Arizona man dead, wife in hospital after ingesting chloroquine over coronavirus fears

A Phoenix-area man has died and his wife was in critical condition after the couple ingested an aquarium cleaning product containing chloroquine phosphate, a chemical with a name similar to one found in the anti-malaria medication touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Banner Health said Monday that the couple in their 60s got sick within half an hour of ingesting the substance. The man couldn't be resuscitated when he arrived at a hospital, but the woman was able to throw up much of the chemical, Banner Health said.

"Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a cure," the woman told NBC.

She said her advice for people would be: "Don't take anything. Don't believe anything. Don't believe anything that the president says and his people … call your doctor."

Banner Health urged people to avoid self-medicating.

"Given the uncertainty around COVID-19, we understand that people are trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus, but self-medicating is not the way to do so," said Dr. Daniel Brooks, medical director at the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center.

"The last thing that we want right now is to inundate our emergency departments with patients who believe they found a vague and risky solution that could potentially jeopardize their health."

Couple worried about COVID-19 symptoms

Brooks said the couple had been concerned about possible coronavirus symptoms, though they had not been tested for the virus, according to a report in the Arizona Republic.

At a news conference last week, Trump falsely stated that the Food and Drug Administration had just approved the use of an anti-malaria medication called chloroquine to treat patients infected with coronavirus.

Even after the Food and Drug Administration clarified that the drug still needs to be tested for that use, Trump overstated the drug's potential upside in containing the virus.

"But I think it could be, based on what I see, it could be a game changer," said Trump, referring to chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, saying they were "essentially approved for prescribed use."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said there is no available data from randomized clinical trials to inform the use of either chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine against the novel coronavirus.

Both drugs are obtained by prescription and are used to treat autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Banner Health is now urging medical providers against prescribing them to coronavirus patients who aren't hospitalized.

It is not the first such case worldwide. Health officials in Nigeria, where chloroquine is more widely available, have reported overdoses in the last few days.

Warning from doctor at Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital

The U.S. man's death came as the number of COVID-19 cases in Arizona spiked more than 50 per cent in one day, from 152 on Sunday to 235 on Monday, according to the state Health Department.

Pima County reported its first coronavirus death: a woman in her 50s with an underlying health condition.

It marked the third COVID-19 death in Arizona. Two men, one in his 70s and one in his 50s, died previously from the disease. Both had underlying conditions.

National Guard response in Arizona

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said he's working on an "economic protection plan" to help people struggling with the loss of income, but he did not outline details. He said the plan will be released soon.

Ducey also answered questions about the role of the National Guard in Arizona, which the governor called upon last week. Ducey said the Guard is now involved only in shoring up the supply chain for grocery stores and food banks, but "they're going to be flexible."

He said he'd deploy the Guard as needed but sidestepped a question about whether the soldiers would be involved in law enforcement.

About 100 National Guard soldiers received briefings Monday from medical, legal, public affairs and other staff, Major Aaron Thacker said. All were given a basic medical screening to check for a fever, he said.

"They're preparing for the mission," Thacker said. "I'm anticipating in the next couple of days you're going to see a large volume of guardsmen crossing across the state in order to support the needs of the food banks."

The Guard expects to mobilize more than 700 people this week, but it wasn't clear exactly when they would hit the streets, and many more could be expected.

Ducey anticipates the response to the virus will include up to 5,500 Arizona National Guard personnel, he wrote Friday in a letter to U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper requesting federal money and additional authority. That would represent the majority of the Guard's 7,600 members. Ducey said the state needs immediate help in several areas including planning, consulting, logistics and supplies, testing and personnel movement.

11 of 15 counties have seen cases

People have tested positive in 11 of Arizona's 15 counties, including 139 cases in Maricopa County, the state's most populous.

For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, older adults and people with health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the virus.

Dr. Cara Christ, Arizona's top health official, said the state is preparing for surging demand on hospitals. She said possibilities include building three field hospitals and re-opening shuttered medical centres, and using a former basketball arena to house patients leaving the hospital but not yet well enough to go home.

Ducey issued an executive order outlining "essential services" that can continue to operate if the state or any local government issues an order for people to stay home. The essential services include health care, food suppliers, gas stations, banks, hardware stores, laundromats, home repair and infrastructure.

Ducey said he's preparing for the future but there's no need currently for a stay-at-home order like those issued in several U.S. cities and states, including California and New York.

"Arizona is not there yet," Ducey said. "We're not at the same stage as other states."