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Michigan State Rep. Tested Positive for COVID-19, Says Hydroxychloroquine Helped Save Her Life

by Zack Linly —

As President Trump continues to push the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 symptoms, medical experts remain dividedĀ on the use of a drug that has yet to be proven as a safe and effective remedy for the virus. Despite the conflicting narratives, one Democratic state representative appears to be convinced of the drugā€™s efficacy.

According toĀ Detroit Free Press, Detroit State Rep. Karen Whitsett learned Monday that she tested positive for COVID-19 and she creditsĀ hydroxychloroquineĀ in aiding her fight with the disease.

Whitsett said she was prescribed the drug by her doctor after she and her husband sought treatment for a number of symptoms and had been taking it since the end of March. She claims that in ā€œless than two hoursā€ she started to feel relief from symptoms that included shortness of breath, swollen lymph nodes and sinus issues, though she is still experiencing headaches.

Whitsett was already familiar with hydroxychloroquine,Ā having used it when she was battling Lyme disease, but she credits Trumpā€™s promotion of the drug as the reason she thought to ask her doctor for it to treat her recent symptoms.

ā€œIt has a lot to do with the president…bringing it up,ā€ Whitsett said. ā€œHe is the only person who has the power to make it a priority.ā€

Of course, Trump didnā€™t waste any timeĀ makingĀ certain thatĀ his Twitter followers knew of his apparent success,Ā telling Whitsett that he is ā€œSo glad you are getting better.ā€

So far, any evidence that hydroxychloroquine helps treat coronavirus has been anecdotal at best. So it canā€™t be emphasized enoughĀ that medical health professionals still do not agreeĀ on whether it actually works or not and whether it has been studied closely enough. In fact, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the administrationā€™s top infectious disease specialist, has repeatedly advised against the president touting it as such.

ā€œI think weā€™ve got to be careful that we donā€™t make that majestic leap to assume that this is a knockout drug,ā€ Dr. Fauci told Fox News on Friday. ā€œWe still need to do the kinds of studies that definitively prove whether any intervention, not just this one, any intervention is truly safe and effective.ā€

It has also been suggested that Trump stands to gain financially from the drugā€™s use.

From theĀ New York Times:

If hydroxychloroquine becomes an accepted treatment, several pharmaceutical companies stand to profit, including shareholders and senior executives with connections to the president. Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine.

As long as there are people like Rep. Whitsett who may have actually been helped by the drug and publicly advocate for its use, Trump will likely continue to ignore the naysayers in the medical community and continue aggressively selling it as a remedy.

When asked if she thinks Trump may have saved her life by promoting the drug, Whitsett said, ā€œYes, I do,ā€ and ā€œI do thank him for that.ā€

(Zack Linly is a poet, performer, freelance writer, blogger and grown man lover of cartoons.)

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