President Donald Trump said today that he’s taking hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that’s being tested as a COVID-19 treatment at the University of Washington and dozens of other sites across the country.
- During a White House press availability, Trump told reporters he’s been taking daily doses of hydroxychloroquine in pill form, plus zinc, for the past week and a half to stave off an infection. He said he hasn’t been exposed to coronavirus, but asked his White House doctor about using the drug because “I get a lot of positive calls about it.”
- The drug has already been approved for treating malaria and a variety of autoimmune disorders. UW researchers are participating in two nationwide clinical trials aimed at building on anecdotal reports and determining its safety and efficacy against COVID-19.
- Even if the drug isn’t effective, Trump said “you’re not going to get sick or die.” However, hydroxychloroquine and a similar drug, chloroquine, are known to carry a risk of causing potentially fatal heart problems. One study conducted at Veterans Health Administration medical centers reported adverse effects, but Trump said that study was done by “people that aren’t big Trump fans” and was “very unscientific.”
