‘What Do I Know, I’m Not A Doctor’: Trump Continues To Hawk Malaria Drugs Despite Lack Of Scientific Evidence

The New York Times: Trump’s Aggressive Advocacy Of Malaria Drug For Treating Coronavirus Divides Medical Community
President Trump made a rare appearance in the Situation Room on Sunday as his pandemic task force was meeting, determined to talk about the anti-malaria medicine that he has aggressively promoted lately as a treatment for the coronavirus. Once again, according to a person briefed on the session, the experts warned against overselling a drug yet to be proved a safe remedy, particularly for heart patients. “Yes, the heart stuff,” Mr. Trump acknowledged. Then he headed out to the cameras to promote it anyway. “So what do I know?” he conceded to reporters at his daily briefing. “I’m not a doctor. But I have common sense.” (Baker, Rogers, Enrich and Haberman, 4/6)

The Associated Press: White House Pushes Unproven Drug For Virus, But Doctors Wary
Trump held out promise for the drug as he grasps for ways to sound hopeful in the face of a mounting death toll and with the worst weeks yet to come for the U.S. The virus has killed more than 10,000 in the U.S., and measures meant to contain its spread have taken a painful economic toll and all but frozen life in large swaths of the country. But medical officials warn that it’s dangerous to be hawking unproven remedies, and even Trump’s own experts have cautioned against it. (Miller and Riechmann, 4/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Pushes Broader Use Of Hydroxychloroquine Against Coronavirus
At the briefing later that evening, a reporter asked Dr. Fauci for his view on whether there is evidence hydroxychloroquine helps treat coronavirus. The president interrupted before he could answer. “Do you know how many times he’s answered that question? Maybe 15—15 times,” Mr. Trump said, pointing at the reporter. “You don’t have to ask the question.” (Ballhaus and Hopkins, 4/6)

Politico: Trump’s ‘Hail Mary’ Drug Push Rattles His Health Team
The rush to focus on unproven drugs also comes after months of lost opportunities to contain the spread of the outbreak. “There’d be less focus on [hydroxychloroquine] now if we had planned better then,” said one official, who added that the drug is seen by some career scientists as a “Hail Mary” effort to find a Covid-19 cure. Trump is as enthusiastic about the drug in private as he is in public, said one senior administration official. He talks about the drug so often, another official added, because he views it as a potential therapy for the coronavirus when people have no other options. (Diamond and Cook, 4/6)

The Washington Post: ‘What Do You Have To Lose?’: Inside Trump’s Embrace Of A Risky Drug Against Coronavirus
Trump’s swift embrace of hydroxychloroquine — as well as azithromycin, which he has hyped as “one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine” — illustrates the degree to which the president prioritizes anecdote and feeling over science and fact. It also has provoked an ugly divide within a White House already besieged as it struggles to make up for lost time in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The president has frequently clashed with or undercut scientists leading the effort against the virus, from equivocating on whether to wear masks in public to repeatedly pressing to reopen businesses sooner than advised by public health experts. (Rucker, Costa, McGinley and Dawsey, 4/6)

NBC News: Top Trump Aide Says Fauci's Caution On Possible Coronavirus Treatment Warrants A 'Second Opinion'
President Donald Trump's top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, said Monday that Dr. Anthony Fauci's caution about the effectiveness of an anti-malaria drug that the president has been urging as a treatment for the coronavirus warrants a "second opinion." Asked about an Axios report that he and Fauci got into a heated argument about the drug during a coronavirus task force meeting Saturday, Navarro told CNN, "There was that discussion on Saturday, and if we didn't have disagreement and debate in the Trump administration, this administration would not be as strong as it is." (Gregorian, 4/6)

ABC News: Before The White House, Trump Called NIH 'Terrible,' Questioned Vaccines 
With the coronavirus crisis deepening on his watch, President Donald Trump in recent weeks has promoted a still-unproven malaria drug as a possible "game changer," touted his administration's "unprecedented" moves to fast-track a vaccine, and praised the work of the National Institutes of Health. But when Barack Obama was still in the White House and facing earlier global health crises, Trump expressed much different views, denouncing NIH as "terrible," claiming vaccines "can be very dangerous," and cautioning against medicines that have yet to be proven safe and effective. (Levine, 4/7)

The Hill: Cuomo: Use Of Antimalarial Drug In New York Hospitals 'Anecdotally' Positive 
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Monday that early responses to the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine “anecdotally” suggest its use in the coronavirus fight has been “effective,” but that official data was still forthcoming. Asked about the progress of the trials at his daily press briefing, Cuomo noted that state officials have allowed use of the drug in combination with the antibiotic Zithromax in hospitals “at their discretion.” (Budryk, 4/6)

The Washington Post: FAQ: What You Need To Know About Hydroxychloroquine And The Coronavirus
The lack of vaccines and treatment for the novel coronavirus has allowed it to sweep the planet virtually unchecked. With a regimen of hunkering down and hand-washing the only effective way to slow its path, national leaders are desperate to find a medicine that could have an effect. But President Trump’s cheerleading for anti-malarial drugs has raised hopes beyond what is supported by the scientific facts. (Rowland, 4/6)

The Associated Press: What To Know About Malaria Drug And Coronavirus Treatment
Some politicians and doctors are sparring over whether to use hydroxychloroquine against the new coronavirus, with many scientists saying the evidence is too thin to recommend it now. HOW IS IT BEING USED? The drug can help tame an overactive immune system. It’s been used since the 1940s to prevent and treat malaria, and to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. It’s sold in generic form and under the brand name Plaquenil in the United States. Doctors also can prescribe it “off label” for other purposes, as many are doing now for COVID-19. (4/7)

Stat: Fact-Checking Trump’s Optimistic Hydroxychloroquine Claims 
There is also some evidence that some Americans have tried to self-administer chloroquine formulations in the wake of Trump’s comments. One eBay seller recently sold hundreds of packets of chloroquine phosphate — which is also marketed as an antiparasitic used in fish tanks — for hundreds of dollars apiece. And in Arizona, a man died after ingesting chloroquine phosphate to guard against the coronavirus. Below, STAT fact-checks Trump’s full remarks on hydroxychloroquine from his Sunday briefing. (Facher, 4/6)

Reuters: India Allows Limited Exports Of Anti-Malaria Drug After Trump Warns Of Retaliation
India, the world’s main supplier of generic drugs, said on Tuesday it will allow limited exports of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine that U.S. President Donald Trump has touted as a potential weapon in the fight against the coronavirus. (Dasgupta and Miglani, 4/6)

Politico: How A Chance Twitter Thread Launched Trump’s Favorite Coronavirus Drug
In mid-March, a cryptocurrency investor, a law school graduate and a self-described philosopher found each other on Twitter. They discussed their hopes that a little-known drug called hydroxychloroquine could help contain the accelerating coronavirus outbreak. Two days later, two of them published a paper about the drug’s potential on Google Docs, falsely claiming the imprimatur of two major universities and the National Academy of Sciences. (Nguyen, 4/7)

The Hill: House Democrats Call On Trump Administration To Lift Restrictions On Fetal Tissue For Coronavirus Research 
More than a dozen House Democrats on Monday called on the Trump administration to lift restrictions on research that uses human fetal tissue to allow for studies on potential treatment for COVID-19. The lawmakers argued in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that such studies could lead to developing coronavirus treatments more quickly. Public health officials have estimated that a vaccine will not be available for at least another 12 to 18 months. (Marcos, 4/6)