Trump's 'Gift from God' Chloroquine Shows "No Effect on Patients Taking It"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A study has found that hydroxychloroquine (hereafter referred to as chloroquine), a treatment for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) highly praised by U.S. President Donald Trump as a "gift from God" and a "game changer," has no effect on patients taking it.

On the 7th (local time), Neil Schluger, a professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, stated in an interview with CNN, "Patients who took chloroquine did not improve or worsen compared to those who did not take the drug," adding, "There is absolutely no evidence to support its widespread use in patients." The research team led by Professor Schluger previously published results showing that chloroquine had no significant effect in treating 1,376 confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University's Irving Medical Center in New York City from March 7 to April 8. The study report was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers administered chloroquine to 811 of the 1,376 patients, but concluded that there was no difference in severity or mortality rates between patients who took the drug and those who did not. Professor Schluger said, "This drug is being used in the U.S. and many places worldwide without solid evidence of its effectiveness," and added, "I strongly believe this drug should not be routinely administered to hospitalized patients."

Chloroquine is a drug developed and manufactured by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi as a treatment for malaria and has also been used for some autoimmune diseases such as lupus. President Trump has been pushing for its widespread use as a COVID-19 treatment. On the 21st of last month, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a report from an expert panel advising against its use for COVID-19 treatment due to the possibility of serious side effects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.