We can debate all day if hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an effective treatment for COVID-19. So, let’s not do that.
As you’re probably all aware, HCQ has been banned in some states for use as a treatment for COVID-19. Doctors who prescribe it for that use can lose their medical license. And, pharmacies have been instructed not to fill prescriptions for HCQ unless it’s going to be used to treat an “approved” disease.
Those are facts and cannot be disputed.
Instead of arguing about the efficacy of HCQ, let’s contrast HCQ to an FDA-approved drug, Remdesivir.
What you may not know (I didn’t until today) is that Remdesivir was given an emergency use authorization by the FDA for use in treating severe cases of COVID-19. Early data indicates that it may reduce recovery time by as much as 20%. That is, if you’re really sick, your doctor can prescribe Remdesivir to try to cure you and, if it works, you’ll get better a little sooner than you would have if you didn’t take Remdesivir at all.
But, Remdesivir has not been approved for ANYTHING else. It is an experimental antiviral drug still undergoing the formal FDA approval process. Other than advanced cases of COVID-19, Remdesivir can’t legally be prescribed as a treatment for anything. There has been no long-term studies into the effectiveness of Remdesivir nor do we fully understand its side effects (this is clearly stated on the FDA FAQ for Remdesivir). The approved treatment regimen for Remdesivir costs at least $3,000.
Those are facts and cannot be disputed.
On the other hand, HCQ has been around for over 50 years. It’s used to treat malaria and lupus, among other uses. Some patients have been taking HCQ for decades. The side effects are well known and are, for most people, relatively mild. Doctors who claim that HCQ works say that it should be taken as an early treatment when COVID-19 is suspected. They also claim that HCQ can work as a preventive measure to protect against catching COVID-19 at all. The typical regimen for taking HCQ costs about $20.
Those are facts and cannot be disputed.
Now, some of you are going to want to jump on that last statement. If you’re one of them, you didn’t read what I said carefully enough. Take another look and you’ll see that I said that some doctors “claim” that HCQ is an effective treatment/prevention for COVID-19. I didn’t actually say that it was. It is a fact that doctors have made that claim. So, don’t start posting links to articles “proving” that it doesn’t work. If you do that, you’re missing my point entirely.
One last thing I should mention, the FDA advises against taking HCQ and Remdesivir at the same time though it has also said that there is no data to back up their stance.
So, here some questions for you to consider:
- Which of these drugs do you think poses less risk to take?
- If you were diagnosed with COVID-19, and could only choose one of these drugs, which one would you choose?
- Would you rather take a drug that could possibly cure you after you’re already very sick or a drug that might prevent you from catching the disease at all?
- If the potential benefits of taking HCQ by far outweighs the risks of doing so, what would be the harm in allowing people to take it?
- Don’t you want the ability to decide with your doctor which approach is right for you?
