Macomb man with coronavirus says Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin saved him

A Macomb County patient was recently given a drug typically used for malaria that is showing positive results for beating COVID-19.

Jim Santilli said it helped him and he believes it could help others, too.

"I was struggling to breathe. I felt like I was slowly drowning and I was sitting there thinking I'm not going to make it until midnight," he said.

Santilli says the experimental drugs Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin brought him back from the brink.  The 38-year old was prescribed the drugs a little more than a week ago at Henry Ford Macomb where he was hospitalized for COVID-19.

He says a doctor told him they'd exhausted treatment options. An infectious disease physician recommended he try both.

"He stated at that point for COVID-19 patients they saw a lot of positive results in China and South Korea it would be advantageous to try it," Santilli said. "Right away I saw improvements in a few hours: the gasping for air stopped; a lot of my symptoms went away, and really it was a turning point almost a 180 degree turn as to what I was experiencing."

The FDA recently approved shipping Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine products to public health authorities across the country to treat severe cases of COVID-19. It said it is reasonable to believe they may be effective in treating COVID-19 and that the known and potential benefits outweigh the risks.

"It does appear as though Hydroxychloroquine may be beneficial," said Dr. Rudolph Valentini.

Valentini is the chief medical officer from the Detroit Medical Center and says... (Read more)

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