By Michael Crowley, Katie Thomas and
The president’s advocacy of the anti-malarial drug has created tensions in his administration, and fears among doctors that it could unnecessarily expose patients to risks.
President Trump doubled down Sunday on his push for the use of an anti-malarial drug against the coronavirus, issuing medical advice that goes well beyond scant evidence of the drug’s effectiveness as well as the advice of doctors and public health experts.
Mr. Trump’s recommendation of hydroxychloroquine, for the second day in a row at a White House briefing, was a striking example of his brazen willingness to distort and outright defy expert opinion and scientific evidence when it does not suit his agenda.
Standing alongside two top public health officials who have declined to endorse his call for widely administering the drug, Mr. Trump suggested that he was speaking on gut instinct and acknowledged that he had no expertise on the subject.
Saying that the drug is “being tested now,” Mr. Trump said that “there are some very strong, powerful signs” of its potential, although health experts say that the data is extremely limited and that more study of the drug’s effectiveness against the coronavirus is needed.
“But what do I know? I’m not a doctor,” Mr. Trump added.
“If it does work, it would be a shame we did not do it early,” Mr. Trump said, noting again that the federal government had purchased and stockpiled 29 million pills of the drug. “We are sending them to various labs, our military, we’re sending them to the hospitals.”
Mr. Trump, who once predicted that the virus might “miraculously” disappear by April because of warm weather, and who has rejected scientific consensus on issues like climate change, was undaunted by skeptical questioning.
“What do you have to lose?” Mr. Trump asked, for the second day in a row, saying that terminally ill patients should be willing to try any treatment that has shown some promise.
When a reporter at Sunday’s briefing asked Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to weigh in on the subject, Mr. Trump stopped him from answering. As the reporter noted that Dr. Fauci, who has been far more skeptical about the drug’s potential, was the president’s medical expert, Mr. Trump made it clear he did not want the doctor to answer.
“You know how many times he’s answered that question? Maybe 15 times,” the president said, stepping toward the lectern where Dr. Fauci was standing.
Even as Mr. Trump has promoted the drug, which is also often prescribed for patients with lupus, it has created rifts within his own coronavirus task force. And while many hospitals have chosen to use hydroxychloroquine in a desperate attempt to treat dying patients who have few other options, others have noted that it carries serious risks. In particular, the drug can cause a heart arrhythmia that can lead to cardiac arrest.
“There are side effects to hydroxychloroquine,” Dr. Ranney said. “It causes psychiatric symptoms, cardiac problems and a host of other bad side effects.”
Dr. Ranney said that the drug could be effective for some patients, but that there was not nearly enough scientific evidence to support Mr. Trump’s claims.
“There may be a role for it for some people,” she said, “but to tell Americans ‘you don’t have anything to lose,’ that’s not true. People certainly have something to lose by taking it indiscriminately.”
Hydroxychloroquine has not been proved to work against Covid-19 in any significant clinical trials. A small trial by Chinese researchers made public last week found that it helped speed the recovery in moderately ill patients, but the study was not peer-reviewed and had significant limitations. Earlier reports from France and China have drawn criticism because they did not include control groups to compare treated patients with untreated ones, and researchers have called the reports anecdotal. Without controls, they said, it is impossible to determine whether the drugs worked.
“We don’t have time to go and say, ‘Gee, let’s take a couple of years and test it out,’ and let’s go out and test with the test tubes and the laboratories,” Mr. Trump said. “I’d love to do that, but we have people dying today.”
Mr. Trump is typically joined at his briefings by top medical advisers, including Dr. Fauci and Dr. Deborah L. Birx, his coronavirus coordinator. But the president does most of the talking, and has told several advisers that the briefings give him free airtime and good ratings.
A day earlier, Dr. Fauci had privately challenged rising optimism about the drug’s efficacy during a meeting of the coronavirus task force in the White House’s Situation Room, according to two people familiar with the events who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a conversation in a sensitive setting. The argument was first reported by the website Axios.
The meeting’s agenda included the question of how the administration would discuss chloroquines. Dr. Stephen Hahn, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner, gave an update on chloroquines, and what various tests and anecdotal evidence had shown. Peter Navarro, the president’s trade adviser who is overseeing supply chain issues related to the coronavirus, asked to join the meeting, said the people briefed on what took place.
Mr. Navarro, who has been pushing to secure chloroquines at the president’s request to provide to caregivers, walked in with a sheaf of folders he had placed on a chair next to him, plopped them on the table and said he had seen studies from various countries, as well as information culled from officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showing the “clear” efficacy of the drug in treating the coronavirus. Mr. Navarro also argued that the medicine was being used by doctors and nurses on the front lines of the coronavirus fight.
Dr. Fauci pushed back, echoing remarks he has made in interviews in the past week that rigorous study is still necessary. Mr. Navarro, an economist by training, shot back that the information he had collected was “science,” according to the people familiar with the episode.
