New study finds Trump-touted hydroxychloroquine does not benefit coronavirus patients

(Image credit: BENOIT DOPPAGNE/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

published 21 April 2020

A nationwide study that's been submitted to the New England Journal of Medicine found that hydroxychloroquine — a malaria drug often touted by President Trump has a strong candidate for COVID-19 therapy — does not benefit coronavirus patients, The Associated Press reports.

In fact, the analysis, which tracked 368 patients in U.S. veterans hospitals, shows that patients treated with the drug actually died at a higher rate than those treated with standard care. Hydroxychloroquine reportedly also didn't make a difference when it comes to who needed a breathing machine.

The study was the largest to look at the drug so far, but like its predecessors, it still isn't considered a rigorous experiment and has yet to be peer-reviewed. The National Institutes of Health and other research labs are in the process of conducting large-scale trials that will hopefully paint a clear picture of its efficacy. Still, several scientists have been "underwhelmed" with the drug's performance so far. Read more at The Associated Press.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.