The debate about the efficacy of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine is heating up.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the Coronavirus Response Team and an infectious disease expert, enjoying a 70% approval rating with the American people. urges caution about putting too much hope in the drug to combat the acute symptoms of the virus.
Though the drug has been approved by the FDA for “compassionate” use to treat the coronavirus patient at their request, Fauci continues to remind everyone that there have been no scientific studies to establish the usefulness of the drug in that application. Fauci is a scientist and so, cannot say with conviction, based on anecdotal evidence that hydroxychloroquine is effective. Understood.
However, the anecdotal evidence is piling up that hydroxychloroquine combined with zinc, or Azithromycin can subdue or even eliminate the acute symptoms of the virus.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo agrees with the use of the drug in his state, the hardest hit in the country, saying the anecdotal evidence is positive and supports the use of the drug for some patients. New York is seeing a reduction of hospitalizations as of this writing.
Apparently Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India believes the drug is efficacious and banned the export of it recently, but after a discussion with President Trump, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced that they would be exporting the drug again.
When being questioned about the matter in the daily press briefing, reporters asked the president if there would be retaliation if India did not comply with his request to send “our” supply. President Trump replied that he didn’t think there would be a problem but if there was, why wouldn’t there be retaliation?
Since that question, the mainstream media has been busy trying to sow division between the US and India.
Please watch the video to see what the president really said.
Here is the full Video.
Trump hasn’t threatened India!
He is only giving the answer to reporter on question of retaliation.
So, Stop spreading lies! pic.twitter.com/0KQgYQyq62
— Kashyap Patel 🇮🇳 (@kashyap9991) April 7, 2020
Happily, the Indian government has agreed to release “our” supply of Hydroxychloroquine, as the president referred to it. India provides nearly half of the US supply of hydroxychloroquine, thereby avoiding any need for “retaliation.”
An Indian foreign ministry spokesman said,
“It has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities. We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic.
Errata: The New York Times has removed its paywall for all news related to the coronavirus, You can go here to see a really good graphic mapping the virus related deaths throughout the US up until April 6.