Source: KXAN
KXAN spoke to an Austin-based doctor who says she plans to continue treating COVID-19 patients using the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine in combination with other supplements.
Dr. Ann Shippy, who has practiced functional medicine for the past 15 years, says she has treated 10 patients and herself for COVID-19 using the drug without any negative impacts. She said she checks in with them daily and has seen improvement in the days following use of hydroxychloroquine.
“I’m keeping my patients from getting sick enough to have to go into the hospital,” Shippy said. “The more that we can be doing to keep people from getting to the point that they have to be hospitalized, and it’s a very inexpensive treatment with what I think is very low risk.”
Shippy says she wouldn’t feel comfortable prescribing hydroxychloroquine if her patients weren’t having positive responses.
The Texas Medical Association, of which Shippy is a member physician, does not recommend the use of hydroxychloroquine in preventing or treating COVID-19.
KXAN asked Shippy for her response to that guidance, and she said, “I don’t really have a response to that. I think it’s easier for me to feel comfortable with it because I’ve seen it work.”
According to data firm Premier, orders for hydroxychloroquine jumped 260% in the first two weeks of March, compared to earlier in the year. The drug is commonly used to treat malaria and autoimmune diseases.
The Texas Medical Board does not issue guidance regarding specific drugs or treatments for COVID-19, according to an agency spokesperson. TMB would only review a case following a patient complaint.
Read the original article here: https://www.kxan.com/news/coronavirus/
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