President Donald Trump has expressed a lot of confidence in hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, so much so, he said he might even take it to prevent the infection.
"If it were me — in fact, I might do it anyway," Trump told reporters at Saturday's coronavirus task force daily briefing. "I may take it, OK? I may take it, and I'll have to ask my doctors about that, but I may take it."
Trump has twice tested negative for the coronavirus, including with the new Abbott Laboratories' quick 5- to 15-minute tester, which is now being used in the White House to test everyone who before they come in contact with the president.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert on the task force, has denounced the drug's effectiveness for COVID-19 patients as "anecdotal evidence," while Trump is far more optimistic, calling for doctors and patients to use the drug more confidently.
"But, I hope they use it, because I'll tell you what: 'What do you have to lose?'" Trump said, adding the U.S. "has a lot of it" and will be acquiring more. "In some cases, they're in bad shape. What do you have to lose? It's been out there for a long time, and I hope they use it."
Trump added, "it's passed the safety test" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the drug is widely used worldwide to treat malaria and lupus. There has been some scientific evidence of those on hydroxychloroquine for malaria and lupus have been less likely to be infected with COVID-19.
Trump encouraged reporters to go "investigate that."