Panic buying of paracetamol and chloroquine
The claim that Paracetamol can treat COVID-19 infection is false, PIB Fact Check tweeted on March 22. (Image Courtesy: @PIBFactCheck /Twitter)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 24
Panic buying of emergency drugs was reported in several places in Dimapur today. The most sought after drugs were paracetamol and chloroquine, which people bought in bulk depleting pharmacies/medical stores of essential stock.
According to one pharmacist, his stock of paracetamol and chloroquine ran out by afternoon. He expressed worry that even the stocks maintained by wholesalers might be depleted.
Paracetamol is prescribed as a pain and fever reliever, while chloroquine is an anti-malarial drug.
A concerned citizen, who informed The Morung Express of the panic buying, said that the Health Department should immediately look into the matter before the state runs out of much needed medicine if things turned for the worse.
He added that it is plain stupidity on the part of civilians with no known ailment presently to hoard essential medicines in their homes. Queries sent to the District Health Authority for comment went unanswered.
While there has been no irrefutable medical evidence to indicate the two drugs would work to reverse COVID-19 infection, the craze to hoard the two drugs were likely fueled by international media reports of US President Donald Trump claiming it would work. His claim was based on recent research which were not “peer reviewed.”
