President Donald Trump is once again promoting the use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to battle the coronavirus, which goes against medical advice that is currently being given by experts.
During a White House briefing on Sunday, the president claimed that “there are some very strong, power signs” of the hydroxychloroquine’s potential, according to the New York Times, although, again, public health experts say that more testing and studying of the drug’s effectiveness against the novel coronavirus is still needed.
But even while pushing for the drug’s use, the president, took time to add, “But what do I know? I’m not a doctor.”
Except, when a journalist called for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases to speak on the subject, the president stepped in.
“You know how many times he’s answered that question? Maybe 15 times,” the president said, as he stepped toward where Fauci was standing.
According to CNN, Trump also claimed that the hydroxychloroquine could be taken as a preventative measure, although he did not cite any experts or sources for his claim.
“If it does work, it would be a shame we did not do it early,” he said. “What do you have to lose?”
Well, according to Dr. Patrice Harris, the president of the American Medical Association who spoke to CNN after the briefing, “you could lose your life.”
“There have been mixed results,” Dr. Harris told the network. “Just because a molecule or a drug works in a lab or in a petri dish does not mean that it’s going to work on patients. There could be negative side effects. There could be deaths.”
Dr. Harris firmly emphasized that no medication or drug for any disease that has not been proven or approved by the FDA for the virus, adding that she would not and could not prescribe hydroxychloroquine for the coronavirus.
The doctor also cautioned against hoarding the medication, which has been approved to treat patients with disorders, such as lupus, so that those who do need it for approved illnesses can still have access to it.
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