PERSECUTION OF A DRUG?
Written in conjunction with guest writer Little Sister/LRM.
Americans are constantly berated by media pundits and academicians who say, ad nauseam, that we need to “follow the science,” as if that were easily done. In my essay “Trusted Information” (4/18/20) I listed a half dozen “scientific” directives put out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), including early admonitions AGAINST wearing masks, and AGAINST travel restrictions from China, that turned out to be completely wrong. “Following the science” is not as straight forward, ladies and gentlemen, as one might think. And don’t assume that this purported quest for the guidance of science is bereft of politics – it ISN’T. In modern America, science, like everything else, has become subservient to politics. This sad state of affairs is never quite so evident as in the curious case of the anti malarial drug hydroxychloroquine.
Hydroxychloroquine, a safe and very valuable drug, had the “misfortune,” early on, of being endorsed by our president. This had the immediate effect of making the drug, through no fault of its own, a pharmaceutical “persona non grata.” Why? Well, BECAUSE, President Trump endorsed it, of course. Anyone familiar with the enormity of the “Trump Persecution Syndrome” will not be surprised to learn that, according to critics, if Trump endorses it… it MUST be bad. President Trump, after all, is the Anti-Christ of science, plain and simple. While it is true that the President often tweets faster than he thinks, his enthusiasm for hydroxychloroquine’s use in COVID-19 was based upon a number of actual studies as well as recommendations of a number of experts.
To refresh: Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial drug that has been safely used world-wide by millions of people. It has also been used for many years to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases. Rheumatology patients often take this drug safely for YEARS. Hydroxychloroquine was found to kill the COVID-19 virus in vitro (that is in test tubes in the lab). Early on in the pandemic when hospitalized patients had an 80% mortality rate, doctors began to treat them with hydroxychloroquine alone or in conjunction with azithromycin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic. Sometimes it seemed to work and it became incorporated into the protocol for treating COVID-19 at many hospitals, including local hospitals as well.
Clinical trials were started, and a number of them had early results that were promising. But then, President Trump expressed enthusiasm for the use of the drug, and it immediately “fell from grace.” First the cardiologists weighed in: Hydroxychloroquine could, they said, occasionally cause a change in the heart’s electrical system. This in turn could “potentially” lead to a dangerous heart rhythm. But, although this statement has some truth to it, this drug has been used by MILLIONS of people over six DECADES without significant complications. It is SO safe that it is sold “over the counter” in many countries. And it should be recognized that many drugs in wide usage cause similar electrical effects, again without harm. Nevertheless, cardiologists, one suspects with “axes to grind,” stipulated that the drug was TOO DANGEROUS to use.
Next came a few badly done studies from South America, reporting that the drug was not effective and was dangerous. But these studies, when scrutinized, had numerous flaws. Firstly, the studies investigated chloroquine rather that hydroxychloroquine. It turns out that chloroquine, and older version of the drug, is known to have more side effects, which is why hydroxychloroquine was developed to replace it. Furthermore, the studies reporting substantial side effects used very high doses of the medication, making side effects more likely. Also, the group of patients receiving the chloroquine were objectively “sicker” than the patients who did not receive the drug, making this an unfair comparison.
Finally, both the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, previously respected medical journals, published review articles unfavorable to the drug. These review articles were supposed to have been based on data from 670 hospitals around the world. The trouble is, the data upon which this “review” was supposedly based was MADE UP. Surgisphere, the company that provided the so-called “data,” refused to make its data public. The hospitals purportedly involved in the research, denied any contact with this company. Further raising suspicions was the fact that Surgisphere’s staff of only five individuals couldn’t possibly have commandeered data from SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTY HOSPITALS scattered over six continents in the time time that was available to them. Two weeks after publication, both the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine WERE FORCED TO RETRACT THE ARTICLES because they could not provide adequate documentation. In their enthusiasm to persecute hydroxychloroquine (and stick it to President Trump) they apparently forgot due diligence. BUT, based upon these fallacious articles, the World Health Organization halted its study on hydroxychloroquine and, as a result, many patients became afraid to enroll in studies. The FDA then withdrew approval for using hydroxychloroquine outside of a research environment because, the said, of safety concerns, BUT, none-the-less stressed that the drug was STILL SAFE to use for malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus!
In spite of these obstructionist tactics, some studies, remarkably, continued. The Henry Ford Health System in southeast Michigan published a study in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases that showed a 66% reduction in COVID-19 mortality with hydroxychloroquine alone and a 71% reduction when used with azithromycin. Without either drug, in-hospital mortality was 26.4%; with hydroxychloroquine it was only 13.5% – clearly effective!
There are, in fact, many doctors who support the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 but these viewpoints are often ignored by the media. Dr. Harvey Risch, an epidemiology professor at the Yale School of Public Health declared, as recently as July 21, 2020 (Source: Joshua Nelson, foxnews.com) that the drug was a victim of a “propaganda war” (his words) and that the proper use of the drug could save 75,000 to 100,000 lives. Dr.Risch also noted that the mainstream media are not allowing clinicians to speak about the effectiveness of the drug. Other physicians have also pointed out that the studies that challenged the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 often began using the hydroxychloroquine too late in the course of the disease and used the wrong dose, to boot.
But then, media coverage of hydroxychloroquine then gets EVEN WORSE. On July 28, a organization of doctors called “America’s Frontline Doctors” held a press conference to speak in support of hydroxychloroquine. In an act of BLATANT, PARTISAN CENSORSHIP, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube REMOVED a video of this press conference from their platforms. Facebook claimed, without consulting, apparently, Dr.Risch, that the video was “sharing false information about cures and treatments for COVID 19.” Further, a Facebook spokesperson, told CNN that they would label any shares or references to the video as “Debunked by the WHO.” As if the WHO’s abysmal history of fallacious COVID directives justified any WHO credibility what-so-ever in the matter.
One could be forgiven for wondering if everyone at Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have suddenly become licensed M.D.s qualified to make decisions about medical content. And, even if those social media platforms have MDs on staff, snap judgements regarding drug efficacy and safety are not a simple matter. Science and research are much more complicated than that. Even well done studies often show conflicting results, but if they are interpreted properly, still add to our body of knowledge. Doctors are allowed to have different opinions about treatments (sometimes to the displeasure of government bureaucrats). Doctors are not bound to blindly follow algorithms like the kid at the insurance company who denies your coverage. Even well done research studies are often difficult to duplicate. Eventually a consensus may be achieved, but sometimes not. Not every medical problem, unfortunately, has a “best practices “ solution. That’s the thing with science: few things are ever “thoroughly debunked” as new information and data constantly changes our understanding. Anyone who thinks differently is possessed of a certain naïveté about science and research. Such ignorance on the part of the politicians, media and Hollywood celebrities, appears more obvious every day.
So, there you have it. Hydroxychloroquine: a victim of Trump Persecution Syndrome. “Follow the science” has led us right back… to partisan politics.
Thank you The truth finally comes out…. So much information all truthful thank you. Bob .