, Columnist
Trump Is Overhyping Unproven Coronavirus Drugs
Listen to the FDA commissioner, not the president, on this one.
A treatment for the virus isn’t nearly as close as the president would have you believe.
Photographer: Yuri Gripas/Abaca PressThis article is for subscribers only.
President Donald Trump has cleared a low bar on coronavirus communication in the past week by finally acknowledging the seriousness of the outbreak, and endorsing needed social-distancing measures. A confusing press conference Thursday in which the he overhyped the promise and availability of new coronavirus treatments was a big step backward.
"So you have remdesivir, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine," Trump said. "Those are out now, essentially approved for prescribed use. I think it could be a game changer, and maybe not. Very powerful, they're very powerful."