iStock/BartekSzewczyk (WASHINGTON, D.C.) — President Donald Trump is bucking advice from top medical experts concerning anti-malarial medication hydroxychloroquine and is taking the drug to prevent COVID-19. The drug has not been found to help patients and could lead to negative side effects.
President Trump’s decision to take the controversial treatment comes as two White House staffers have tested positive for COVID-19. He says he consulted a White House physician first, and denied that he has been “exposed” to the virus.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in an interview with Fox News Tuesday that, “I don’t have any information about the exact rationale” and added that the president’s decision stemmed from “a personal deliberation” with the physician.
She added that President Trump made the announcement in order to be “transparent about his personal health decision.”
The president added that on top of hydroxychloroquine, he is also taking zinc and dose of the antibiotic azithromycin.
Dr. Anthony Fauci has continued to say there is no “definitive information” about the drug’s effectiveness against COVID-19.
The Food and Drug Administration have cautioned against using hydroxychloroquine, saying it could cause abnormal heart rhythm and lead to cardiac arrest.
However, the president was adamant that the drug “doesn’t hurt people” and added “people are going to have to make up their own mind.”
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