Discussion:
Considering the amount of death and the catastrophic consequences in the
global economy that this COVID-19 pandemic is leaving behind all over
the planet, we think this strategy is worth convenient to at least be
tried in controlled clinical trials.
Clarithromycin could change the history of this disease. It could reduce
the costs of treatment and the potential adverse effects when combining
more than one drug such as with Hydroxychloroquine. Clarithromycin
treatment as a single agent could be much more simple, safe and cheaper
as giving Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with
Azithromycin as well as other therapeutic options.
Clarithromycin would be immediately available globally and could protect
all health workers from COVID-19. It would avoid patients to be sent to
Intensive Care Units if used as soon as they start with the first
symptoms or even at diagnosis in asymptomatic patients. It would reduce
the high mortality rate associated with the disease. It would accelerate
the inactivation of the viral load. I would avoid the economic debacle
of the world.
If these results would be encouraging, it could then be possible to
propose to the governments of the world to quickly implement a
“whole-earth-all-persons-treatment-prophylaxis strategy with
Clarithromycin as a single agent, to reduce the mortality, and maybe
eradicate the virus from our planet. This proposition would keep waiting
for the development of vaccines, as they are not available at the moment
and need to follow the course of the research phases, especially to
completely ensure the safety of humanity.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of
interest.
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