Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Stephen Hahn on Thursday declined to take a definitive stance on whether people should take hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus, saying that decision should be made between a doctor and a patient.
“We had data that when this drug was combined with others, there was some risk associated with it. But the question I’m being asked is a decision between a doctor and a patient, “Hahn said on NBC’s” Today “show.
“A physician and a patient need to evaluate the available data, the FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine, and it is in the privacy of the physician-patient relationship that this decision must be made.”
Should people take hydroxychloroquine? – @ savannahguthrie
It is a decision between a doctor and a patient. – @ SteveFDA. pic.twitter.com/moYGgHoSEJ
– TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 30, 2020
Hydroxychloroquine returned to the news this week later President Trump
Donald John Trump Governor Approval Rates Drop As COVID-19 Cases Rise Gohmert Says He Will Take Hydroxychloroquine As Treatment For Virginia Governor COVID-19, Senators Seek CDC Help With Coronavirus Outbreak In Center immigration detention MORE It doubled its support for the drug despite medical evidence questioning its efficacy as a treatment for COVID-19 and raising concerns about possible side effects.
“It is safe. It does not cause problems. I had no problem. I had absolutely no problem,” Trump told reporters Tuesday at the White House, referring to his own use of the drug for 14 days earlier this year. “He didn’t catch me, and hopefully he won’t hurt anyone.”
“Many doctors think it is extremely good, and some people do not,” he added. “I think it has become very political.”
The president also praised a doctor who appeared in a video that retweeted this week who praised the controversial drug as a COVID-19 treatment and said people do not need to wear masks. Since then, the video has been removed from various platforms for violating disinformation policies.
The president’s comments faced warnings from health officials. The FDA withdrew an emergency authorization last month due to growing evidence from various trials showing that the drug is ineffective in treating COVID-19 and may have harmful side effects, including irregular heart rhythms.
“The overwhelmingly predominant clinical trials that have examined the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine have indicated that it is not effective in coronavirus disease.” Anthony Fauci
Anthony Fauci Gohmert says that he will take hydroxychloroquine for treatment with COVID-19. Pence met with doctors for a viral video containing false claims of coronavirus. Fauci says a viral video retweeted by Trump features “a group of people saying something that is not true.” PLUS, the country’s leading infectious disease expert, said Tuesday on “Good Morning America.”
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