Keep in mind hydroxychloroquine, the drug that some had been pushing as a attainable technique to forestall Covid-19? Effectively, the World Well being Group (WHO) is now saying fugget about it.
The BMJ has printed a “dwelling WHO guideline on medication to stop covid-19,” and on it’s the assertion, “We advocate towards administering hydroxychloroquine to stop Covid-19.” That is based mostly on a assessment of accessible proof, primarily six randomized managed trials involving over 6,000 contributors, by the WHO Guideline Improvement Group (GDG) panel of worldwide consultants. There was no significant distinction in charges of Covid-19 an infection diagnoses, hospitalizations, and loss of life between individuals who had taken hydroxychloroquine and those that had not. On the similar time, taking hydroxychloroquine introduced the chance of hostile results like coronary heart rhythm issues, blood and lymph system issues, kidney accidents, and liver issues from the treatment usually used towards malaria. It’s known as a “dwelling” guideline as a result of the WHO plans on including suggestions about different medication being thought of to stop Covid-19.
Meaning folks and states like Oklahoma that bought hydroxychloroquine after then-U.S. President and now Mara-A-Lago resident Donald Trump touted the treatment at the moment are caught with stockpiles of these items. That’s except the U.S. is overrun by malaria-carrying mosquitoes anytime quickly. And take a wild guess as to who finally has needed to pay for these stockpiles which will go unused and expire? If you happen to stay in a state like Oklahoma, go to the toilet, look within the mirror, and level at your self. Sure, that’s proper, taxpayers needed to pay for the stuff.
That’s why the Oklahoma lawyer common’s workplace is outwardly making an attempt to barter a return of 1.2 million hydroxychloroquine capsules that the state bought in April final yr from FFF Enterprises for round $2 million, in keeping with Sean Murphy reporting for the AP. Jimmy Kimmel lately parodied their scenario with an Oklahoma “journey” industrial:
Yeah, making an attempt to get a refund of round $2 million shouldn’t be precisely as simple as getting your a reimbursement for the faux butt underwear that you simply purchased on-line. The provider can at all times say, “umm, however you purchased it, and we are able to’t re-sell it. As a result of nobody freaking desires that a lot hydroxychloroquine now.”
Governor Kevin Stitt (R) reportedly defended the acquisition final yr by saying, “I used to be being proactive to try to shield Oklahomans.” Defend Oklahomans? Primarily based on what proof? At no level had been actual public well being consultants within the U.S. saying “stockpile hydroxychloroquine.”
Proactive wasn’t precisely the theme of an article written on January 18, 2021, by Carmen Forman for The Oklahoman entitled, “As coronavirus surges in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt mum on subsequent steps.” Within the article, Forman talked about that “Oklahoma has been the worst state for check positivity and ranked fourth-highest for brand new Covid-19 circumstances per capita.” She additionally wrote that “requested what, if any, new steps Stitt is contemplating to scale back the unfold of COVID-19 in Oklahoma, his workplace didn’t give specifics and leaned on the governor’s oft-used mantra of ‘private accountability.’” Effectively, appears to be like like Oklahoma state residents have been personally chargeable for paying for all these doses of unused hydroxychloroquine.
One of many largest tragedies of 2020 and 2021 has been political leaders not heeding the recommendation of actual scientific and public well being consultants. Whereas public well being consultants within the U.S. had been pushing for related insurance policies and interventions that efficiently managed the unfold of the virus in international locations like South Korea, Taiwan, and New Zealand, political leaders like Trump and others didn’t appear to be listening. It appeared, as an alternative, that they had been listening to the voices pushing for the usage of hydroxychloroquine. A few of these voices could have really been folks making an attempt to promote hydroxychloroquine. In any case, when do you get an opportunity to promote to taxpayers over a million doses of an anti-malarial treatment within the U.S.?