WASHINGTON, March 24, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – US President Donald Trump on Monday
said antimalarial drugs that are under investigation to treat the new
coronavirus could be a “gift from God” despite scientists warning against the
dangers of overhyping unproven medicines.
Trump announced last week his administration was working to dramatically
expand access to hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, a related compound,
following promising early studies in France and China that found the drugs
helped patients suffering from the COVID-19 illness.
Many scientists including Anthony Fauci, the United States’ leading
infectious disease expert, have urged the public to remain cautious until
larger clinical trials validate the smaller studies.
But Trump demonstrated no such restraint at a White House press briefing on
Monday.
“The hydroxychloroquine and the Z-Pak, I think as a combination probably is
looking very, very good,” he said.
“There’s a real chance that it could have a tremendous impact, it would be
a gift from God, if that worked it would be a big game changer,” he added,
quoting the example of a patient who was ill but recovered after taking the
drug.
NBC reported that a woman in Arizona, who heard Trump talk about
chloroquine, ended up in hospital and her husband died after they took a form
of chloroquine she had used to treat her koi fish.
“I saw it sitting on the back shelf and thought, ‘Hey, isn’t that the stuff
they’re talking about on TV?'” NBC quoted the unnamed woman as saying.
Banner Health, a non-profit health care provider based in Phoenix, said on
its website that “a man has died and his wife is under critical care after
the couple, both in their 60s, ingested chloroquine phosphate, an additive
commonly used at aquariums to clean fish tanks.”
Banner Health warned against self-medicating to treat or prevent the COVID-
19 illness.
Trump has been criticized by some in the scientific community for
overhyping the drugs — which could create shortages for Americans who need
them to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, diseases for which they are
approved.
New York is set to begin a clinical trial on Tuesday that would treat
patients with hydroxychloroquine taken together with azithromycin, an
antibiotic used to clear secondary bacterial infections.
Separately, Vice President Mike Pence announced that self-administered
nasal swab tests for the illness would be made available this week, thus
reducing part of the burden on the overstretched health care system.
At present, the test is administered by health care workers wearing
personal protective gear which is in short supply.
The US has almost 44,000 cases and 560 deaths, according to a tracker
maintained by Johns Hopkins University.