DONALD TRUMP
Published 23 hours ago
Last Update 21 hours ago
Trump's claim he takes hydroxychloroquine prompts warnings from health experts
By Bradford Betz | Fox News
Video
Trump: I'm taking hydroxychloroquine
President Trump admits to taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure for coronavirus.
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President Trump stoked a flurry of reaction Monday after revealing to reporters that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine, a controversial malaria drug, to stave off the novel coronavirus, with many experts urging Americans to consult with doctors before taking such a step.
Trump said he has been taking hydroxychloroquine and a zinc supplement daily "for about a week and a half now."
Trump has spent weeks pushing the drug as a potential cure for COVID-19, despite there being no consensus on its effectiveness or safety. Dr. Sean Conley, the president's physician, announced in a statement Monday night, "After numerous discussions he and I had about regarding the evidence for and against the use of hydroxychloroquine, we concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks."
Still, many doctors urged Americans that their best sources for medical information are medical experts, not the president.
"You have to have a discussion with your doctor to decide if it is best for you," Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a Fox News medical contributor, warned.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at the Vanderbilt Medical Center, went a step further. "I certainly would not recommend that people in the U.S. ask their physicians to prescribe hydroxychloroquine for the prevention of Covid," Schaffner told The Wall Street Journal. "Its use is entirely speculative."
Former Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen said there was "NO evidence for hydrochloroquine being effective in treatment of #covid19 or prophylaxis to prevent the disease."
Leana Wen, M.D.
✔@DrLeanaWen
https://twitter.com/DrLeanaWen/status/1262485554958077964
There is NO evidence for hydrochloroquine being effective in treatment of #covid19 or prophylaxis to prevent the disease. This is a medication that has serious side effects. I am very concerned about @realDonaldTrump continuing to model behavior that could harm many Americans.
20.9K
3:49 PM - May 18, 2020
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She continued, "This medication has serious side effects. I am very concerned about @realDonaldTrump continuing to model behavior that could harm many Americans."
Dr. Rob Davidson, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, advised his followers to ignore the president.
Dr. Rob Davidson
✔@DrRobDavidson
https://twitter.com/DrRobDavidson/status/1262490929790935042
Today @realDonaldTrump announced that’s he’s taking Hydroxychloroquine to prevent #COVID19. This is dangerous. Ignore him. There is no evidence of benefit and there is evidence of harm. Trump is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands. Let’s not add to that number.
5,776
4:11 PM - May 18, 2020
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"There is no evidence of benefit and there is evidence of harm," Davidson tweeted. "Trump is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands. Let's not add to that number."
Trump said his doctor did not recommend the drug to him, but he requested it from the White House physician.
"I started taking it, because I think it's good," Trump said. "I've heard a lot of good stories."
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., tweeted that repeated studies have shown hydroxychloroquine doesn’t work for COVID-19 patients.
Ted Lieu
✔@tedlieu
US House candidate, CA-33
https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1262492754845683713
Dear @realDonaldTrump: You may want to check with your physician before you continue taking #Hydroxychloroquine. Repeated studies show it doesn’t work for #COVID19 patients. And for some people, the drug increases the risk of death. https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1262485625669693440 …
Kyle Griffin
✔@kylegriffin1
May 15:
Clinical trials, academic research and scientific analysis indicate that the danger of hydroxychloroquine is a significantly increased risk of death for certain patients.
Evidence showing the effectiveness in treating covid-19 has been scant.https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/drug-promoted-by-trump-as-coronavirus-game-changer-increasingly-linked-to-deaths/2020/05/15/85d024fe-96bd-11ea-9f5e-56d8239bf9ad_story.html …
8,252
4:18 PM - May 18, 2020
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Others cast doubt on whether Trump was telling the truth.
"If Trump has really been taking hydroxychloroquine for the past 'week-and-a-half' as he just blurted [out] at a press conference, do we really think he would have been able to keep his mouth shut about it?" tweeted Glenn Kirschner, a legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC.
Glenn Kirschner
✔@glennkirschner2
https://twitter.com/glennkirschner2/status/1262490862220697601
If Trump has really been taking hydroxychloroquine for the past “week-and-a-half” as he just blurted our at a press conference, do we really think he would have been able to keep his mouth shut about it? Come on, man!
15K
4:10 PM - May 18, 2020
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Following the president's comments, Fox News' Neil Cavuto told his viewers, "If you are in a risky population here, and you are taking this as a preventative treatment to ward off the virus, or in a worse-case scenario you are dealing with the virus and you are in this vulnerable population, it will kill you. I cannot stress this enough. This will kill you."
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE HAD NO BENEFITS FOR ‘SERIOUSLY ILL’ CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS, STUDY SAYS
The malaria drug hydroxychloroquine can cause heart rhythm problems and other side effects. The Food and Drug Administration has said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for coronavirus in formal studies.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Two large observational studies, each involving around 1,400 patients in New York, recently found no benefit from the drug. Two new studies published Thursday in the medical journal BMJ reached the same conclusion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Published 23 hours ago
Last Update 21 hours ago
Trump's claim he takes hydroxychloroquine prompts warnings from health experts
By Bradford Betz | Fox News
VideoTrump: I'm taking hydroxychloroquine
President Trump admits to taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure for coronavirus.
Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
President Trump stoked a flurry of reaction Monday after revealing to reporters that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine, a controversial malaria drug, to stave off the novel coronavirus, with many experts urging Americans to consult with doctors before taking such a step.
Trump said he has been taking hydroxychloroquine and a zinc supplement daily "for about a week and a half now."
Trump has spent weeks pushing the drug as a potential cure for COVID-19, despite there being no consensus on its effectiveness or safety. Dr. Sean Conley, the president's physician, announced in a statement Monday night, "After numerous discussions he and I had about regarding the evidence for and against the use of hydroxychloroquine, we concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks."
Still, many doctors urged Americans that their best sources for medical information are medical experts, not the president.
"You have to have a discussion with your doctor to decide if it is best for you," Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a Fox News medical contributor, warned.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at the Vanderbilt Medical Center, went a step further. "I certainly would not recommend that people in the U.S. ask their physicians to prescribe hydroxychloroquine for the prevention of Covid," Schaffner told The Wall Street Journal. "Its use is entirely speculative."
Former Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen said there was "NO evidence for hydrochloroquine being effective in treatment of #covid19 or prophylaxis to prevent the disease."
Leana Wen, M.D.
✔@DrLeanaWen
https://twitter.com/DrLeanaWen/status/1262485554958077964
There is NO evidence for hydrochloroquine being effective in treatment of #covid19 or prophylaxis to prevent the disease. This is a medication that has serious side effects. I am very concerned about @realDonaldTrump continuing to model behavior that could harm many Americans.
20.9K
3:49 PM - May 18, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
8,020 people are talking about this
She continued, "This medication has serious side effects. I am very concerned about @realDonaldTrump continuing to model behavior that could harm many Americans."
Dr. Rob Davidson, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, advised his followers to ignore the president.
Dr. Rob Davidson
✔@DrRobDavidson
https://twitter.com/DrRobDavidson/status/1262490929790935042
Today @realDonaldTrump announced that’s he’s taking Hydroxychloroquine to prevent #COVID19. This is dangerous. Ignore him. There is no evidence of benefit and there is evidence of harm. Trump is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands. Let’s not add to that number.
5,776
4:11 PM - May 18, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
2,887 people are talking about this
"There is no evidence of benefit and there is evidence of harm," Davidson tweeted. "Trump is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands. Let's not add to that number."
Trump said his doctor did not recommend the drug to him, but he requested it from the White House physician.
"I started taking it, because I think it's good," Trump said. "I've heard a lot of good stories."
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., tweeted that repeated studies have shown hydroxychloroquine doesn’t work for COVID-19 patients.
Ted Lieu
✔@tedlieu
US House candidate, CA-33
https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1262492754845683713
Dear @realDonaldTrump: You may want to check with your physician before you continue taking #Hydroxychloroquine. Repeated studies show it doesn’t work for #COVID19 patients. And for some people, the drug increases the risk of death. https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1262485625669693440 …
Kyle Griffin
✔@kylegriffin1
May 15:
Clinical trials, academic research and scientific analysis indicate that the danger of hydroxychloroquine is a significantly increased risk of death for certain patients.
Evidence showing the effectiveness in treating covid-19 has been scant.https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/drug-promoted-by-trump-as-coronavirus-game-changer-increasingly-linked-to-deaths/2020/05/15/85d024fe-96bd-11ea-9f5e-56d8239bf9ad_story.html …
8,252
4:18 PM - May 18, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
4,220 people are talking about this
Others cast doubt on whether Trump was telling the truth.
"If Trump has really been taking hydroxychloroquine for the past 'week-and-a-half' as he just blurted [out] at a press conference, do we really think he would have been able to keep his mouth shut about it?" tweeted Glenn Kirschner, a legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC.
Glenn Kirschner
✔@glennkirschner2
https://twitter.com/glennkirschner2/status/1262490862220697601
If Trump has really been taking hydroxychloroquine for the past “week-and-a-half” as he just blurted our at a press conference, do we really think he would have been able to keep his mouth shut about it? Come on, man!
15K
4:10 PM - May 18, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
3,989 people are talking about this
Following the president's comments, Fox News' Neil Cavuto told his viewers, "If you are in a risky population here, and you are taking this as a preventative treatment to ward off the virus, or in a worse-case scenario you are dealing with the virus and you are in this vulnerable population, it will kill you. I cannot stress this enough. This will kill you."
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE HAD NO BENEFITS FOR ‘SERIOUSLY ILL’ CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS, STUDY SAYS
The malaria drug hydroxychloroquine can cause heart rhythm problems and other side effects. The Food and Drug Administration has said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for coronavirus in formal studies.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Two large observational studies, each involving around 1,400 patients in New York, recently found no benefit from the drug. Two new studies published Thursday in the medical journal BMJ reached the same conclusion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
