Malaria drug touted by Trump fails to prevent COVID-19 in high profile study

[webfact]

Malaria drug touted by Trump fails to prevent COVID-19 in high profile study

By Michael Erman

 

FILE PHOTO: The drug hydroxychloroquine, pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump and others in recent months as a possible treatment to people infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is displayed at the Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. May 27, 2020. REUTERS/George Frey/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - The malaria drug promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19 was ineffective in preventing infection in people exposed to the coronavirus, according to a widely anticipated clinical trial released on Wednesday.

 

The new trial found no serious side effects or heart problems from use of hydroxychloroquine.

 

Vocal support from Trump kicked off a heated debate and raised expectations for the decades-old drug that could be a cheap and widely available tool in fighting the pandemic that has infected more than 6.4 million people and killed over 382,000 worldwide

In the first major study comparing hydroxychloroquine to a placebo to gauge its effect against the new coronavirus, University of Minnesota researchers tested 821 people who had recently been exposed to the virus or lived in a high-risk household.

 

It found 11.8% of subjects given hydroxychloroquine developed symptoms compatible with COVID-19, compared with 14.3%who got a placebo. That difference was not statistically significant, meaning the drug was no better than placebo.

 

"Our data is pretty clear that for post exposure, this does not really work," said Dr. David Boulware, the trial's lead researcher and an infectious disease physician at the University of Minnesota.

 

Several trials of the drug have been stopped over concerns about its safety for treating COVID-19 that were raised by health regulators and previous less rigorous studies.

 

"I think both sides - one side who is saying 'this is a dangerous drug' and the other side that says 'this works' - neither is correct," said Boulware.

The results were also published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

 

In March, Trump said hydroxychloroquine used in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin had "a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine" with little evidence to back up that claim. He later said he took the drugs preventively after two people who worked at the White House were diagnosed with COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

 

Hydroxychloroquine - which has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties - inhibited the virus in laboratory experiments. But these type of human trials are needed to definitively demonstrate whether the drug's benefits, if any, outweigh the risks when compared with a placebo.

 

Proponents of the drug as a COVID-19 treatment argue it may need to be administered at an earlier stage in the disease to be effective. Others have suggested that it needs to be used in combination with the mineral zinc, which can help boost the immune system.

 

More than 20% of the trial subjects also took zinc, which had no significant effect.

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned in late April against the use of hydroxychloroquine in patients with heart disease due to an increased risk of dangerous cardiac rhythm problems.

 

Boulware said his trial had fewer participants than initially planned because of difficulty enrolling new subjects after the FDA's warning.

 

On Tuesday, the British medical journal the Lancet said it had concerns about data behind an influential article that found hydroxychloroquine increased the risk of death in COVID-19 patients, a conclusion that undercut scientific interest in the medicine.

 

Boulware was one of the signatories of an open letter from doctors that called attention to potential problems with that study.

 

Some European governments banned hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients, and U.S. hospitals have significantly cut back its use.

 

In the University of Minnesota trial, 40% of the those who took hydroxychloroquine reported less serious side effects like nausea and abdominal discomfort versus 17% in the placebo group.

 

Results of another University of Minnesota placebo-controlled trial testing hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment rather than to prevent infection is expected soon.

 

(Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Peter Henderson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-04

 

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[TopDeadSenter]

Oh well, you have to thank Trump for trying. Good effort, sir. Much better than a weak defeatist who might say "Defeat covid, what? Does he have a magic wand?"

[YetAnother]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

The malaria drug promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19 was ineffective in preventing infection in people exposed to the coronavirus, according to a widely anticipated clinical trial released on Wednesday.

shouldnt be some big surprise; 90% of what this guy promotes is foolishness; he is like a bad leader X10

[smedly]

just on the subject 

 

guys have study of Vitamin D3 - come to your own conclusions

 

I am not recommending either way

[Bluespunk]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

More than 20% of the trial subjects also took zinc, which had no significant effect.

Pop goes that other theory. 

[Tug]

Well he does have 2 other remedy’s lol can’t say I’d recommend them and I’m sure no responsible clinicians are willing to test it 

[pmarlin]

and next week someone will release a study that claims it does help but anyway numerous studies out there that claim while not preventing it does help in treatment.

[Bender Rodriguez]

when will someone in power, force the sick to check the vitamin D levels ?

 

[Bender Rodriguez]

4 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Pop goes that other theory. 

really ? 

 

how much zinc

 

and what type of zinc

 

oxide is useless, that is used in skin cream

 

gluconate is useless, made from sugar

 

there are many other forms of zinc, same as vitamin C, ...

 

off course, joe smo does not cheese about these things...

 

 

if you are big pharma and you want xyz to fail, you will pay for results

 

as they still want to sell THE WORLD a vaccine that will make them instant TRILLIONAIRES

[Bluespunk]

41 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

really ? 

