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Today on my show @TimMurtaugh made the false and irresponsible claim that hydroxycholorquine is safe and effective. It’s neither. He cited only one study, because there is only one study out of a large body of research that shows a positive result - and experts suspect its wrong. https://twitter.com/cnnnewsroom/status/1285658405810720778
That’s because patients who received hydroxychloroquine were much more likely to have also received a steroid, which we now know *is* an effective treatment for Covid. This article breaks it down: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/02/health/hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-detroit-study/index.html
In late May, Dr. Fauci said of hydroxychloroquine, “The scientific data is really quite evident now about the lack of efficacy for it," and a likelihood of "adverse events with regard to cardiovascular." https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/27/politics/anthony-fauci-hydroxychloroquine-trump-cnntv/index.html
In early June, a UK hydroxychloroquine study abruptly pulled the plug after data showed that after about 28 days, 25.7% of the patients who received hydroxychloroquine had died compared with 23.5% of patients who received usual care alone. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/health/hydroxychloroquine-uk-recovery-trial-bn/index.html
In mid-June, the FDA revoked emergency use authorization for the drug because it was “unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19” and “in light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other potential serious side effects”. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-revokes-emergency-use-authorization-chloroquine-and
And that left the national stockpile with 63 million doses of moth-balled hydroxychloroquine: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/health/hydroxychloroquine-national-stockpile/index.html
A few days later Novartis discontinued it’s clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine because, thank God, people heeded expert warnings about the drug and wouldn’t participate. https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-discontinues-hydroxychloroquine-clinical-trial-based-slow-enrollment-remains-committed-pandemic-research-efforts
NIH halted its trial, citing the drug showed no benefits for covid patients. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/hydroxychloroquine-clinical-trial-halted-covid-19/index.html
The WHO also did: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/04-07-2020-who-discontinues-hydroxychloroquine-and-lopinavir-ritonavir-treatment-arms-for-covid-19
To sum it up, @TimMurtaugh,
