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Thursday, Trump announced that he was ordering the Food and Drug Administration to look into the possibility of using a drug often prescribed to malaria patients as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus. There are currently no approved therapies for the COVID-19 disease. This new virus affects the respiratory system.
A vaccine for the disease will likely not be ready for between twelve and eighteen months. Medical professionals started human trials of a vaccine test this week, which represents an incredible turnaround for the speed of the medical community.
Some medical professionals suspect that a malaria drug named chloroquine could be a treatment for the disease.
Chloroquine, a malaria drug, could be used as a drug treatment program for the novel coronavirus. Some medical professionals have suggested that it could have some success in treating the disease.
The World Health Organization has stated, however, that there is “no proof” that chloroquine is an effective treatment for the virus.
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn stated that it is important to not give anyone false hopes of a cure, but that the White House has asked them to be “aggressive” in developing a treatment. Hahn stated that Trump asked the FDA to “break through exciting, life-saving treatment, and we’re doing that at the FDA.”
Trump’s press conference on Thursday spread misinformation about the potential treatment, however. During the press conference, Trump stated that chloroquine had been approved for use as a treatment for coronavirus. However, as numerous outlets pointed out immediately following the press conference, this is not the case.
The Trump administration has been a very worrying source of misinformation throughout the pandemic. Trump once called the disease a “hoax” concocted by Democrats to attack his campaign. The president also referred to the virus as the “Chinese virus.”
He then suggested that it would “disappear, like a miracle” in the summer. He even stated that the disease was “totally contained” in mid-February.
It’s important to stay informed and listen to trusted health experts during this pandemic. The CDC, the World Health Organization and health professionals are working to help contain the virus. The goal is to slow the spread of the infectious disease.
The best ways to avoid the disease are:
