LETTER: Donald Trump and the Hydroxy Effect
In his Sunday column, Victor Davis Hanson comments on what he calls the Hydroxy Effect. A claim that President Donald Trump was unfairly criticized for recommending hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19. He then claims, without citing the studies, that “some studies have found that it can help in treating some patients.”
Because Mr. Hanson is a scholar, I would think a more scholarly review of the studies might be expected. But if you do a quick search, you will find many articles that all come to the same conclusion. No benefit in preventing COVID, nor any reduction in mortality for those who have COVID.
A recent comprehensive review can be found in The Lancet Rheumatology Nov 5, 2020, by April Jorge.
It is also amazing that a person trained in studying science and its methods would be so eager to defend someone who clearly ignores it or disputes thousands of trained medical professionals. Fortunately in a little more than a month we will have a leader who knows how much we all benefit from science in every aspect of our lives.
