US President Donald Trump has said he is taking hydroxychloroquine to ward off coronavirus, despite public health officials warning it may be unsafe.
Speaking at the White House, he told reporters he started taking the malaria and lupus medication recently.
"I'm taking it for about a week and a half now and I'm still here, I'm still here," was his surprise announcement.
There is no evidence hydroxychloroquine can fight coronavirus, and regulators warn the drug may cause heart problems.
What did Trump say?
The 73-year-old president was hosting a meeting devoted to the struggling restaurant industry on Monday, when he caught reporters unawares by revealing he was taking the drug.
"You'd be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the frontline workers before you catch it, the frontline workers, many, many are taking it," he told reporters. "I happen to be taking it."
Asked what was his evidence of hydroxychloroquine's positive benefits, Mr Trump said: "Here's my evidence: I get a lot of positive calls about it."
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He added: "I've heard a lot of good stories [about hydroxychloroquine] and if it's not good, I'll tell you right I'm not going to get hurt by it."
Though some people in the White House have tested positive for coronavirus, the president said again on Monday he had "zero symptoms" and was being tested frequently.
He added that he had been taking a daily zinc supplement and received a single dose of azithromycin, an antibiotic meant to prevent infection.
When asked whether the White House physician had recommended he start taking the disputed remedy, Mr Trump said he himself had requested it.
Dr Sean Conley, physician to the president, said in a statement issued through the White House later on Monday that Mr Trump was in "very good health" and "symptom-free".
The US Navy officer added: "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."
What have US health officials said?
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month issued an advisory saying that hydroxychloroquine has "not been shown to be safe and effective".
It cited reports that the drug can cause serious heart rhythm problems in Covid-19 patients.
The FDA warned against use of the medication outside hospitals, where the agency has granted temporary authorisation for its use in some cases. Clinical trials of the drug are also under way.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says there are no approved drugs or therapeutics to prevent or treat Covid-19, which is confirmed to have infected more than 1.5 million people in the US, killing more than 90,000 patients.
트럼프가 복용 사실을 알린 건 18일(현지시간) 백악관에서 열린 식당업계 대표들과의 회동 후 기자들과의 질의응답에서다. 복용한 지는 일주일이 넘었다고 밝혔다.
하이드록시클로로퀸이란
코로나19 예방이나 치료 효과가 있느냐에 대해선 여전히 논쟁 중이다. 코로나19 확산 초기 치료 가능성이 있는 대안 약제 중 하나로 언급됐다. 실제 확진 환자에게 사용했더니 뚜렷한 항바이러스 효과를 보였다는 논문이 나오기도 했다. 반면 코로나19 치료 효과가 없고 심각한 부작용을 초래할 수 있다는 우려도 동시에 나왔다. 현재 여러 약제와 함께 임상시험이 진행 중이다.
국내에서도 논란이 일자 코로나19 중앙임상위원회(국립중앙의료원)이 지난 3월 치료 효과에 대해 "엄격한 검증이 필요하다"며 신중한 입장을 보인 바 있다. 당시 중앙임상위는 "기존 치료제 중 코로나19 치료 가능성을 가진 대안 약제로 칼레트라와 클로로퀸이 있다"면서도 "환자들에게 본격적으로 사용하기 위해서는 엄격한 검증이 필요하다"고 밝혔다.
미 식품의약국(FDA)은 지난달 심각한 부작용이 나타날 가능성을 언급하면서 코로나19 환자를 직접 치료하는 병원, 임상 시험에서만 제한적으로 쓰여야 한다 권고했다. 뉴욕에서 23개 병원을 운영하는 최대 규모 의료 네트워크 노스웰헬스는 이달 7일 "한달 넘게 조심스럽게 사용해 본 뒤 클로로퀸 사용을 더는 권고하지 않고 있다"고 밝혔다.
[출처: 중앙일보] 말라리아약 사망 부작용 경고···트럼프 "매일 복용" 위험한 홍보
https://news.joins.com/article/23780504
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