 

how much zinc

 

and what type of zinc

 

oxide is useless, that is used in skin cream

 

gluconate is useless, made from sugar

 

there are many other forms of zinc, same as vitamin C, ...

 

off course, joe smo does not cheese about these things...

 

 

if you are big pharma and you want xyz to fail, you will pay for results

 

as they still want to sell THE WORLD a vaccine that will make them instant TRILLIONAIRES

The theory, and all the conspiracy theories based upon it, have been shown to be incorrect.

 

Deal with it.

Edited June 4, 2020 by Bluespunk

[Traubert]

40 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

when will someone in power, force the sick to check the vitamin D levels ?

 

When it is shown to matter one flying fart.

[stevenl]

40 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

when will someone in power, force the sick to check the vitamin D levels ?

 

 

38 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

really ? 

 

how much zinc

 

and what type of zinc

 

oxide is useless, that is used in skin cream

 

gluconate is useless, made from sugar

 

there are many other forms of zinc, same as vitamin C, ...

 

off course, joe smo does not cheese about these things...

 

 

if you are big pharma and you want xyz to fail, you will pay for results

 

as they still want to sell THE WORLD a vaccine that will make them instant TRILLIONAIRES

You must be a multi billionaire know with all your medical knowledge. Much more knowledge than all the doctors treating and all the researchers doing their thing.

Edited June 4, 2020 by stevenl

[Paul Henry]

Trump will continue to use USA government money to buy, promote and give away hydroxychloroquine as long as he and his family have shares in the manufacturing company. This man cannot be honest always on the graft. If he is so rich why does he get involved in all of these thieving schemes so he can make a few extra dollar. Again the people and tax payers of the USA are being bleed by this parasite and his family.

[1Gringo]

 

Oh well, you have to thank Trump for trying. Good effort, sir. Much better than a weak defeatist who might say "Defeat covid, what? Does he have a magic wand?"

 

you are a complete moron, aren't you.  so tired of your A$$ sucking posts...........

[tribalfusion001]

Trump is a placebo.

[ukrules]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

It found 11.8% of subjects given hydroxychloroquine developed symptoms compatible with COVID-19, compared with 14.3%who got a placebo. That difference was not statistically significant, meaning the drug was no better than placebo.

I'm pretty sure nobody claimed you won't catch COVID-19 by taking this because that would not be supported by anyone.

 

Based on what I've read they were saying people who were taking this didn't require ventilation and / or a funeral.

 

The above article demonstrates a different kind of bias to the one on the fake study that showed it was killing people..

 

How many in the study died? They don't mention that.

[JCauto]

11 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Oh well, you have to thank Trump for trying. Good effort, sir. Much better than a weak defeatist who might say "Defeat covid, what? Does he have a magic wand?"

Very disappointing seeing you give up so easily.

 

Why not try to "fake news" this one? Or how about "the study was done by Democrat medical researchers"? Or perhaps "they say that trial was corrupted by Chinese agents"?

You can't seriously be suggesting that the Donald, who medical doctors can't believe how much he understands, who is a stable genius, was...wrong? No, that can't be right.

By the way, I had an inkling the other day that jumping up and down singing "COVID-19 Go Away, Come Again Another Day" would actually cure this. I know I'm not a Doctor, but my uncle was a brilliant doctor, I think I inherited his incredible knowledge. You should try it.

I look forward to your post extolling my efforts for trying to cure the disease.

[johnnybangkok]

11 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Oh well, you have to thank Trump for trying. Good effort, sir. Much better than a weak defeatist who might say "Defeat covid, what? Does he have a magic wand?"

Absolutely agree. I mean what harm could the leader of the free world do by promoting an ineffective, unproven and potentially lethal drug whose only side effects are cardiac arrhythmias, Hypoglycemia, Neuropsychiatric effects, such as agitation, confusion, hallucinations and paranoia?   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200408125521.htm

 

Good effort indeed sir!! 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by johnnybangkok

[Tropposurfer]

16 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Oh well, you have to thank Trump for trying. Good effort, sir. Much better than a weak defeatist who might say "Defeat covid, what? Does he have a magic wand?"

Good effort sir ??????????????????????????????????

[Tropposurfer]

Never was a cure, never was effaceable in reducing symptoms, never was a deterrent to getting sick. The only ones who said it was were quacks like that French doctor that was delivering massive doses of it and fudging his numbers. He got debunked by his own people pretty fast and nothing more was heard from him. 

The science was there, and poor old Dr Fauci had to stand around and try and figure how to keep his job, serve the people, and keep a straight face. during the arch buffoons press junkets, and avoid that madman's wrath all the while haha.   

[Stargeezr]

Well I never tried Trumps Bleach remedy as well.  I do home the name Trump

starts to fade right after November 2020.

Geezer