Edmond Couple Says Malaria Drug Helped Them Recover From Coronavirus

There's no proven treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19) but a malaria drug is getting a lot of attention.

The FDA is conducting clinical trials. And while the scientific community is divided on its effectiveness, there are people who say it has worked for them.

News 9’s Amanda Taylor spoke with one couple of out of Edmond

“I really felt I wasn’t going to ever leave the hospital," Jim said. When he left here I didn’t know if I would ever see him again,” said Kay Simpson.

“Yeah, it was pretty scary and I was worried about her here at home too,” said Jay Simpson.

At 71 years old both Jim and Kay Simpson started coming down with COVID-19 symptoms in mid-March.

“I just kept getting weaker and weaker. No appetite, no smell, diarrhea, all the classic symptoms,” said Kay.

But Jim was much worse than Kay because of a pre-existing condition. He was in the Navy during Vietnam and exposed to Agent Orange. That led to an incurable lung disease making COVID-19 even more dangerous

“I wanted to take a shower and I got in…the next thing I know I’ve passed out in the shower and laying on the shower floor. I finally came to and screamed for Kay,” he said.

An ambulance rushed him to OU Medical Center where doctors confirmed he had COVID-19.

“When I got there I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t even pray. I just felt gone,” Jim said.

But then doctors gave him a combination of the anti-malaria drug Hydroxychloroquine, a Z-pak and steroids.

Jim said after the treatment he felt better about a day after.

“He ran a fever 16 straight days and once they started getting the medicine in him, that’s when it broke,” Kay said.”

Jim said that along with prayers and all the care he received and after a week in intensive care he walked out of the hospital.

Both Jim and Kay have been symptom free for a little more than a week now.

We reached out to the health department for their take on Hydroxychloroquine. They said,  "Any positive news regarding successful treatment is something we celebrate along with the rest of our state."