A family doctor based out of Denver, Colorado, says that he has treated several coronavirus patients using a combination of antibiotics and hydroxychloroquine and all of those patients “did well”

During an interview with a local CBS news affiliate, Dr. Constantine Tsamasfyros told the reporter that he had “prescribed a combination of hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic called azithromycin to about a dozen patients over the last few weeks.”

Dr. Tsamasfyros has been practicing medicine for nearly 50 years and said that all patients that he prescribed the combination to did well. According to the doctor the patient’s symptoms began to dissipate within a day or two.

According to Dr. Tsamasfyros he feels that the meds absolutely worked. Going on record to say, “If they’re drowning, you either pull them out of the water or at least throw them a rope to come out.”

Hydroxychloroquine has been prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthriti, malaria and lupus for a very long time. It wasn’t until March of 2020 that a French researcher, Dr. Didier Raoult stated that he had used the drug to successfully treat patients infected with coronavirus using the hydroxychloroquine.

Although Dr Raoult was successful in treating patients with the drug, other doctors and researchers remained skeptical over use of the drug due to the lack of controls within the study. On top of the lack of data, the drug is also known for causing significant side effects including severe and fatal heart problems. Tsamasfyros began prescribing the drug to patients around a month ago since there was nothing else available to combat coronavirus in a patient.

“On an outpatient basis there is really nothing to offer our patients,” said Tsamasfyros. ”Until we have something documented or better this is a fallback and we should not be depriving our patients.You certainly don’t want to deprive a patient that might be drowning in an inflamed lung situation of any kind of help or assistance” Tsamasfyros noted that is decision to prescribe the drug was based off of science and common sense.

During his interview Tsamasfyros said he let patients know the possible side effects, adding that if he were to get infected while on the front lines he would take the drug himself.

Wrapping up his interview Tsamasfyros was asked if he would continue to prescribe hydroxychloroquine to patients with coronavirus, in which Tsamasfyros replied, “absolutely.”