Headline Roundup • May 19th, 2020

Perspectives: Trump's Use of Hydroxychloroquine

Donald Trump,Hydroxychloroquine,Coronavirus,Healthcare

Summary from the AllSides News Team

President Donald Trump revealed Monday that he's been taking the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic for the COVID-19 coronavirus, inciting a media firestorm and a flurry of diverse reactions from throughout the political spectrum. Many left-rated voices were critical of the president and explicit about warning against use of the drug, while some on the right instead criticized the media's purported exaggeration of the situation. Other voices from left to right suggested the announcement was a ploy by the president to distract the media from his virus management; some also spent time investigating the pros, cons and potential side effects of using the drug.

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From the Left

It's not so crazy for Trump to take hydroxychloroquine

Business Insider

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It's not so crazy for Trump to take hydroxychloroquine

Business Insider

Opinion

After weeks of going quiet on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), the anti-malarial drug he used to tout as a "game-changer" for the coronavirus, President Trump startled everyone yesterday by announcing that he was taking it himself.

This announcement eclipsed the rest of the day's news, which may be one reason Trump brought the topic up again.

The comments also triggered the same widespread condemnation the President received in the weeks he was talking up the drug in press conferences.

One aspect of this criticism is fair. Hydroxychloroquine can have dangerous side effects,...

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From the Left

What we learned from Trump’s hydroxychloroquine claim

Jennifer Rubin

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What we learned from Trump’s hydroxychloroquine claim

Washington Post

Opinion

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...

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From the Right

The Hydroxychloroquine Meltdown

David Harsanyi

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National Review (News)

Opinion

President Donald Trump claims that he’s taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure against contracting coronavirus, and that he has taken zinc and antibiotic azithromycin as well.

There’s no consensus that hydroxychloroquine is an effective therapeutic treatment for COVID-19 (early studies have yielded different results, and the NIH recently began a controlled clinical trial). Few people I’ve read argue that it’s a useful prophylactic. Nevertheless, the frenzied and childish reaction to Trump’s championing what amounts to a commonly used prescription drug is more destructive than his annoying habit of bringing it...

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