United States President, Donald Trump has said he is taking hydroxychloroquine to ward off coronavirus, even though health officials have warned it may be unsafe.
Mr Trump, noting that he has tested negative for the virus and shows no symptoms, stated he’d been taking the drug as a preventative measure for about a week and a half.
“I take a pill every day,” he said, adding that he combines this with zinc.
Asked why, he said: “Because I think it’s good. I’ve heard a lot of good stories.”
President Trump has been promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine for a number of weeks, but US government regulators warn it has not been shown to be safe.
The United States Senate Minority Leader, Mr Chuck Schumer called the president’s decision to take the drug reckless.
“It gives people false hope, has people avoid real medical attention, and can actually cause them trouble. It is just dangerous what he did,” Mr Schumer said.
President Trump’s latest statements came as US deaths from coronavirus passed 90,000 people, almost a third of the total world toll.
“You’d be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the front-line workers, before you catch it. The front-line workers many, many are taking it. I happen to be taking it,” he told reporters attending a White House meeting devoted to the struggling restaurant industry.
“I’m taking it, hydroxychloroquine, right now, yeah. A couple of weeks ago, I started taking it,” he said.
Mr Trump has often disregarded the dangers of coronavirus, including last week when he said it threatened only a small number of people. He has refused to wear a mask, despite federal recommendations to do so and the fact that most of his staff have taken to covering their faces in public.
When asked whether the White House physician had recommended he start taking the disputed remedy, Mr Trump said he himself had requested it.
Dr Sean Conley, physician to the president, said in a statement issued through the White House later on Monday that Mr Trump was in very good health and symptom-free.
By contrast, the government’s Food and Drug Administration warns against giving hydroxychloroquine for either prevention or treatment of the coronavirus, noting reported side effects including serious heart rhythm problems in patients with Covid-19. Only emergency use is authorised under temporary rules.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says there are no approved drugs or therapeutics to prevent or treat Covid-19, which is confirmed to have infected more than 1.5 million people in the US, killing over 90,000 patients.
