ICMR conducting observational study on HCQ: Ganagakhedkar

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday said it is conducting "observational study" on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ).

"We are doing observational study on hydroxychloroquine or HCQ. We are not doing trials, because we do not have the required evidence base for trails," Raman R Ganagakhedkar, Head Scientist, ICMR, said at the regular media briefing.

"It would be difficult to conduct this study amid lockdown. Around 480 patients will be enrolled in this study. The study will be conducted for eight weeks," he added.

Ganagakhedkar saidwhen health care workers came to know that ICMR is conducting a study on HCQ, they started taking HCQ drugs out of fear.

"Healthcare workers came to know that ICMR is conducting a study on HCQ and they started taking HCQ drugs out of fear. We found several side-effects of using these drugs. A study has been launched to know the side-effects of taking HCQ," he said.

"Health care workers having an average age of 35 took these drugs and 10 per cent of them have reported problem of abdominal pain. Six per cent reported problem of nausea, 1.3 per cent reported hypoglycemia. A total of 22 per cent of these healthcare workers have diabetes, blood pressure, respiratory illness and they started using HCQ," he added.

Ganagakhedkar informed that a study is being conducted in AIIMS to know "prophylactic and therapeutic effects" of HCQ.

The National Taskforce for COVID-19 has recommended use of HCQ in a prescribed manner for prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 infection for high-risk individuals - asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases.

Responding to a question relating to use of remdesivir in combating COVID-19, Ganagakhedkar said, "Several studies, which are showing that remdesivir vaccine is reducing the requirement of oxygen support in 68 per cent people, are not based on trials. Gilead, the company which develops this vaccine has conducted a study on 5505 people and said that it is working and they have shown the interim data. The data is reliable or not, one cannot say."

( With inputs from ANI )

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