There is no rigorous scientific evidence to suggest that hydroxychloroquine prevents, treats, or cures COVID-19.
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Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug used to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis for decades, is not a cure for COVID-19. A series of studies, some less than a week old and published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature, have shown that the drug does not have substantial antiviral activity. And as more human clinical trial data comes in, hydroxychloroquine falls short. Very short. It does not protect against COVID-19 nor does it cure it.
So why is it on the news again?
It appears to be trending in large part due to a series of viral videos posted by right-wing publication Breitbart that are widely shared on social media, particularly on Facebook and Twitter.
On Monday, a contingent of doctors, dressed in white coats and calling themselves “America’s Frontline Doctors,” held a summit on the steps of the United States Supreme Court in Washington. The summit was organized by the right “Tea Party Patriots Foundation” and lasts for two days.
Videos of “Frontline Doctors” advocating the use of hydroxychloroquine as a “cure” outside of the Supreme Court began appearing online Monday afternoon. We have decided not to link them, but an NBC internet reporter’s analysis indicates that they garnered more than 20 million views on Facebook.
One in particular, from Houston physician and preacher Stella Immanuel, has garnered most of the attention, producing a passionate argument about its use of hydroxychloroquine in 350 patients who visited his clinic. He has been viewed millions of times on Facebook and even tweeted by Donald Trump Jr. United States President Donald Trump also retweeted the video.
As a result, Immanuel’s number of personal Twitter followers has increased by approximately 30,000 in the space of a few hours. Twitter has begun removing videos associated with the summit, including Immanuel’s, and Facebook has also consistently removed the video from its platform. It was one of the highest-performing posts on the platform at the time of its removal, according to the Facebook knowledge tool CrowdTangle.
The focus has been on Immanuel’s speech, but he predominantly uses unscientific language to argue that hydroxychloroquine can cure COVID-19, according to Andrew McLachlan, director of the Sydney School of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney.
“Passion and anecdote do not provide convincing evidence for the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19,” he says.
“The good evidence to guide practice comes from carefully controlled studies, scrutiny of the results and peer review to ensure that the findings and claims are robust and correct.”
McLachlan also notes that hydroxychloroquine is the most widely investigated drug for COVID-19, based on the number of active trials. He points to the RECOVERY trial, led by the University of Oxford, as one of the most rigorous. It found no significant difference in mortality and showed no benefit for hospitalized patients with COVID-19. However, it continues to be promoted as a viable treatment option by various sections of the media, including Breitbart’s likes.
Scientists say the arguments have been obscured by rampant politicization.
“It is extraordinary to see [the] the hydroxychloroquine agenda is being pushed despite overwhelming evidence against it, “says Gaetan Burgio, geneticist at the Australian National University in Canberra.” It reminds me a lot of the anti-vaxxers movement. ”
In June, the Food and Drug Administration revoked the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine for patients with COVID-19, based on increasing evidence, it provides no clinical benefit and in some cases may cause heart problems. There was also a high-profile study, published in The Lancet in May, suggesting that hydroxychloroquine caused higher mortality. Even convinced WHO to pause your hydroxychloroquine assays. However, the study was embroiled in controversy after much of the data used in the study was found to be fabricated. He later retracted it.
Leaving retraction aside, the arguments against the use of hydroxychloroquine date back to the beginning of the pandemic. The idea that it may be a useful medicine to prevent or treat COVID-19 has been increasingly explored in more powerful and meaningful clinical trials.
In summary, there is overwhelming evidence that hydroxychloroquine does not work. Going viral on the Internet doesn’t change that.
