Trump Says He’s Taking Hydroxychloroquine Despite An NIH Advisory Against It

TOPLINE

President Trump on Monday confirmed to reporters that he has been taking the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which he previously touted as a possible coronavirus cure, in an effort to ward off the virus, despite the National Institutes of Health recommending against its use for that purpose. 

KEY FACTS

Chief Critic

Former Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Director Rick Bright, who was fired from his post in April, said that he was removed from his post over his opposition to the drug. “Specifically, and contrary to misguided directives, I limited the broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, promoted by the administration as a panacea, but which clearly lack scientific merit,” Bright wrote in a letter.

Tangent

Democratic Michigan state legislator Karen Whitsett was unanimously censured by her local party after meeting with Trump in the White House to praise his promotion of hydroxychloroquine. Whitsett contracted coronavirus in March and credits hydroxychloroquine, and Trump’s efforts to bring it to national attention, with saving her life.

Surprising Fact

Trump noted that the drug “has been used for a long time” to treat malaria, lupus and arthritis, but its antecedent was also once used for flu. Many families in 1891 took quinine to treat the Russian Flu, despite many doctors recommending against its use.

What To Look For

Despite studies showing its ineffectiveness in treating coronavirus, a number of clinical trials are currently being conducted to determine whether hydroxychloroquine can be used prophylactically, as Trump is doing.