Source: Fox News
Tucker Carlson: Researchers at the Henry Ford Health System have released a new major study of hydroxychloroquine. They found that the drug’s early use against coronavirus may cut the death rate in half – amazing!
Fox News medical contributor Dr Marc Seigel joins us tonight to discuss this – doctor, thanks so much for coming on; this is something we’ve talked about many times, we’ve heard about the ‘horrors’ of hydroxychloroquine from the media – what do you make of this study?
Dr Marc Seigel: This is a groundbreaking study, Tucker. I spoke to Dr Steve Kalkanis, who is the Chief Academic Officer at Henry Ford Health Systems, and he said, as you pointed out, that it cuts the death rate from Covid-19 in half; in the 2500 patients they studied. And they have another study coming up – 3000 health care workers, to see if it can be used as a preventative. This is very big news and it’s a very big step in the right direction.
“Now, I also spoke to Congressman Michael Burgess of Texas today, who is a Republican leader of the House, as you know, subcommittee on health, and he said he’s been getting calls from all over the country – ‘Why isn’t hydroxychloroquine available for frontline use, at a time when the Covid outbreak pandemic is increasing in Texas?’ And of course, the answer he gave is ‘Politics’. And Tucker, as you know, I had a cardiologist prescribe it to my father – apparently he got dramatically better. And I’ve given it to many patients in March and April who got better due to hydroxychloroquine likely.
So why has the emergency use authorisation been reversed on it? This study may change all of that, Tucker. There’s a lot of pressure on the FDA tonight to reverse that emergency use authorisation. Now you can prescribe it off-label, but many physicians, according to Congressman Burgess (also Doctor Burgess for 30 years, by the way), is that there’s pressure not to use it, so the FDA has to step up to the plate here.
This appears to be potential very useable treatment early in the game – it’s been studied against the virus, it’s cheap – it’s very cheap, actually; it’s less than 50 cents per pill and it’s been around for 50 years. We know it’s side effects, doctors should be free to use it; it should be studied further, Tucker. It’s very promising.
Related: Hydroxychloroquine significantly lowers COVID-19 death rate, Henry Ford Health study finds
Due to significantly improved outcome, Henry Ford Health System continues hydroxychloroquine study