Despite FDA Caution, Trump Says He is Taking Hydroxychloroquine as a Preventive
Evan Vucci/AP
We ran the numbers: There are 2311 news articles covering this topic. 26% (606) are left leaning, 47% (1075) center, 27% (630) right leaning.
On Monday, President Trump revealed to reporters that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine and zinc to protect against the coronavirus. While left-leaning articles highlight the FDA’s warning against using the controversial drug, right-leaning articles highlight that health experts are urging Americans to listen to medical experts, not the president.
The Washington Post published a left-leaning article highlighting that in announcing his decision to take the controversial drug, Trump offered only anecdotal testimonials as evidence that it works in any form as a treatment or preventive for the coronavirus. Last month, the FDA warned against its use outside of a hospital setting or clinical trial, just weeks after it had approved an emergency use authorization for the drug.
NPR published a centrist article reporting that White House physician Sean P. Conley said Monday evening that “after numerous discussions he [Trump] and I had regarding the evidence for and against the use of hydroxychloroquine, we concluded potential benefit from treatment outweigh relative risks.” The article states that although researchers have been skeptical of hydroxychloroquine’s role in resting COVID-19, there has recently been enthusiasm surrounding its potential to prevent infection, as multiple studies have shown the drug can prevent coronavirus replication.
A right-leaning article by Fox News highlights that health experts have urged Americans that their best sources for medical information are medical experts, not the president. Amongst these experts is Dr. Rob Davidson, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, who advised his followers to ignore the president, as Trump has already been “responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands.”
From the right
Trump's claim he takes hydroxychloroquine prompts warnings from health experts
Fox News