Coronavirus: Trump sticks by discredited hydroxychloroquine

INTERNATIONAL DESK: US President Donald Trump has again defended the use of hydroxychloroquine to ward off coronavirus, contradicting his own public health officials, BBC reports.

He argued the malaria medication was only rejected as a Covid-19 treatment because he had suggested it.

His remarks come after Twitter banned his eldest son for posting a clip touting hydroxychloroquine.

There is no evidence the drug can fight the virus, and regulators warn it may cause heart problems.

Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautioned against the use of the drug for treatment of the coronavirus, following reports of “serious heart rhythm problems” and other health issues.

The FDA also revoked its emergency-use authorisation for the drug to treat Covid-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) says “there is currently no proof” that it is effective as a treatment or prevents Covid-19.

Studies commissioned by the WHO, the US National Institutes of Health and other medical researchers around the world have found no evidence that hydroxychloroquine – when used with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, as repeatedly recommended by President Trump – helps treat coronavirus.

Hydroxychloroquine was first touted in March by Mr Trump, 74, in relation to Covid-19. Two months later he surprised journalists by saying he had begun taking the unproven medication to ward off the virus.

On Tuesday, the president told reporters at the White House: “I can only say that from my standpoint, and based on a lot of reading and a lot of knowledge about it, I think it could have a very positive impact in the early stages.

“I don’t think you lose anything by doing it, other than politically it doesn’t seem too popular.”

He added: “When I recommend something, they like to say ‘don’t use it.'”

President Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr were among social media users who shared video late on Monday of a group called America’s Frontline Doctors advocating hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment.

Facebook and Twitter removed the content, flagging it as misinformation, but not before more than 17 million people had seen one of the clips.

Twitter also banned the US president’s eldest son from tweeting for 12 hours as a penalty for sharing the clip.