Douglas Co. GOP Pushes Debate for Hydroxychloroquine

Why area lawmakers want a public debate on using the drug to treat coronavirus and what local health experts had to say.

INITIALLY TOUTED AS APOSSIBLE CURE FORCOVID-19 - BUT LASTMONTH THE F-D-APULLED ITS EMERGENCYUSE...SAYING THE BENEFITS DONOT OUTWEIGH THERISKS.BUT THE DEBATE OVERTHE ANTI-MALARIAMEDICINE HAS RECENTLYRETURNED...INCLUDING A LOCALPOLITICAL PARTYPUSHING IT ON SOCIALMEDIA.REPORTER JON KIPPERTELLS US MORE."MORE THAN ANYTHINGIT'S JUST TO START ACONVERSATION ON IT."THE DOUGLAS COUNTYREPUBLICAN PARTYWANTS A PUBLIC DEBATEONHYDROXYCHLOROQUINE.THAT'S WHY THEY SENTOUT THIS TWEETTUESDAY."THERE ARE NOWSTUDIES COMING OUTSHOWING THAT IT COULDSHOW SOME PROMISE."THAT THERE ISDEFINITELY BENEFITS TOHYDROXYCHLOROQUINEOBVIOUSLY WEWOULDN'T TELL PEOPLETO TAKE ANY SORT OFDRUG WITHOUTCONSULTING THEIRPHYSICIAN SO WE'RENOT PROMOTING IT."DEREK ODEN,DOUGLAS COUNTYGOPTHE MAJORITY OF THEMEDICAL COMMUNITYDISAGREES.ON WEDNESDAY,DOCTOR ANTHONYFAUCI, A MEMBER OF THECORONAVIRUS TASKFORCE, TOLD MSNBCTHAT EVERY VALIDCLINICAL TRIAL "SHOWCONSISTENTLY THATHYDROXYCHLOROQUINEIS NOT EFFECTIVE INTREATMENT OFCORONAVIRUS DISEASE."LOCAL EXPERTS AGREE.DOCTOR MARK RUPP,CHIEF OF THE DIVISIONOF INFECTIOUSDISEASES AT UNMC SAYSDOCTORS SHOULD NOTPRESCRIBE THE DRUG."ALTHOUGH THEIR HEARTMAY BE IN THE RIGHTPLACE IN TRYING TOHELP PEOPLE, I THINKTHE DATA SUGGESTSTHEY ACTUALLY MAY BEHARMING FOLKS." TOJUST GO ON A WHIM, ONA HOPE, IS NOT IN THEBEST INTEREST OFPATIENTS." THAT WASN'TTHE ONLY TWEET THEDOUGLAS COUNTY GOPPUSHED OUT TUESDAY.THEY ALSO RETWEETEDA LINK TO A VIDEO OFDOCTORS THATDISAGREE WITH FAUCIAND LOCAL EXPERTS.THE VIDEO WAS QUICKLYPULLED FROMFACEBOOK, YOUTUBEAND TWITTER DUE TOMISINFORMATION.ONE OF THE DOCTORSTHAT SPOKE ISPARTICULARLYCONTROVERSIAL."YOU DON'T NEEDMASKS, THERE'S A CURE."IMMANUEL"AGAIN, I DIDN'TNECESSARILY WATCHTHE ENTIRE PRESSCONFERENCE, I'M NOTPUSHING FOR WHATTHEY'RE SAYING, BUT I'MJUST SAYING CLEARLYSTUDIES HAVE SHOWNTHERE'S SOMETHING TOLOOK AT THERE."DEREK ODENDR.STELLA IMMANUEL ALSOTWEETED TODAY THATPEOPLE NEEDEDDELIVERANCE FROMDEMON SPERM."WE CAN ALL AGREE THATTHAT'S WEIRD ANDWRONG."ODENDOCTOR RUPP SAYSPEOPLE NEED TO RELYON TRUSTED SOURCESFOR INFORMATION...ANDTHE PRESSER WITH THEDOCTORS, WHILE HEHASN'T SEEN IT, ISDISCONCERTING."I THINK THIS ISUNFORTUNATELY ADISSERVICE TO THEPUBLIC, TO PATIENTS,THIS IS SOMETHING THATIS VERY DANGEROUS." INOMAHA JON KIPPER 3NNDOCTOR RUPP ALSOSAYS THE DRUG COULDEVENTUALLY LEAD TOLIFE THREATENINGHEART ISSUES FORTHOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.DOUGLAS C