Published 13:15 IST, May 19th 2020
American actress Mia Farrow calls Trump ‘crazy’ after he admitted taking HCQ
Actress Mia Farrow called US President Donald Trump “crazy” after the later revealed that he has been taking HCQ as a precautionary measure against COVID-19.
American actress and activist Mia Farrow called US President Donald Trump “crazy” after the later revealed that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. Farrow doubted Trump’s claim of taking HCQ asking which doctor would prescribe the anti-malarial drug to an “older, obese guy with a heart problem”.
The 75-year-old Hollywood actress questioned Trump’s intention of pushing the drug which has proved ineffective in preventing COVID-19 and has known side-effects.
On May 18, Trump disclosed that he has been taking HCQ with a zinc supplement for a week and a half to avoid the risk of COVID-19. Trump’s physician Sean P. Conley said in a statement that after much discussion, the doctors concluded that the benefit from HCQ “outweighed the relative risks” of the virus. He added that the US President is in very good health and has remained symptom-free.
'Morbidly obese'
The disclosure attracted several reactions from all corners and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ended up calling the US President “morbidly obese”. During an interview on CNN, Pelosi said that Trump should not be taking a drug that has not been approved by the scientist, especially in his “morbidly obese” weight group.
“He’s our President and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists, especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group, morbidly obese, they say,” said Pelosi.
Earlier, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued a safety communication regarding the known side effects of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. FDA said that the side effects include serious and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm problems. It added that the drug has received Emergency Use Authorisation for the treatment with risks already in the drug labels.
“The FDA will continue to monitor and investigate these potential risks and will communicate publicly when more information is available,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn in a statement.
Updated 13:16 IST, May 19th 2020