In the USA, an unusual situation has emerged where the President is promoting the benefits of a drug called Hydroxychloroquine for therapeutic treatment of COVID19, even while many doctors caution there is insufficient proof to say it works, or indeed is safe.

A quick thread...

2. To demonstrate the unusualness of this situation, the President today tweeted an article from the Detroit Free Press, where a patient credits the President for saving her life due to his promoting Hydroxychloroquine... https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1247268841845141504

3. Meanwhile today, a respected biologist and Harvard Professor appeared on Fox News to discuss the drug, and was quite negative about it, something which may not have been what the network or host was expecting. https://twitter.com/LisPower1/status/1247233437519536129

4. The relationship between the drug & Fox News, which is generally supportive of the President, is starting to gain more attention. Today it was reported that a popular Fox News host - Laura Ingraham, met with the President privately to tout the drug. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-do-you-have-to-lose-inside-trumps-embrace-of-a-risky-drug-against-coronavirus/2020/04/06/0a744d7e-781f-11ea-a130-df573469f094_story.html

5. The current state of play is that the drug is in clinical trials within the US, & some doctors say it helps. After a call from the President the FDA has approved 'emergency' use of the drug for doctors in the US to prescribe it. The President says "What have you got to lose?"

6. The European FDA (EMA) has declined to do the same, pending outcome of clinical trials. To put things into context, the PDF below shows the clinical trials for a very wide range of drugs that are taking place for COVID-19, not just Hydroxychloroquine.

https://laegemiddelstyrelsen.dk/da/nyheder/temaer/ny-coronavirus-covid-19/~/media/5B83D25935DF43A38FF823E24604AC36.ashx

7. We feel it important to point out that any drug can have side effects. As the European Medicines Agency (EMA) says, Hydroxychloroquine can have "serious side effects".

See their Hydroxychloroquine page for more details.. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/covid-19-chloroquine-hydroxychloroquine-only-be-used-clinical-trials-emergency-use-programmes

8. You should discuss HCQ with your doctor if you are interested in it. Under no circumstances should you self medicate. This is very dangerous, and can prove fatal.

We all desperately want some good news. Maybe after clinical trials HCQ will prove to be of help.

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