What we learned from Trump’s hydroxychloroquine claim

The Food and Drug Administration has already warned: “Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19.” In its public warning (necessitated in part by President Trump’s hyping of a dangerous drug) the FDA explained, “Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can cause abnormal heart rhythms such as QT interval prolongation and a dangerously rapid heart rate called ventricular tachycardia. These risks may increase when these medicines are combined with other medicines known to prolong the QT interval, including the antibiotic azithromycin, which is also being used in some COVID-19 patients without FDA approval for this condition.” It went on to say: “Patients who also have other health issues such as heart and kidney disease are likely to be at increased risk of these heart problems when receiving these medicines.” Doctors who want to prescribe the drug should check “for a suitable clinical trial and consider enrolling the patient.” There is little room for doubt: This is not a cure for the novel coronavirus and can have serious, even deadly, consequences.