So what of the doctors who say they have had success using it against this virus? Are they all wrong? Do they think HCQ was what helped their patients, but they are mistaken about that?
“Are they all wrong?”
I never said they were wrong. I said that the testing they used was inconsistent with the issue and using an unapproved product on everyone is not safe. Can it work? At this point, you have no more idea that I do. But not using it won’t cause other problems or kill someone. And if it can, it shouldn’t be used until it is safe.
Even they are not sure of the results yet...and with good reason.
From their study:
“The findings have been highly analyzed and peer-reviewed,” said Dr. Marcus Zervos, division head of Infectious Disease for Henry Ford Health System, who co-authored the study with Henry Ford epidemiologist Samia Arshad. “We attribute our findings that differ from other studies to early treatment, and part of a combination of interventions that were done in supportive care of patients, including careful cardiac monitoring. Our dosing also differed from other studies not showing a benefit of the drug. And other studies are either not peer reviewed, have limited numbers of patients, different patient populations or other differences from our patients.”
Of the 2,541 patients hospitalized between March 10 and May 2, 2020 across the system’s six hospitals, the study found 13% of those treated with hydroxychloroquine alone died. The death rate for the US during January 1, 2020–May 18, 2020, according to the CDC and over a 4 month time frame, is approximately 1.3 million cases of coronavirus disease and 83,000 associated deaths. That equals approximately 6%. That is less than half of the test results in loss.
No one knows what to expect right now, and for a while. But saying a drug is working when the test results are inconclusive, and with all the variables involved not including the side effects, Fauci may not be far, if at all, from being right. I don’t want to be the proverbial guinea pig on an individual gamble that the gamblers don’t pay the price unless there is no other way. And with the reported changing of the virus, they are still throwing darts at the board blindfolded.
It has shown some promise, but it’s not completely safe yet.
rwood