able to accumulate high concentrations in the lungs (specifically where it is needed). What is also appealing is the long duration (22 day half-life) of HCQ in the body. These factors make it promising for early treatment if ingested days before the virus is introduced. https://tansan.com.tr/a-possible-role-for-single-dose-hydroxychloroquine-for-prevention-of-lethal-coronavirus-infection/
Worldwide reaction to the virus has been one of containment through isolation and social distancing. The objective of early treatment is to decrease the time of isolation and social distancing. The longer the isolation the more devastating the affects on our lives. A nationwide program of early treatment with HCQ, along with concurrent isolation may reap exponential benefits. The existing record of HCQ, its promise of efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 and low costs make the risk to benefit ratio well worth the effort.
Federal and State governments should immediately direct public policy towards increasing production, storage and establishing a distribution protocol and regimen for HCQ to ameliorate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This was the conclusion reached by U.S. academic studies in response to French infectious disease specialist Dr. Raoult’s peer review study, saying HCQ has a strong potential as a prophylactic measure against the severity of COVID-19. https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-researcher-in-Marseille-posts-successful-Covid-19-coronavirus-drug-trial-results
We the undersigned agree with New Jersey State Senator Joe Pennacchio that all levels of government should work together to ameliorate the COVID-19 pandemic by developing an early treatment to minimize the effects of the virus and reduce its communicability by decreasing viral shedding with the use of Hydroxychloroquine:
Anika Ackerman MD
Urology
Joseph Addeo MD
Oncology
Munir Ahmed MD
Orthopedics
Niran Al-Agba DO
Pediatrics
Frank Alario MD
Internal Medicine
Sharon Carswell MD
Family Medicine
Kimberly Corba MD
Family Medicine
Doug Crane MD
Internal Medicine
Madeline Danny DO
Family Medicine
Philip DeFina PhD
Neuroscientist Clinical Research
US ARMY Intel
Anthony Dippolito MD
MBA General & Colorectal Surgeon
John Eck MD
Family Medicine
Josephine Feingold MD
Emergency Medicine
Ken Fisher MD
Family Medicine
Chris Garofalo MD
Family Medicine
David Gee MD
Family Medicine
Helen Gelhot MD
General Surgery
Eric Gerwirtz MD
Anesthesiology
Yvette Gozzo MD
Pulmonology
Karladine Graves DO
Family Medicine
Wayne Graves DO
Emergency Medicine
Lee Gross MD
Family Medicine
Avinash Gupta MD
Cardiology
James Halper MD
Neuropsychiatry & Internal Medicine
Scott Hardiman MD
Otolaryngology
Kris Held MD
Ophthalmology
Travis Hendricks MD
Infectious Disease
Bindukumar Kansupada MD
Cardiology
Cameron Knackstedt DO
Family Medicine
Herbert Kunkle, Jr MD
Orthopedic Surgery
Steve Kupferburg MD
Otolaryngology
Lee Kurisko MD
Radiology
Guru Lamba MD
Hematology Oncology
Katarina Lindley DO
Family Medicine
Jennifer Lorine DO
Family Medicine/Neuromuscular Med OMT
Lee Merritt MD
General Surgery, US Navy
Winslow Murdoch MD
Family Medicine
Katherine Newland MD
Emergency Medicine
Lisa Norberg DO
Family Medicine
Fred Notarnicola MD
Internal Medicine
Sheila Page DO
Neuromuscular & Skeletal, AAPS President Texas
Kirit Kumar Pandya MD
Urology
Prashant Parikh MD
Primary Care
Philip Pattison MD
Gastroenterology
Danae Powers MD
Anesthesiology
Lee Pressler MD
Urology
Samuel Putnam MD
Interventional Radiology, US Army Flight Surgeon
Raj Raval MD
Physiatrist, Interventional Pain
Luis Rodriguez Jr MD
Interventional Radiology
Scott Roethle MD
Anesthesiology
Sohayla Rostami DO
General Surgery Resident
James Rowsey MD
Ophthalmology
Christine Saba PharmD MD
Pediatrics
Vinod Sanchetti MD
Internal Medicine
Nikki Silverstein MD
Ophthalmology
Marilyn Singleton MD JD
Anesthesiology
Pat Smith MD
Gynecology
Reed Smith MD
Internal Medicine
Douglas Spiel MD
Interventional Pain Radiology
Joel Strom DDS
Dentist
James Thomas MD MBA
Interventional Radiology, Naval Flight Surgeon
Teresa Thomas MD
Internal Medicine
Josh Umber MD
Family Medicine
Kip VanCamp DO
Interventional Radiology
Craig Wax DO
Family Medicine
Vicki Wooll MD MPH
Family Medicine, Epidemiology
Marlene Wust-Smith MD
Pediatrics
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