Vice President Mike Pence tried to tamp down the debate, and as emotions calmed, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, advised Mr. Navarro to “take yes for an answer.” The president went to the briefing room lectern a short while later and glowed about chloroquine use, suggesting he might even take it himself despite not having symptoms or evidence of the virus.
Katie Miller, a spokeswoman for Mr. Pence, declined to comment, saying the administration does not discuss events in the Situation Room.
Last month, an Arizona man died and his wife was hospitalized after officials said they treated themselves with a deadly home remedy for the coronavirus — a popular fish tank additive that has the same active ingredient as an anti-malaria drug.
Medical professionals are also concerned that a run on hydroxychloroquine for potential coronavirus treatment could create shortages for people who need it for its traditional uses.
“The organizations strongly oppose these actions,” the statement said, citing potential “grave consequences for patients with conditions such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis if the drugs are not available in the community.”
Since patients with heart troubles and other underlying conditions are more likely to be severely affected by the coronavirus, they may also be at higher risk of dangerous side effects from hydroxychloroquine, said Dr. Kenneth B. Klein, a consultant who works for drug companies to design and evaluate their clinical trials.
“What have we got to lose?” Dr. Klein said, echoing Mr. Trump’s remarks. “We’ve got patients to lose from dangerous side effects.”
Mr. Trump did mention the potential risks to patients with heart troubles, but Dr. Klein said that even people with normal hearts are at risk for developing a fatal arrhythmia. And he said other medications could interact with hydroxychloroquine and cause serious medical complications.
“Then the doctor would have to spend time thinking, could this drug be playing a role, either directly or indirectly?” Dr. Klein said.
Other researchers have noted that while future trials may show a benefit, hydroxychloroquine has disappointed in the past, even though it has been tested as a treatment for other viruses, including influenza.
“Hydroxychloroquine has been studied as a possible antiviral therapy for many decades,” said Dr. Luciana Borio, who oversaw public health preparedness for the National Security Council in Mr. Trump’s White House and was the acting chief scientist at the F.D.A. under President Barack Obama.
“Despite showing evidence of activity against several viruses in the laboratory, it never showed success in randomized clinical trials.”
83 Responses
Great information. Lucky me I discovered your site by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve saved it for later!
I like reading through a post that can make people think. Also, thank you for allowing me to comment!
I wanted to thank you for this good read!! I absolutely loved every bit of it. I have you book marked to look at new stuff you postÖ
That is a good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere. Short but very accurate infoÖ Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read post!
I seriously love your site.. Great colors & theme. Did you develop this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as Iím attempting to create my own personal blog and would love to learn where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Appreciate it!
An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. I do think that you need to write more on this subject, it may not be a taboo matter but typically people do not speak about these subjects. To the next! Best wishes!!
You’re so interesting! I don’t suppose I’ve read through something like this before. So wonderful to discover somebody with unique thoughts on this subject. Seriously.. thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that’s needed on the web, someone with a little originality!
Very nice write-up. I definitely love this site. Keep writing!
May I simply just say what a relief to find someone who truly understands what they are discussing on the internet. You definitely understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people ought to check this out and understand this side of your story. I was surprised that you are not more popular because you most certainly possess the gift.
A fascinating discussion is worth comment. I do think that you need to publish more about this subject matter, it may not be a taboo matter but usually folks don’t talk about these subjects. To the next! Kind regards!!
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to return yet again since i have bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.
I seriously love your blog.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you develop this site yourself? Please reply back as Iím looking to create my own personal blog and want to learn where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Many thanks!
I quite like reading through a post that can make people think. Also, thanks for allowing for me to comment!
I needed to thank you for this very good read!! I certainly loved every bit of it. I have got you book-marked to check out new stuff you postÖ
This site definitely has all the information I needed about this subject and didnít know who to ask.
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I believe that you need to write more on this subject matter, it may not be a taboo subject but generally people do not discuss these subjects. To the next! Cheers!!
Hi, I do believe this is a great site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will come back once again since I bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
Excellent post. I definitely love this website. Keep writing!
Everything is very open with a really clear clarification of the issues. It was truly informative. Your site is useful. Thank you for sharing!
I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this website. I am hoping to check out the same high-grade content from you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own blog now 😉
Your new valuable vital factors indicate Substantially someone like me and very extra to my Business office personnel. With many thanks; from Every person of us.
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I believe that you ought to write more on this subject, it may not be a taboo subject but generally people do not speak about such subjects. To the next! Cheers!!
You should be a part of a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I most certainly will highly recommend this website!
Hey there! I simply wish to give you a big thumbs up for your excellent information you’ve got right here on this post. I will be coming back to your website for more soon.
Appreciation for seriously becoming considerate and also for determining on specified marvelous guides the majority of people really need to be aware of.
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be exciting to read through content from other writers and practice something from their websites.
After I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. There has to be a means you are able to remove me from that service? Kudos!
You have made some good points there. I checked on the net to find out more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.
Iím impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog thatís equally educative and engaging, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy I came across this during my search for something relating to this.
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Thank you! Exactly where are your contact details though?
