By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
President Donald Trump has again contradicted his own public health officials to defend the use of hydroxychloroquine to ward off coronavirus that is ravaging the United States with 152,771 deaths and 4,520,026 cases and counting.
He stood his ground on Wednesday, two days after Dr Stella Immanuel, a General Practitioner (GP) in the U.S. claimed that she had treated over 350 patients of COVID-19 with a combination of Hydrochloroquine (HCQ), Zinc, and Zithromax.
The Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) in Nigeria, where Immanuel was born, has dismissed her claim as unsubstantiated.
In the U.S, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked emergency use authorisation for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for the treatment of Covid-19.
The FDA said the drugs do not meet “the statutory criteria” for emergency use authorisation as they are unlikely to be effective in treating the virus based on the latest scientific evidence.
Yet, Trump vouched for hydroxychloroquine, insisting that the malaria medication was only rejected as a Covid-19 treatment because he had recommended its use, the BBC reports.
His remarks come after Twitter banned his eldest son for posting a clip promoting hydroxychloroquine.
Last month, the FDA cautioned against using the drug to treat coronavirus patients, following reports of “serious heart rhythm problems” and other health issues.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also says “there is currently no proof” that it is effective as a treatment or prevents Covid-19.
In other developments:
- U.S. coronavirus deaths have reached 152,771, according to live updates by worldometers.info, as states in the south and west, including Florida and California, reported record daily death tolls. But Trump claimed that large parts of the country were “corona-free”.
- Moderna, a biotech firm in the U.S., said its experimental coronavirus vaccine had induced a strong immune response in a study on monkeys. It said the vaccine protected against infection in the lungs and nose and prevented lung disease
- Kodak, better known for making cameras, has moved into drug making and has just secured a $765 million loan from the U.S. government. The fallen giant of the photography industry will make ingredients used in generic drugs to help fight the virus.
Trump’s claims without evidence
The BBC reports that studies commissioned by the WHO, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and other researchers around the world have found no evidence that hydroxychloroquine – when used with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, as repeatedly recommended by Trump – helps treat coronavirus.
Hydroxychloroquine was first touted by Trump in March. Two months later he surprised journalists by saying he had begun taking the unproven medication to ward off the virus.
On Tuesday, he told reporters at the White House: “I can only say that from my standpoint, and based on a lot of reading and a lot of knowledge about it, I think it could have a very positive impact in the early stages.
“I don’t think you lose anything by doing it, other than politically it doesn’t seem too popular. When I recommend something, they like to say ‘don’t use it.'”
On the wider situation in the U.S., Trump said large numbers of masks and gowns were being produced and 55 million tests had been carried out – “more than anybody in the world”.
Why hydroxychloroquine is back in the news
Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr, were among social media users who shared video late on Monday of a group called America’s Frontline Doctors advocating hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment.
Facebook and Twitter removed the content, flagging it as misinformation, but not before more than 17 million people had seen one of the clips.
Twitter also banned Trump Jr from tweeting for 12 hours as a penalty for sharing the clip. In the past, Twitter has declined to remove tweets by the president himself and other world leaders, citing public interest and newsworthiness.
The video in question showed doctors speaking outside the U.S. Supreme Court building at an event organised by Tea Party Patriots Action, a group that has helped fund a pro-Trump political action committee.
In the video, Immanuel, a doctor from Houston, says she has successfully treated 350 coronavirus patients “and counting” with hydroxychloroquine.
Trump said on Tuesday: “I think they’re very respected doctors. There was a woman who was spectacular in her statements about it.”
According to the Daily Beast, Immanuel has previously claimed the government is run by “reptilians” and that scientists are developing a vaccine to stop people being religious, among other bizarre views.
America’s Frontline Doctors’ founder, Simone Gold, accused social media companies of censorship for removing the hydroxychloroquine video.
“Treatment options for COVID-19 should be debated, and spoken about among our colleagues in the medical field,” she tweeted. “They should never, however, be censored and silenced.”
Trump’s relationship with Fauci
Late on Monday, Trump also retweeted several tweets critical of Dr Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the White House coronavirus task force.
But in Tuesday’s briefing he denied he was criticising the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, insisting: “I get along with him very well.”
Asked about hydroxychloroquine earlier on Tuesday, Fauci said the medication was not an appropriate treatment for Covid-19.
He told ABC News’ morning show that the drug was “not effective in coronavirus disease.”
At Tuesday’s briefing, Trump questioned why the White House coronavirus expert and his fellow task-force member, Dr Deborah Birx, were popular, but his administration was not.
“They’re highly thought of but nobody likes me. It can only be my personality, that’s all,” he said.
Reaction from GMD
A statement issued in Abuja by GMD President, Prof. Olufemi Babalola, also insisted that “there is no scientific evidence to prove the claim.”
He added: “We have watched with dismay the viral video of Dr Stella Immanuel, a doctor in the United States of America.
“The video has been shared all over the country and led to many people justifiably asking the question, ‘What do you think, doctor?’
“The video was part of a news conference held in America.”
“It is true that Senegal, where HCQ is routinely used, has one of the lowest COVID-19 case fatality rates in the world at 0.64 per cent compared to 3.4 per cent in the U.S.
“Study is underway at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on its efficacy and safety. Subsequently, a meta-analysis of all these studies should be undertaken to pool all the results and come up with analysis which will guide clinicians.
“So, until then, all anecdotal claims such as the one from … Immanuel must be taken with a pinch of salt.”
Babalola warned that HCQ may be a cause of serious complications and even death in some people, stressing that other anecdotal claims such as the herbal mixture from Madagascar had subsequently been proven ineffective.
He said the GMD is a body of owners of private hospitals in Nigeria “and collectively, we are responsible for the management of about 70 per cent of the healthcare needs of Nigerians.
“So, a lot of the burden in explaining the problem as related to the video naturally falls on us. Therefore, we feel it is pertinent to explain or clarify the issues for Nigerians.
“We must reiterate that coronavirus is real and COVID-19 is an indiscriminate killer.
“We know from personal experience since it has killed many doctors and nurses all over the country, including our very own Prof. Lovett Lawson. The disease is definitely not a joke.”
He condemned the politicisation of the pandemic, saying the whole world is actively looking for an effective treatment and vaccine for the disease.
“So, until then, everyone has a responsibility to remain safe and protect one another through the proven ways.
“These are – social distancing, wearing of face mask and frequent hand washing and respiratory hygiene.”
