See the full transcript and video footage of President Trump claiming he is taking hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 prevention
- On Monday, President Donald Trump claimed that he is taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, to prevent infection of COVID-19.
- There is no evidence that hydroxychloroquine, which is also used to treat conditions including lupus, is entirely safe or effective at preventing or successfully treating COVID-19.
- Taking the drug can lead to serious side effects, including heart problems, seizures, blurred vision, and dizziness.
- See the full transcript and video footage of Trump's comments on hydroxychloroquine at the White House.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
At a Monday event with restaurant owners at the White House, President Donald Trump claimed to be taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
There is no evidence that hydroxychloroquine, a drug Trump has heavily promoted as a COVID-19 treatment, is safe or effective at preventing or successfully treating the disease. Taking the drug, which is also used to treat conditions including lupus, without proper medical justification or supervision can also lead to dangerous side effects, including heart problems.
Before claiming that he himself is taking hydroxychloroquine, Trump extensively criticized a whistleblower, high-ranking scientist Dr. Rick Bright, for his critiques of the administration's pandemic response. From there, he claimed to have been taking the drug for about 10 days.
Trump did not, however, provide any evidence that frontline workers or doctors are taking the drug in large numbers and did not acknowledge the risks of taking hydroxychloroquine for prevention. In response to a reporter's question, Trump said that White House physician had approved Trump to take the drug.
When a reporter asked Trump for the evidence that hydroxychloroquine works to prevent COVID-19 infections, Trump asserted that a non-peer reviewed study of COVID-19 patients under the care of the Department of Veterans Affairs that found higher death rates among patients who took the drug was conducted by people that "aren't big Trump fans" and falsely claimed credit for the VA Choice of Act of 2014.