For some reason, many media firefighters seem very heavily invested in the idea that hydroxychloroquine does not — and cannot — potentially be used as a treatment for COVID19.
Take NBC News’ Heidi Przybyla, for example. Last month, she couldn’t get enough of the super-shady story about the woman whose husband died after ingesting fish tank cleaner, which contained chloroquine phosphate:
?Her husband is dead & she's in the ICU after ingesting chloroquine:
"We saw Trump on TV — every channel — & all of his buddies and that this was safe," she said.
"Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a cure."She implored @VaughnHillyard: "Educate the people" https://t.co/Vl94tIZcdw
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) March 23, 2020
It didn’t take long for the fish tank cleaner narrative to start to crumble, so naturally, Heidi had to go looking for another one.
Maybe this’ll be the Big One:
NEW to @NBCNews: Family of New York woman blames hydroxychloroquine combo for fatal heart attack https://t.co/TDIQrAN2lP
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) April 16, 2020
On same day of her death, Mayo cardiologist told NBC U.S. physicians may be too casually writing “corona cocktail” Rxs amid fanfare around the unproven drug combo to treat COVID-19.
“We knew that there would be either unawareness of, disregard to, or disrespect for
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) April 16, 2020
the drug-induced cardiac effects, said Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Ackerman, and even “well-intended efforts to treat COVID-19 could in fact cause the patient’s sudden death.”
“Unfortunately, we may have been proven correct already,” he said.
The American Heart Association issued ..
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) April 16, 2020
a warning on April 8 that each drug carries its own cardiac risks & that the combination has never been tested.
The FDA granted an emergency use approval late last month to distribute millions of doses of the drugs to hospitals across the country, to be used specifically
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) April 16, 2020
in hospitalized patients.
Yet Ligia’s story shows the “cocktail” is being administered outside hospitals — and it’s not the only one.
“This is happening,” said Lynn Donawald, a family friend whose daughter with myocarditis was also written a Rx which she called off after
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) April 16, 2020
Ligia’s death.
“Not once did they ask if my daughter had heart conditions or any underlying ailments. They were just focused on the fact that she was positive” for COVID-19, said Donawald.
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) April 16, 2020
Przybyla writes:
In early April, Ligia, a 65-year-old Queens resident, was given the drug by her general practitioner after she reported having a bad cough, fever and shortness of breath. Ligia’s last name is being withheld on the request of her children.
While Ligia’s symptoms were consistent with those of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, she was never tested for the virus, her brother-in-law, Lee Levitt, told NBC News. Ligia received the drug after speaking by phone with her doctor, Levitt said. She was never evaluated in person and received no heart screening or warning about the potential side effects.
…
NBC News made two attempts to reach Ligia’s doctor for comment. A man who answered the office phone and identified himself as the doctor then said there’d been a misunderstanding and offered to take a message.
Levitt acknowledged that the family does not know that the drug caused Ligia’s death. The family has not received a death certificate.
Hold up … what was that last part again?
https://t.co/Ib9BPAeDy7 pic.twitter.com/r3Vxlk2ulQ
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 16, 2020
That seems like a pretty significant detail, no?
Heidi's going for another viral hit with a story about someone supposedly self-medicating for coronavirus.
By the way, from the story itself: "Levitt acknowledged that the family does not know that the drug caused Ligia’s death. The family has not received a death certificate." https://t.co/G2xa6bQ4xT
— ???? ???? ?? ??. ?????-?? (@BecketAdams) April 16, 2020
Levitt also said that Ligia was diabetic and had high blood pressure.
Stop publishing garbage like this.
1) Family doesn’t actually know cause of death.
2) Every drug has risks and side effects. Implication here is that this drug is particularly dangerous and the doctor was irresponsible in prescribing it, which is a smear without evidence. https://t.co/CPxfu6oVZK
— (((AG))) (@AGHamilton29) April 16, 2020
Studies need to be done. They are being done. Reporting these kind of anecdotes is pointless.
— John Wisniewski (@WhiskeyMD247365) April 16, 2020
Fish Tank Heidi is using anecdotal evidence instead of science.
— Rocco out West (@satirelli) April 16, 2020
Whether this drug should be used to treat COVID-19 is something that should be decided by medical professionals, not Trump OR the media. Press being invested in narrative that it doesn’t work and is harmful is just as harmful as POTUS or others overhyping it.
— (((AG))) (@AGHamilton29) April 16, 2020
Bingo.
This is Heidi’s 3rd swing here. She was the primary pusher of the fishtank cleaner story. Proceed with caution.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 16, 2020
And one more bit of advice:
Don’t be like Fish Tank Heidi.
— Rocco out West (@satirelli) April 16, 2020
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