Trump drops drug bombshell: ‘I’m taking hydroxychloroquine’
- Trump said he had ‘heard a lot of good stories’ about malarial drug
- Hydroxychloroquine has not been shown to be effective in treating Covid-19
US President Donald Trump announced Monday he was taking hydroxychloroquine, a drug unproven against the coronavirus.
Soon after, “Flintstone Vitamins” began trending on Twitter and many doctors, journalists and politicians issued stern warnings after the president’s revelation.
Trump, noting that he has tested negative for the virus and shows no symptoms, said he’d been taking the drug as a preventive measure “for about a week and a half”.
“I take a pill every day,” he said, adding that he combines this with zinc.
Asked why, he said: “Because I think it’s good. I’ve heard a lot of good stories”.
Trump has shown interest for weeks in promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine, even if some doctors think it does not work for coronavirus patients and US government regulators warn it has “not been shown to be safe.”