Could this OTHER drug from WWII-era help defeat the COVID-19 virus? "Atabrine"

Yesterday, the news came out that medical researchers are examining the anti-malarial drug, Chloroquine, for use against the COVID-19 virus: https://www.wired.com/story/an-old-malaria-drug-may-fight-covid-19-and-silicon-valleys-into-it/

Looking through the memoirs of an American Army soldier who had fought in the Pacific, I came across his description of a drug that was given to our military personnel in the Philippines to fight off malaria called "Atabrine" (Mepacrine): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mepacrine . It is evidently also known "Quinacrine".

When he came back to the States a few months after the war, he wasn't taking Atabrine any longer -- and promptly came down with malaria! He was removed from a troop train in Wyoming on his way home back to Texas, on a stretcher, running a temperature of 104-degrees, and it only happened to him once he was back in the States. He was definitely diagnosed with malaria -- even though at the time this happened to him he was in the cold, high terrain of Wyoming!

He eventually recovered, but what struck me in his description was that in his experience (and probably the experience of other soldiers returning from the Pacific Theater), Atabrine appeared to have prevented the onset of malaria while he was overseas!

If you want, you can read his short account of this strange medical experience in his book, "Only One Polack", by Adrian Zaiontz, Page 103: https://www.amazon.com/Only-Polack-...only+one+polack&qid=1584716491&s=books&sr=1-1

I'm NOT a doctor, a microbiologist, or any kind of medical 'expert', but I suggest Atabrine could be examined by people with real knowledge as a possible weapon in the fight we're all a part of now against the COVID-19 virus.

I'm NOT suggesting that anybody should take Atabrine or any drug at all, but offer this information as a small contribution for thoughtful examination.

 

Well, obviously, nobody cares about this medicine that was seriously important for controlling malaria over 70 years ago. And yet, as long as our troops took this medicine, they didn't get malaria -- and when they stopped, there was evidence (cited in my original post) that they came down with malaria once they were back in the States -- far from the jungles of the Pacific.

Was it important to take Atabrine? Here a sign that was posted in American military encampments in New Guinea during WWII....

Atabrine should at least be examined and considered for possible use in fighting COVID-19....

 

"Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will send 10,000 doses of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine to New York. Azithromycin is an antibiotic and hydroxychloroquine is used to treat malaria. Cuomo spoke to President Donald Trump on Friday and expressed interest in conducting trials in New York."

https://auburnpub.com/news/local/go...cle_0fb6c870-7e29-5ee5-8bda-bbda132a5418.html

The politicians cannot deny people their only chance available so far and survive this Wuhan thing politically.

Daniel Dae Kim took a cocktail including these drugs and says this is why he survived Wuhan virus.

You can only fade common sense for so long, and then they're gonna kill you.

 

Just becasue one anti-malaria drug has shown potential for treating COVID-19 doesn't mean other anti-malaria drugs are relevant. Chloroquine might be benefitial because in addition to it's anti-malarial properties, it's also has anti-viral ones. That doesn't seem to be the case for mepacrine.

I've absolutely no doubt the relevant experts are looking in to all sorts of possible treatment options for COVID-19 but, with respect, I'd like to think they're basing that on more than the diaries of old soldiers.

 

They got a treatment that works for the AIDS virus by trying a little of this and a little of that and add in less of this and subtract out more of that until they got the right cocktail of drugs.

 

I can't disagree with your overall statement. Surely, if "Atabrine" was a genuine Corona virus killer, the infected people would all be wolfing it down by now! But, unfortunately, to this moment, 'experts' aren't completely sure about much of anything having to do with COVID-19....

Still, it is important that in trying to deal with a virus that has so far stumped all the 'experts', we should examine ALL medicines carefully. Possibly parts of an 'old' medicine could be useful in formulating a new one. Information is useful... even if it's only the reminiscences of an old American solider from WWII... especially when thousands of learned medical 'experts' still seem to know so little.

 

"UPDATE: Cuomo announced Sunday that the drug trials will begin Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration will send 750,000 doses of chloroquine, 75,000 doses of hydroxychloroquine and 10,000 doses of Zithromax."

https://auburnpub.com/news/local/go...cle_0fb6c870-7e29-5ee5-8bda-bbda132a5418.html

 

No, we shouldn't because we have little (me) or no (you) understanding of the field and would only end up doing more harm than good. If you found an unexplored bomb in your garden, would you get your family together to decide which wires to cut or would you call in the bomb disposal experts?

