Ads
In recent weeks, we have seen many errors in Trump, who made several erroneous statements regarding studies of hydroxychloroquine in the fight against COVID-19. Clinical trials are considered the gold standard in medicine. Clinical trials, in general, have two groups: a) one group will receive the drug being evaluated; b) the other group takes a placebo, actually an inert, neutral substance.
If the drug group and the placebo group have the same results, it is likely that the drug had no effect. It is also possible to see if the drug group had side effects. Here are questions about these studies, with answers from the president and doctors.
Ads
Question 1: How long until we know if hydroxychloroquine works against coronavirus?
Trump says a few “days.” However, in clear contrast, doctors say weeks or months. The reason a clinical trial cannot be carried out in days is because universities need to recruit study subjects, who need to take the pills for a period of time. Doctors still need to analyze the results.
However, it is obvious that all of this takes time – even as doctors are moving at lightning speed because of the pandemic.
Ads
Question 2: French researchers have already carried out a clinical study showing hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus. Doesn't that tell us something?
Trump says yes. He spoke enthusiastically about a small French study. However, the French study was so criticized that the journal that published it reported that “a correction to the scientific record may be considered.” Therefore, we have to say that the study ignored patients who took the drug and did poorly.
Question 3: Have some people tried to delay the clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine?
One Trump's mistakes was to say that some nameless force is trying to keep the research going with hydroxychloroquine in the lab. Thus, he himself had to enter and fight to advance human studies. However, he offered no proof that anyone was encouraging hydroxychloroquine to be tested in the laboratory, let alone for “a few years.”
Question 4: Is hydroxychloroquine safe for coronavirus patients?
Trump says yes. Doctors say the drug can have serious side effects. The label for one brand of hydroxychloroquine says that patients taking the drug have reported “fatal and life-threatening” heart problems and “irreversible” vision problems.
Doctors, including the health counselor Trump, Dr. Anthony Fauci, emphasized that to know if a drug works safely, it must be studied in clinical trials. With the hydroxychloroquine is no different and the Trump's mistakes are highlighting how little he is aware of it.
