Once again I got my idea for a story from a HuffPost article:
Basically the article details why this is a dangerous combination of drugs, for example:
Then I decided to see what Fox News was covering this morning and found another article about using this drug combination.
Excerpt:
Malaria drugs are showing "promising" initial results as a potential coronavirus treatment, a toxicologist and economic researcher said Saturday.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends Weekend," Dr. Chris Martenson said the experimental drugs -- including hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin -- were made available on Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration.
Although chloroquine has a "spotty past" and is unsafe at certain levels, Martenson noted that at the levels used in studies, the drug seems to "be reasonably safe" and works by allowing zinc to stop viruses from replicating.
Martenson actually was measured and factual in his statement but it hardly matters since many Fox Viewers, and the president himself who likes his “facts’ to be magical in nature and fit on a 3x5 card, may not go beyond the headline:
"We are going to want to test this against all sorts of different patient populations, different co-morbidities. We are going to want to track the safety of profiles very, very carefully," he said. "So, in essence, we are going to be running basically live clinical trials on this at this point in time. And there, we are looking for both efficacy and safety, and we need to be really tracking very carefully what the outcomes are."
Caveats aside, Martenson added: "This is the most promising thing I have seen so far."
Still, I wondered just who this “expert” Fox was relying on while MSNBC has credible experts I did a web search and came up with this from Feb. 1 in Mother Jones:
Here’s a snippet of what Mother Jones wrote about Martenson:
While the website offers some articles on the coronavirus, it also highlights something called “Our Recommended Pandemic Preparations”—only available in a section for paid subscribers.
While Martenson calls himself a scientist in the video’s titles, his claim to the label is, according to him, based on a 1994 PhD from Duke’s Department of Pathology where he specialized in toxicology. While he published scientific research in the ’90s, for at least the last decade Martenson has focused on predicting stagflation and other large shifts in financial markets.
“He’s not a practicing physician, he’s just a guy with a science background who’s taken an interest in this virus,” said Dr. Angela Hewlett, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, who clarified that she didn’t see anything in Martenson’s videos that gave her cause for concern.
More recently, on Mar. 15th, Joy Reid had a segment of her show on this:
It hardly matters that Dr. Anthony Fauci can stand next to the president and explain why it is understandable to want to hope for miracle cures, responding without naming him to what Trump said, but that there was something called science to consider.
When Trump indoctrinated viewers watch this they see someone they think is charismatic and their infallible Godhead towering above this short nerdy guy speaking in complete sentences and uttering words they don’t understand. They just tune him out.
I think it is indisputable that Trump and Fox News both will be implicated in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of Americans. Whether enough Americans understand this and hold them accountable remains to be seen. Take the poll.
Update: Real doctors on “AM Joy” this morning:
Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 · 3:15:42 PM +00:00
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HalBrown
Opinion: Trump weaponized COVID-19 and has Americans’ blood on his hands
Trump did not create the novel corona virus (COVID-19), but through his ineptitude, narcissism, and mendacious propaganda he weaponized it and aided its deadly spread throughout the United States.
Any semi-intelligent person understands the necessity of reflecting on their, or others, past mistakes to avoid repeating a bad situation; particularly when that bad situation adversely endangers human life. Donald Trump cannot, and will never, come to terms with the fact that anything he does could be misconstrued as a mistake or wrong, because he thinks he is perfect. It is almost certainly why Trump’s Surgeon General told reporters during a press briefing, likely on Trump’s orders, to stop pointing fingers, criticizing, or assigning blame for the corona virus’ spread in America.
For several weeks Trump and his nasty lackeys at Fox News accused Democrats and the media of “weaponizing” the COVID-19 virus by asking when he intended on taking action to prevent the virus’ spread. There was “weaponizing” of COVID-19, but the truth is actually the opposite of what Trump claimed.
Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 · 3:17:37 PM +00:00
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HalBrown
Trump’s Coronavirus Response Will Be His Toxic Legacy: There is no moment Trump can ever rise to, he only sinks to his most base nature (Rolling Stone)
His handling of this pandemic is how history will remember Donald Trump. Fifty years from now historians will not spend much time on Russiagate, Robert Mueller or Dirty Dossiers and alleged pee tapes, nor will massive tax cuts for the rich or the endless petty insults and the litany of lies make much of a mark. In a time of national crisis, the president is failing the most basic tests of leadership. He spends his time in front of the camera attacking the media, spreading disinformation and sowing racism. His response should come as no surprise. These have been the signature moves of his presidency and in normal times, these actions were bad enough, in a pandemic they are destabilizing and destructive.
Who could doubt that Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama or George Bush I and II would have struck somber and fatherly tones in the crisis? They would have attempted to soothe a country in distress and ease the minds of the people — to be sure, much of this would have been bromides. But it turns out, that’s a big part of the job. Trump has from day one completely abdicated the moral authority of the office, perhaps knowing intuitively that his moral compass was so hopelessly bent that it was pointless to try. It would be hard to underestimate the unexpected and deleterious effects this has had on the presidency. As we all isolate and seek shelter, to not have someone who is of good character at the helm only adds to the extreme anxiety, anger and coming heartbreak.
Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 · 3:22:12 PM +00:00
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HalBrown
Don’t torture yourself with the clown show, Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
Excerpts:
- Things have gotten so bad that the renowned immunologist helping us navigate through the crisis, Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, can barely stand to watch the president mislead the country.
- Your stress level, in other words, is likely high enough without further annoying yourself by watching the person whose negligence has resulted in untold harm to the country.
- We will need to muddle through the remainder of the year, relying on Congress, governors and local leadership. The economic picture will look grim. But both the coronavirus and the Trump era will not last forever. Though so much is uncertain and our lives have been put on pause, we will hold elections in November. We will be able to replace Trump and his exasperating band of buffoonish advisers.
- With Biden, we are reminded that a president who embraces science and experts, shows empathy, avoids blame-shifting and can grasp complex information is the norm. It is only in the disastrous Trump era that we have been bludgeoned by ignorance, cruelty, incompetence and narcissism on an unprecedented scale.
- So do yourself a favor, tune out the White House and look to competent leadership wherever you can find it.