Popular in News & Politics

1. The One Thing Donald Trump Can’t Escape in Court
2. Cohen’s Testimony Hints At a Strategic Move From the Prosecution in the Hush Money Trial
3. There Are Only Three Ways Out of Israel and Hamas’ War
4. There’s an Insidious Legal Movement to Make Pregnant Women Second-Class Citizens

There were two cases of poisoning with the anti-malaria drug chloroquine in Nigeria after President Donald Trump praised it as a possible cure for the new coronavirus. Two people were hospitalized for overdosing on the drug in Lagos, Oreoluwa Finnih, senior health assistant to the governor of Lagos, said in an interview with Bloomberg. Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control sent out a tweet Saturday making clear that the World Health Organization has not approved the anti-malaria drug for COVID-19.

#FactsNotFear@WHO has NOT approved the use of chloroquine for #COVID19 management. Scientists are working hard to confirm the safety of several drugs for this disease.

Please DO NOT engage in self-medication. This will cause harm and can lead to death.#COVID19Nigeria pic.twitter.com/K6kljq0VtW

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) March 20, 2020

The overdoses on chloroquine came after Trump sang the praises of two malaria drugs—chlorquine and a less toxic related pill called hydrochloroquine—and pretty much characterized them as possible miracle cures for COVID-19. That led to people rushing out to buy the drugs and there were reports of high demand in Nigeria leading to shortages in pharmacies. Trump doubled down on the dubious medical advice Saturday, writing on Twitter about another unproven combination of drugs, claiming that hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin “taken together” could be “one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine.” Trump went on to express optimism that they will be “put in use IMMEDIATELY” because “PEOPLE ARE DYING.” To make his point, Trump cited a report in a scientific journal that only studied 20 patients and was not a controlled clinical trial.

Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement

....be put in use IMMEDIATELY. PEOPLE ARE DYING, MOVE FAST, and GOD BLESS EVERYONE! @US_FDA @SteveFDA @CDCgov @DHSgov

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2020

Earlier in the week, Trump had said he had a good feeling about the use of anti-malaria drugs for COVID-19. “I feel good about it. That’s all it is. Just a feeling,” he said. “You know, I’m a smart guy. I feel good about it. And we’re going to see. You’re going to see soon enough.” Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, pushed back against the claim emphasizing that it was all based on anecdotal evidence.

Trump cheerleading of the unproven treatment has led to concerns about possible shortages among doctors and patients with diseases, including lupus, that rely on the drugs. “Rheumatologists are furious about the hype going on over this drug,” Dr. Michael Lockshin, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, tells the New York Times. “There is a run on it and we’re getting calls every few minutes, literally, from patients who are trying to stay on the drug and finding it in short supply.”

Tweet Share Share Comment

(责任编辑：关于我们)