A Phoenix-area man is dead and his wife is under critical care after the two took chloroquine phosphate in an attempt to self-medicate for the novel coronavirus, following a tweet by President Trump stating that "HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine," for treatment of this disease. The couple did not seem to take the pharmaceutical version, but there have been at least 3 other cases of chloroquine overdose documented after the tweet. The drug, currently approved for treatment of malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, is under investigation for its use in the treatment of coronavirus, but it is currently not approved by the FDA for this indication, and should certainly not be taken without the advice of a doctor.
Please avoid any self-medication without consulting a healthcare professional.
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