Trump Called It a “Game Changer.” The Science Says Otherwise
An Arizona man died Monday after ingesting chloroquine phosphate, a chemical used to clean fish tanks. His wife, who also swallowed the stuff, was left in critical condition.
The tragedy came just days after President Donald Trump touted hydroxychloroquine, a derivative of chloroquine (both used as antimalarials), as part of a potential miracle cure for COVID-19—illustrating both the danger of self-medicating, and of public officials getting ahead of the science.
The drug combination Trump publicized as so promising—a cocktail of hydroxychloroquine, which in the U.S. is mainly used to treat autoimmune disorders, and azithromycin, an antibiotic commonly prescribed for infections such as bacterial pneumonia—does have some scientific support. A couple of small case studies have recently suggested the combination could be used to successfully treat COVID-19. But no rigorous clinical trials have been completed. Some hospitals are also using hydroxychloroquine for certain patients, but those decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, under medical supervision. Hydroxychloroquine is not FDA-approved for treating COVID-19, federal officials said after Trump’s remarks.
It is also far from a panacea, Johns Hopkins infectious disease physician Dr. David Sullivan tells TIME senior health writer Alice Park. “In general if hydroxychloroquine really, really worked, and it was a magic drug for COVID-19, we would know it by now,” he says. “Right now we have no clinical evidence that it works.”
But people are apt to listen to their President, especially during an unprecedented crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacies have seen a run on these drugs, to the point that they’ve had to plead with customers to leave them for the autoimmune-disorder patients who actually need them. If people ignore that advice, they stand to risk not only the community’s health, but also their own. Read more here.
TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
Here’s every country with over 2,000 confirmed cases, as of Monday night at 8 PM eastern time:
Though the COVID-19 outbreak originated in China, 85% of new cases are now coming out of Europe and the U.S., a World Health Organization spokesperson told the Associated Press Tuesday. The situation in China continues to improve: after five consecutive days without a new case originating in Wuhan, the outbreak’s original epicenter, the Chinese government is preparing to end its lockdown there on April 8.
Meanwhile, death tolls are climbing in other countries. More than 6,000 deaths have been reported in Italy, followed by more than 2,000 in Spain and in Iran.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 45,000 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the U.S. and hundreds of people have died. Unfortunately, the situation only stands to get worse as hospitals continue to weather protective equipment shortages and capacity issues. Health systems have had to make increasingly difficult choices as a result. NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai, two major hospital systems in New York City, announced on Monday that pregnant women could not bring their partners into delivery rooms, sparking an outcry from maternal health advocates. The policies, which remained in place as of today, contradict New York State Department of Health guidelines that say a support person is essential in the delivery room.
As health systems are forced to take increasingly dramatic COVID-19 precautions, President Trump said earlier today that he wants to have the country “opened up” and the economy “raring to go” by Easter, which falls on April 12. Health officials have said it’s unlikely that a few weeks of social distancing and business disruptions would be enough to make a strong impact on viral transmission, but Trump tweeted on Sunday that “we cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself.”
All numbers are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of March 23, 8 PM eastern time. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Families Who Fled Coronavirus Are Learning Nowhere Is Safe
Some families who left Asia for the U.S. in hopes of outrunning the COVID-19 pandemic have been forced to return as the outbreak’s epicenter shifts westward. Read more here.
Jails and Prisons Are Bracing for a Coronavirus Disaster
The most vulnerable Americans, particularly those who are incarcerated, are at high risk for COVID-19. Tensions are high at New York City’s Rikers Island jail. “We feel like all of us are gonna get corona,” a corrections officer there told TIME reporter Josiah Bates. Read more here.
5 Lessons from Coronavirus That Will Help Us Tackle Climate Change
Some climate activists fear panic over COVID-19 will cause the environmental movement to stall—but Costa Rican diplomat and climate-change expert Christiana Figueres thinks it may teach us valuable lessons, too. Read more here.
The Tokyo Olympics Have Officially Been Postponed. Have They Ever Been Canceled Before?
Though postponing the Games is an extremely rare decision, they have been outright canceled three times in modern history, all because of wars. Read more here.
How Anti-Abortion Activists Are Taking Advantage of the Coronavirus Outbreak
COVID-19 has thrown the U.S. medical system into disarray, and abortion clinics across the country have been forced to close their doors during the outbreak. The consequences could last longer than the pandemic, writes Robin Marty of the pro-abortion Yellowhammer Fund. Read more here.
Social Distancing Can Take a Toll on Mental Health—But Tools Are Available
Mental health programs are stepping up to offer free services during the COVID-19 outbreak. For example: mindfulness app Simple Habit is offering free meditation resources, the Child Mind Institute is hosting daily Facebook Live chats with mental health clinicians and therapy app Talkspace is offering free counseling for health care workers.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com.
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