|
 Trump volunteered the disclosure during a question-and-answer
session with reporters at the White House as he met restaurant
executives whose businesses are reeling from the impact of the
virus.
"I'm taking hydroxychloroquine," Trump said. "I've been taking it
for the last week and a half. A pill every day."
Weeks ago, Trump had promoted the drug as a potential treatment
based on a positive report about its use against the virus, but
subsequent studies found that it was not helpful. The Food and Drug
Administration has issued a warning about its use.
In an April 24 statement, the FDA said it was “aware of reports of
serious heart rhythm problems” in patients with COVID-19 treated
with hydroxychloroquine or an older drug, chloroquine.
Trump, 73, who is tested daily for the virus, said he had asked the
White House physician if it was OK to take the drug, and the doctor
told him: "Well, if you'd like it."
The president, a well-known germaphobe, has nonetheless refused to
wear a protective mask in the West Wing.
White House physician Sean Conley said in a memo that Trump was in
"very good health" and had been receiving regular COVID-19 testing,
which has all been negative since one of his support staff tested
positive for the disease two weeks ago.
"After numerous discussions he and I had regarding the evidence for
and against the use of hydroxychloroquine, we concluded the
potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks,"
Conley said in the memo released by the White House.
'RECKLESS'
Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asked on
CNN about Trump's taking the drug, said: "He's our president. I
would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved
by the scientists, especially in his age group and his, shall we say
weight group what is morbidly obese, they say."
[to top of second column] |
According to the results of an annual presidential physical
examination conducted in February 2019, Trump had gained weight over
the past year and was now in the obese range, although remaining in
“very good health overall.” https://reut.rs/3bGMCtl
Morbid obesity is generally defined as a body mass index (BMI) - a
measure of weight relative to height - of 40 or higher. A BMI of 25
to 29.9 is overweight and 30 or above is obese.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in an MSNBC interview
that what Trump did with hydroxychloroquine was "reckless" and was
giving people "false hope."
Trump's disclosure came as Moderna Inc <MRNA.O> reported progress in
a potential vaccine for the virus. The only drug that has emerged so
far as a potential treatment is Gilead Sciences Inc's <GILD.O>
remdesivir.
Fox News Channel, immediately after Trump's remarks, interviewed Dr.
Bob Lahita, chairman of medicine at St. Joseph University Hospital
in New Jersey, who cautioned people not to take hydroxychloroquine.
"There's no effect that we have seen and we have treated multiple
patients with it," he said.
Trump said he also took a single dose of azithromycin, an antibiotic
meant to prevent infection. In conjunction with hydroxychloroquine,
Trump said he was taking zinc.
“All I can tell you is so far I seem to be OK,” he said.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by
Eric Beech and Richard Cowan; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Peter
Cooney)
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