On Wednesday, “The Daily Show” had some fun mocking Donald Trump for his frequent promotion of the drug hydroxychloroquine, commonly used to treat malaria or lupus, as a possible cure for coronavirus.
In a fun video clip, the show compared Trump to a quack science version of “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” calling him “Don Trump the Science-Ish Guy.”
The clip showcases several times Trump touted the drug, including when he said “what do you have to lose, take it” “If it were me – in fact, I might do it anyway. I may take it, OK? I may take it” and “It will be wonderful, it’ll be so beautiful, it’ll be a gift from heaven,” and “it’s not going to kill anybody.” See the clip at the bottom of the page.
Trump began promoting the drug as a potential cure for COVID-19 in March during his daily coronavirus press conferences, eventually doing so at least 50 times. Trump also said, falsely, that the FDA had approved the drug for treatment of the illness; the agency has only authorized “emergency-use,” and it continues to emphasize that it is not known whether or not the drug actually works.
Meanwhile, the CDC lists the severe, often debilitating or even fatal side effects patients who take the drug for its intended purpose often experience. While it notes that clinical trials are under way, CDC still clearly warns readers “There are no drugs or other therapeutics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to prevent or treat COVID-19.”
A study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs found that COVID-19 patients who took the drug saw no improvement, but died at a higher rate than patients who did not take it. That study has not yet been peer reviewed. Meanwhile, a French study saw no difference between COVID-19 patients who took the drug and those who didn’t, except some patients who took it developed severe heart problems and had to stop. Like the VA study, the French study has not yet been peer reviewed.
After Trump started promoting the drug, a rush of people purchasing it for its unverified possible coronavirus benefits caused shortages for people suffering from Lupus. And on March 24, an Arizona man died and his wife was hospitalized after they ingested a form of chloroquine, apparently believing it would prevent coronavirus infection.
According to The Guardian, CNN, and Politico, Trump this week stopped promoting the drug almost entirely, for reasons that are not yet clear.
Anyway, watch the full “The Daily Show” clip below:
Learn about hydroxychloroquine from Don Trump The Science-ish Guy! pic.twitter.com/kYvmpdCWg8
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) April 22, 2020