Americans looking to the media to learn the latest information regarding COVID-19 treatments using Hydroxychloroquine are hit with frightening information that Hydroxychloroquine will either destroy their heart or kill them outright.
The drug, Hydroxychloroquine, is no stranger to the medical community having been around for 65 years when it was first approved in 1955 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Historically, the drug has enjoyed a good reputation as generally safe and well-tolerated in patients treated for chronic inflammatory conditions. And for years, Hydroxychloroquine has successfully treated autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and malaria prevention.
As soon as American doctors started treating patients with Hydroxychloroquine with a full treatment regimen costing $20 to $50, success stories started pouring in. Stories of Patients being quickly brought back from the brink of death started circulating.
On April 28th the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) wrote that peer-reviewed studies published from January through April 20, 2020, provided clear and convincing evidence that Hydroxychloroquine may be beneficial in COVID-19, especially when used early and in the outpatient setting.
In an exclusive interview, Dr. Harvey Risch, a distinguished cancer epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health with over 300 published papers, said that the evidence that Hydroxychloroquine is safe and has saved many lives was "overwhelming."
Risch published a review article in the American Journal of Epidemiology that cites evidence that supports Hydroxychloroquine's use on an outpatient basis.
Risch cited the evidence found by Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, a family doctor from Monroe, New York, who has reported having a 99.7% survival rate for his patients using Hydroxychloroquine.
Zelenko emphasized that Hydroxychloroquine's high success rate is achieved when administered on an outpatient basis and in the early stages, usually within the first five days of experiencing symptoms. He spoke of how imperative it is to follow a strict protocol, which included using a cocktail containing Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc, and the antibiotic azithromycin.
Dr. Simone Gold, a board-certified emergency room physician, recently stood with a group of other physicians on the Supreme Court's steps and stated, "We brought together physicians from across the country who have successfully treated patients using Hydroxychloroquine. Our message to the American people is clear. Hydroxychloroquine works."
On June 15th, The FDA determined that Hydroxychloroquine was unlikely to effectively treat COVID-19 in a hospital setting and pulled the drug's Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The move was significant because it meant that the drug could no longer be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases.
The FDA stated that Hydroxychloroquine posed severe cardiac adverse events and other potentially dangerous side effects. FDA's decision to only use Hydroxychloroquine inside a hospital seemed to be central to why the drug no longer enjoyed Emergency Use Authorization.
Risch addressed both the cardiac considerations as well as the FDA's determination that Hydroxychloroquine was not an effective treatment by stating, "Hospitalization is the biggest risk factor for death," and that once inside a hospital setting with other seriously ill patients with a highly contagious disease, treatment becomes much more difficult. He emphasized that Hydroxychloroquine needed to be administered on an outpatient basis.
As far as the cardiac complications, Risch stated that studies indicate no harmful effects using the medicine under strict protocol—something the FDA did not consider when they evaluated the drug.
Dr. Zelenko said the FDA's adverse cardiac events were found in patients treated inside a hospital and in the later stages of the disease. According to Zelenko, when he questioned top electrophysiologists (Doctors who specialize in heart rhythm problems), they said they did not see any of the FDA's cardiac issues in outpatient settings. They did find some cardiac items in the hospital settings but that it was unclear if Hydroxychloroquine or an already damaged heart from the virus was the cause.
The FDA has since transferred the coveted EUA approval to the drug Remdesivir. Remdesivir is listed as an investigational drug where the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 treatment are not yet known. The approximate treatment cost to patients is $3,000.
Rick Hayes lives in the epicenter of liberal land where reality and truth will never encounter a welcome mat.
An award-winning writer and photographer, with over twenty years of professional experience in both fields, Hayes started his journalism adventure after a successful, eye-opening career as a Banker in Wall Street. Although he spent his early work life surrounded by custom made shirts, expensive ties and the shiniest of shoes, Hayes was an accomplished singer, cutting a few records with a local band and appearing on one of the first cable shows.
Working for a weekly New York paper, in one of the most politically corrupt areas in the State, he began investing his time trying to understand the nature of corruption.
