That would align with the actual raw numbers pretty closely: Coronavirus Update (Live): 230,588 Cases and 9,390 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Outbreak - Worldometer
Then why did Bayer just donate 3 million tablets? My guess is this is semantics. Bayer would not go public with such an announcement if those tablets were heading for the trash can.
Because they are TESTING it. Trump Touts Malaria Drug That FDA Says Isn’t Approved for Virus At a press conference at the White House Thursday, Trump and the head of the FDA gave apparently conflicting comments about the availability of the drug. Trump said chloroquine had been approved and could be given to patients by doctors with a prescription. “It’s been around for a long time, so we know that if things don’t go as planned it’s not going to kill anybody,” Trump said. Minutes later, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, said that use of the drug would be in a clinical trial to find out whether or not it works, and if so, what dose would safe and effective. “Again, we want to do that in a setting of a clinical trial,” Hahn said, following up on Trump’s remarks at the press conference. Doctors in the U.S. are allowed to prescribe drugs for uses that haven’t been approved by the FDA, in what’s called off-label use. An FDA spokesperson said the drug had not been approved for use in Covid-19 patients. ------------------------------------ Trump isn't helping anybody by continuing to spread misinformation. It only creates chaos. EDIT: And based on the article, it sounds like doctors can prescribe it if they want. But again, that's quite different from the FDA approving it.
Listening to a guy on CNBC, he is saying there is more than enough data coming out of China and SK that chloroquine works and the USA needs to get int in the hands of Drs immediately. Wasting time doing our own trials. He also saying there is more than enough data that young people are the spreaders of the disease unknowingly because most have the virus but are asymptomatic.
3 million tests? C'mon man. You and I both know this is probably semantics. I mean we should be talking about the hope this brings, but nope. Politics.
Malaria drug? I would have thought maybe a good treatment would be for whatever drug we use for viral pneumonia but would have never thought a malaria drug would work. If it works and buys us time, why not? At least try it out on a small sample of patients. If I'm on a ventilator and a doc asked me to try something, I'm all for it. If I were Trump, I'd have the head of the FDA come out and tell the American people that regulations are the reason why many Americans will die before they approve the drug. Let's see him change his stance real quick.
This isn't semantics. Do you not understand the problem with Trump telling people that drug is approved by the FDA when it isn't? It's going to fall in doctors to correct that misinformation. And no, it's not 3 million tests. Try reading the article.
Chloroquine apparently worked well against SARS as well, so makes sense that we would try it here: Chloroquine is a potent inhibitor of SARS coronavirus infection and spread
He is also saying there is antibody tests that cost pennies out of china that can test for built up immunity. Says we need to buy 100's of millions of these tests and test as many as possible across the country.
Chloroquine is approved as an antimalarial I believe. Insurance typically doesn't pay for other than indicated uses. This is off patent and I think cheap.
The head of the FDA did come out and had no issue saying what you challenged him to say: Minutes later, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, said that use of the drug would be in a clinical trial to find out whether or not it works, and if so, what dose would safe and effective. “Again, we want to do that in a setting of a clinical trial,” Hahn said, following up on Trump’s remarks at the press conference. --------------------------------- As I said previously, it is believed that some of the deaths in America from the Spanish Influenza occurred because medical professionals used unsafe treatments. This idea that we should just ignore safety procedures because of the crisis is not a good one. Cutting some red tape is a good idea. Cutting all red tape is not.
"Governors are supposed to be doing a lot of this work...the federal government's not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of item and then shipping. You know, we're not a shipping clerk." Now that's what I call LEADERSHIP.