Relevant information is useful. Casual recollections about taking medication to prevent malaria isn't relevant. Again, the reason chloroquine was even considered had nothing to do with the fact it is a malaria treatment but because of it's known anti-viral properties.

I find this general attack on experts distasteful too. We wouldn't have made it this far without them.

 

That is a very casual way of describing the in-depth study, research, experimentation and testing any such works goes through. Nobody read a random diary about someone taking something for an entirely different condition and said "Let's give that a shot!".

 

I said I didn't disagree with you, Joe, but you seem to want to snipe at me because even though I freely admit that I have no medical or pharmaceutical training, because I offer an old soldier's recollections about medicine they were given for malaria which should at least be considered as something that might help in the fight against COVID19.

You know, ol' Tedros Adhanom, the biggie at the World Health Organization (a REAL 'expert'), was kissing China's ass until it dripped two months ago about all the wonderful 'steps' they had taken and progress they had made -- but now the virus is raging its way around the entire planet, and evidently NOBODY, including the Chinese, knows how to KILL it. "Experts" are good, Joe, and that's why we have "experts", when they are, indeed, expert.... But we don't need anybody playing the part of cheerleaders, like ol' Tedros.... Shills are rarely 'expert' at anything! And why did ol' Tedros take so fugging LONG to proclaim COVID19 as a pandemic? Does that strike you as being an 'expert' use of time considering the urgency of the situation...?

Now, so far, even you might agree that our, uh, expertise regarding the COVID19 virus is a bit constrained. Hell, they haven't even determined how long a person has the virus 'onboard' before he can transmit it to someone else, with or without 'symptoms'. Is it really 14 days? Is it 21 days? Is it 24 days? Is it (as some claim) 30 days? I'll never fault someone for trying to do something, Joe, but real expertise regarding any specific subject is in an elevated class by itself, not to be confused with 'trying to do something'....

 

I'm "sniping" at you because what you're saying is logically and practically wrong in every way and I don't like people promoting that kind of flawed thinking at the best of times, not least in this kind of situation. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Again, there is zero logical reason for mepacrine to be considered just because an entirely different drug that also happens to be used against malaria looks like it could be beneficial.

I don't know or care who that is. You're being dismissive of experts generically, not any specific person or even specific behaviour.

To an extent, though a lot is know (this is, after all, a new form of a known virus). That doesn't mean the experts involved around the world in trying to understand more about it, including those looking in to treatments or vaccines, are somehow not already considering all of the valid possibilities.

 

It was taking multiple shots at the moon hoping to hit something, and they did. I'm not criticizing that at all, they were between a rock and a hard place. You gotta go for broke.

 

[Q1928UOTE="HonestJoe, post: 1071534793, member: 51921"]I'm "sniping" at you because what you're saying is logically and practically wrong in every way and I don't like people promoting that kind of flawed thinking at the best of times, not least in this kind of situation. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Again, there is zero logical reason for mepacrine to be considered just because an entirely different drug that also happens to be used against malaria looks like it could be beneficial.

I don't know or care who that is. You're being dismissive of experts generically, not any specific person or even specific behaviour.

To an extent, though a lot is know (this is, after all, a new form of a known virus). That doesn't mean the experts involved around the world in trying to understand more about it, including those looking in to treatments or vaccines, are somehow not already considering all of the valid possibilities.[/QUOTE]

Have it your way, Joe. I hand out my 'laurel wreathes' for expert knowledge to people who have demonstrated that they are, indeed, experts!

And, at this point, I think it is cavalier, irresponsible, and even dangerous to categorically and needlessly reject ANY drug or medicine from mere CONSIDERATION as a possible aid in the fight against COVID-19.

Remember: PENICILLIN was discovered by accident, by Dr. Alexander Fleming in 1928... yeah... by ACCIDENT! What if Dr. Fleming had said, "Aw, fug it! This crap can't possibly be useful for anything... now I've got to clean it up and throw it away...."