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Actor Daniel Dae Kim says malaria drug was ‘secret weapon’ in coronavirus recovery

COURTESY DANIEL DAE KIM
                                Daniel Dae Kim in a screenshot from a video he posted on Instagram today where he revealed he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

COURTESY DANIEL DAE KIM

Daniel Dae Kim in a screenshot from a video he posted on Instagram today where he revealed he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Former “Hawaii Five-0” actor Daniel Dae Kim says a medication commonly used to treat malaria was “crucial” in his recovery from coronavirus.

Kim, 51, described the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as the “secret weapon” in his treatment as he updated his Instagram followers on his condition in a new video.

The “Lost” actor noted that he’s not a doctor or lawyer, and that his comments should not be taken as though he’s a medical professional, but he wanted to speak on his own personal experience.

Hydroxychloroquine was one of several medications that made up a “drug cocktail” of treatment that Kim used, he said.

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Including the medicines that helped me recover. Check out @cdcgov, @paulysong and @nextshark for more on the issues I reference above. Thank you again for all the kind words of support. Please be safe and healthy, everyone. Love and prayers to those who are sick.🙏🏼#coronavirus

A post shared by Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) on

“Yes, this is the drug that the President mentioned the other day,” Kim said in Saturday’s video. “It is also the drug that Dr. Anthony Fauci cautioned us about. He said that evidence that the drug was promising is anecdotal, and that is correct. It means it wasn’t studied, and it’s only based on personal accounts. Well, add my name to those personal accounts, because I am feeling better.”

Kim said he had also taken Tamiflu and the antibiotic widely known as Zpack, in addition to using an inhaler to help with breathing and inflammation.

He said he followed the treatment protocol prescribed by his doctor, and believes part of the reason his recovery went well is that he began taking medication before his fever became severe.

Kim is now “practically back to normal,” he said. He considers every drug in the cocktail he took to be “crucial” in his recovery.

Last week, Trump said the malaria medication could be a “game changer” in the fight against coronavirus, while Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert, said a definitive statement cannot be made about it in terms of treating COVID-19.

Kim revealed last Thursday that he had tested positive for coronavirus after working in New York on a series. He developed symptoms including body aches, a rising temperature and tightness in his chest.

Other celebrities who have tested positive for the virus include Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Kevin Durant, Idris Elba and Andy Cohen.

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