I needed to thank you for this excellent read!! I absolutely loved every bit of it. I’ve got you book-marked to check out new stuff you postÖ
Howdy! I could have sworn Iíve been to this blog before but after looking at a few of the posts I realized itís new to me. Anyways, Iím certainly happy I discovered it and Iíll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!
Itís hard to find well-informed people about this subject, however, you sound like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks
A fascinating discussion is worth comment. I think that you should publish more about this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but typically folks don’t discuss these topics. To the next! Best wishes!!
Howdy! This article couldnít be written much better! Looking through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept talking about this. I will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a very good read. Many thanks for sharing!
Presently, it looks like WordPress is the popular running a blog System accessible right this moment. (from what I’ve read through) Is always that Whatever you’re working with on your website? Excellent post, nevertheless, I used to be thinking if you could potentially generate somewhat more on this subject matter?
https://www.pagearticles.com/
https://www.pagearticles.com/
I used to be able to find good advice from your content.
Excellent site you’ve got here.. Itís difficult to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays. I really appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
I used to be able to find good information from your articles.
It’s normally so sweet and likewise brimming with many pleasurable for me personally and my Workplace colleagues to search your site at least thrice in weekly to see the new direction you’ve got received.
I was very happy to discover this website. I want to to thank you for your time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely appreciated every bit of it and I have you book-marked to check out new things on your blog.
Great post! We are linking to this particularly great article on our site. Keep up the great writing.
There is certainly a great deal to find out about this topic. I really like all the points you made.
Very good information. Lucky me I recently found your site by chance (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later!
I must thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this blog. I really hope to view the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own blog now 😉
Great post! We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always helpful to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their sites.
I really like it when people come together and share thoughts. Great blog, continue the good work!
I was able to find good info from your blog posts.
The very next time I read a blog, I hope that it won’t fail me just as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought you would have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something you could fix if you weren’t too busy searching for attention.
Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It’s the little changes that make the largest changes. Thanks for sharing!
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this site. I really hope to check out the same high-grade blog posts from you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal site now 😉
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It’s the little changes that will make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Having read this I believed it was very enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this short article together. I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
May I simply say what a comfort to uncover someone who really understands what they are discussing on the net. You actually know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people must read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular because you definitely have the gift.
I couldnít resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you need to write more about this issue, it may not be a taboo subject but typically folks don’t discuss such subjects. To the next! All the best!!
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a friend who has been doing a little research on this. And he actually bought me lunch due to the fact that I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to discuss this matter here on your web page.
Good blog you have got here.. Itís difficult to find quality writing like yours nowadays. I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
bookmarked!!, I really like your website!
I’m curious to discover what site program you’re using?
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously believe this amazing site needs far more attention. Iíll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the advice!
Howdy! I could have sworn Iíve visited this blog before but after looking at some of the posts I realized itís new to me. Anyhow, Iím certainly pleased I discovered it and Iíll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!
It’s hard to find well-informed people in this particular topic,
but you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
You’re so cool! I do not think I’ve truly read through a single thing like that before. So great to discover somebody with a few genuine thoughts on this issue. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This web site is one thing that’s needed on the internet, someone with some originality!
I need to to thank you for this great read!! I definitely loved every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to look at new stuff you postÖ
Good info. Lucky me I recently found your blog by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve book-marked it for later!
This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Cheers!
Hi there! This article could not be written much better! Looking at this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I’ll send this post to him. Pretty sure he’ll have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this site. I’m hoping to view the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own, personal blog now 😉
Hi, I do think this is an excellent website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will return yet again since i have saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
You are so cool! I do not think I have read a single thing like that before. So nice to find somebody with some original thoughts on this issue. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This web site is something that’s needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!
What refreshing shock your posts are. these posts are aiding me in exploring some needed specifics. You’ve added to my study in your posting.
Thanks for this excellent. I was wondering whether you were planning of writing similar posts to this one. .Keep up the excellent articles!
Bottom Line: The talent pool runs deep here, and is the main reason why the film works.
This internet site is often a walk-through rather than the details you wanted about it and didn’t know who ought to. Glimpse here, and you’ll certainly discover it.
I discovered your blog website on google and check a number of your early posts. Always keep the really good operate. I recently additional the Rss to my MSN News Reader. Seeking forward to reading far more of your stuff later on!…
With these current economic conditions the simplest way truly, I made the decision to arrange strategies for filing for having been fired effects. Very own understanding ended up interpret how a joblessness strategy exercises, just what prevalent is ideal for getting payments from or perhaps a rejecting statement forms, just to include content articles caused by acquire experiences in what appropriate procedures combined with generic misunderstandings come in submitting lack of employment pluses.
Hey, you used to write great, but the last few posts have been kinda boring¡K I miss your great writings. Past several posts are just a little out of track! come on!
Your own write-up offers verified helpful to me personally. It’s extremely informative and you are obviously really well-informed in this field. You possess opened up my own face to be able to different thoughts about this topic along with intriquing, notable and sound articles.
“I am a big fan of this web site would like to go on updated”