Doctors Doyin Okupe and Stella Emmanuel

By Ademola Adegbamigbe

Since she addressed a press conference in Washington DC on possible cure for covid-19, Dr. Stella Immanuel (Gwandiku-Ambe), a US based Cameroonian who studied at the University of Calabar, Nigeria, has become a butt of snide remarks all over the world.

She claimed that antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and antibacterial drug, Zithromax, were effective cures for the virus. Moreover, she said she had successfully treated no fewer than 350 patients with them.

Despite the criticisms directed at her, she has a kindred spirit in Nigeria. Doyin Okupe, a medical doctor himself who survived covid-19 , said about three months ago that he also used a combination of Hydroxychloroquine,  Azithromycin, Zinc Sulphate and Vitamin C. He is alive to tell the story. 

Is there some truth to what Dr. Emmanuel said, despite her theatrics and verbal pyrotechnics against pharmaceutical giants? 

His claim was published on this platform on 15 May 2020, entitled:

The drugs that made me survive covid-19- Doyin Okupe

Dr.Doyin Okupe

Dr. Doyin Okupe released photos of himself at the Shagamu isolation centre via Twitter

Dr. Doyin Okupe, one time spokesman for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed the medications he took to survival his bouts of coronavirus.

He, a medical doctor himself however, warned against self medication, especially since there could be many with underlying conditions that may trigger complications. For emphasis, he put it in capital letters thus:

“I MUST WARN HERE THAT IF YOU HAVE CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS ,  YOU WILL NEED TO CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE YOU TAKE HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE. I DID.”

Below is his submission:

“Hydroxychloroquine, 400mg daily for 2days. Thereafter 400mg daily for three days.

Azithromycin 500mg daily for 10 days.

Zinc  sulphate 100mg daily  till   today

Vitamin C 1200 mg daily till now.

I had malaria while on admission. I was effectively treated with an anti malaria. I also developed cough after about a week and was effectively treated by fairly large dose of  Augmentine for 7 days.

I must say that there is no universal medical consensus on a specific treatment regime for covid19. Also most of the drugs being used in different centres worldwide are not backed by any detailed or extensive research work anywhere in the world. Most scientific works and studies currently going on have limited scientific acceptability either because the samples used are too scanty, sometimes as low as 40 to 60, or because controls do not exists. It will take another 4 to 6 months before results of credible works are available.

However the humongous nature of the global emergency make it impossible for countries not to explore experimental drugs that show any possibility or potential  to contain the virus.

In my own case I commenced treatment with the hydroxychloroquine regime four days to my isolation. This was because I read extensively on various options of treatment for covid 19 and I followed the global debate on the pros and cons of the treatment. With my medical background and  consultations locally with colleagues I already made up my mind that the chloroquine regime was so far the most promising. I ordered for the drugs just in case someone close or even I should unfortunately pick up the virus.

I MUST WARN HERE THAT IF YOU HAVE CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS ,  YOU WILL NEED TO CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE YOU TAKE HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE. I DID. So I was advised to use 200mg twice daily instead of 400mg twice daily for two days.

Before the arrival of the results of the swab tests, I put my wife and I on the treatment. My low grade fever disappeared completely and my wife’s bone pains too. Personally I believe the chloroquine combination which is the official treatment regime in Ogun state actually works. Lagos uses anti viral drugs and they also get good results. However the scientific truth we know about treatment for viral infection is that ultimately what eventually works is the innate capability of the immune system of individual patients. It is the immunity level that eventually decides the course of the infection in each individual. That is why age and  coexisting comobidity factors, like obesity, hypertension and diabetes or renal diseases are crucial to survival and wellbeing of infected patients. This is what gives younger people better prospects with the virus.

Hence for those who are not sick, you should ingest immune boosting drugs and preparations . Like zinc SULPHATE,  immunace, RELOAD and similar immunity enhancing drugs.

I also took copious amount of ginger, garlic, tumeric and lemon. In kaduna I am told that they add dongoyaro leaves to the above mixture and drink liberally.

As a tip also, it is known that when the virus first gains access to the body it stays in the nasal cavity and the throat for two to three days. In this position the virus itself is vulnerable. It does naturally in temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. If at this stage you can consume large quantities of hot water with lemon frequently, you can abort the attack.

The good news is that 90 to 95% of infected people will recover and some even without hospitalization.

My Advice.

Pursue personal safety at whatever cost. Stay at home. Dont visit  and dont recieve visitors. Family or friends. Check drivers maids and aides. Since it may be difficult to gauge their compliance, either reduce to the barest minimum or do without. Those that must stay must be made to be resident and movements restricted. Maintain physical distancing if you must go out. Comply with the hygiene protocols as recommended by NCDC.

All these inconveniences will probably be over by July or latest August 2023. So we can all endure.

In the meantime, fortify yourself daily with immune boosters.

At the slightest sign of trouble, fever, catarrh and or cough get help instantly .

I hope someone finds this piece useful.”

Bellow are excerpts of Immanuel’s speech: “Hello, I’m Dr Stella Emmanuel. I’m a primary care physician in Houston, Texas.

“I went to medical school in West Africa, Nigeria, where I took care of malaria patients, treated them with hydroxychloroquine and stuff like that.

“So I’m used to these medications. I’m here because I have personally treated over 350 patients with COVID-19. Patients that have diabetes, patients that have high blood pressure, patients that have asthma, old people … I think my oldest patients are 92 … 87-year-olds.

“And the result has been the same. I put them on hydroxychloroquine, I put them on zinc, I put them on Zithromax, and they’re all well.

“For the past few months, after taking care of over 350 patients, we’ve not lost one. Not a diabetic, not a somebody with high blood pressure, not somebody who asthma, not an old person.

“We’ve not lost one patient. And on top of that, I’ve put myself, my staff, and many doctors that I know on hydroxychloroquine for prevention because by the very mechanism of action, it works early and as a prophylaxis.

“The study that made me start using hydroxychloroquine was a study that they did under the NIH in 2005 that says it works.

“Recently, I was doing some research about a patient that had hiccups and I found out that they even did a recent study in the NIH, which is our National Institute … that is the National … NIH, what? National Institute of Health.

“I know you’re going to tell me that you treated 20 people, 40 people, and it didn’t work. I’m a true testimony. So I came here to Washington DC to tell America nobody needs to get sick.

“This virus has a cure. It is called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax. I know you people want to talk about a mask. Hello? You don’t need a mask. There is a cure.

“I tell all of you doctors that are sitting down and watching Americans die. You’re like the good Nazi … the good one, the good Germans that watched Jews get killed and you did not speak up.

“If they come after me, they threaten me. They’ve threatened to … I mean, I’ve gotten all kinds of threats. Or they’re going to report me to the bots.

“I say, you know what? I don’t care. I’m not going to let Americans die. And if this is the hill where I get nailed on, I will get nailed on it. I don’t care.

“You can report me to the bots, you can kill me, you can do whatever, but I’m not going to let Americans die.

“And today I’m here to say it, that America, there is a cure for COVID-19. All this foolishness does not need to happen. There is a cure for COVID-19.“