WHO: Drug Trump taking to fight COVID-19 best left to tests
GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization, which has come under repeated fire from U.S. President Donald Trump, says the science is still unclear on an old malaria drug he's taking to try to defend against the novel coronavirus. It says it recommends the drug's use for COVID-19 only in controlled clinical trials for now.
Dr. Michael Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies chief, notes the drug hydroxychloroquine — which Trump said Monday that he‘s taking — is just one of many possible therapies being now tested internationally to see if they are effective against the novel coronavirus.
His comments late Wednesday suggested WHO remains unbowed by Trump’s repeated criticism over its response to the coronavirus pandemic — including most recently his threat to end all funding for the U.N. health agency from its biggest donor, the United States, if it doesn’t reform.
Ryan nonetheless emphasized countries can make their own choices.
“Every sovereign nation, particularly those with effective regulatory authorities, is in a position to advise its own citizens regarding the use of any drug,” he said.
“I would point out however that at this stage (neither) hydroxychloroquine nor chloroquine have been as yet found to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19 or in the prophylaxis against coming down with the disease,” he said.
“In fact, the opposite — in that warnings have been issued by many authorities regarding the potential side effects of the drug."
Based on laboratory, animal and clinical studies, WHO is overseeing what it calls “Solidarity Trials” involving a number of countries on four possible treatments for COVID-19: remdesivir, which was previously tested as an Ebola treatment; the HIV treatment lopinavir and ritonavir; multiple sclerosis treatment interferon beta-1a; and related drugs...
