Hydroxychloroquine is Not a Safe Treatment for COVID-19

President Trump said that he is taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19 infection. During a roundtable conference at the White House, Trump said: “I happen to be taking it... A lot of good things have come out. You’d be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the front-line workers. Before you catch it. The front-line workers, many, many are taking it… I’m taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now, yeah. Couple of weeks ago, I started taking it. Cause I think it’s good, I’ve heard a lot of good stories. And if it’s not good, I’ll tell you right, I’m not going to get hurt by it. It’s been around for 40 years. For malaria, for lupus, for other things. I take it. Front-line workers take it. A lot of doctors take it — excuse me, a lot of doctors take it. I take it.”

However, there have been numerous clinical trials testing hydroxychloroquine's efficacy in treating COVID-19, and they indicate otherwise. As CNBC reported, a Brazilian study was stopped after COVID-19 patients developed heart issues. A JAMA Network study indicated that the drug does not seem to alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19 patients and that it even makes them more likely to experience heart issues, including cardiac arrest. Dr. Neil Cavuto says that for risky populations, taking hydroxychloroquine will “kill” them. Dr. Susan Swindells further says that so far nothing has worked “terribly well.” The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases COVID-19 panel, headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, has recommended against using hydroxychloroquine because it leads to QTc prolongation in patients with COVID-19. QTc prolongation can cause increased risk of sudden cardiac death. 

Therefore it is not safe for everyone to take.