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A survey of chloroquine use for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria


Adeola Yetunde Olukosi
Muinah Fowora
Adeniyi Kazeem Adeneye
Emelda Chukwu
Oluwagbemiga Aina
Olusola Ajibaye
Ayorinde James
Chidinma Gab-Okafor
Susan Abiodun Holdbrooke
Esther Ngozi Ohihoin
Adesola Zaidat Musa
Olufemi Amoo
Oluyomi Showemimo
Bamgboye Afolabi
Oliver Chukwujekwu Ezechi
Babatunde Lawal Salako

Abstract

Background: Rampant chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine poisoning in Nigerian hospitals following suggestions of its possible efficacy in the treatment and prevention of the newly emerged COVID-19 disease informed this survey.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and perception of the Nigerian populace on the use of chloroquine in the COVID-19 pandemic.


Methods: This cross-sectional study was done by administering an electronic questionnaire created using Google Docs, through social media cascade methods including the WhatsApp application software to capture data on chloroquine use between April 20 and June 20, 2020.


Results: Six hundred and twenty-eight people responded to the questionnaire (response rate 99.2%, mean age 41.05 ± 12.3) from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria with 556 (88.5%) having tertiary level education. Only 21 (3.3%) of the respondents took chloroquine for treatment or prevention. Respondents from the North-west geopolitical zones used chloroquine 5.8 (95% CI: 1.55, 21.52, p=0.02) more times than other zones while the age group 20-29 were 8.8 times more likely to use chloroquine than any other age group (95% CI: 3.53, 21.70, p = 0.00). Female respondents were 2.3 times more likely to use chloroquine
than the males (OR 2.26 95% CI: 0.90-5.68; p=0.08) and those in the income bracket of N75,000-99,000, 2.5 times more than other income groups.


Conclusion: Young adults, North-western geopolitical zone, and female gender should be target groups for education on rational chloroquine use. The danger of chloroquine overdose should be communicated to the general population in Nigeria.


Keywords: COVID-19; Chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine; self-medication; rational drug use.


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1729-0503
print ISSN: 1680-6905