Veteran advocates say they are frustrated at the lack of transparency around the Dept. of Veterans Affairs' use of the unproven drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus.
More than 370 veterans have died of the coronavirus and approximately 5,800 are confirmed carriers, according to the agency's numbers on Wednesday.
But, said Butler, the VA first characterized a large purchase of the drug as one made for its patients that suffer from lupus or arthritis — conditions the drug has been scientifically proven capable of treating. The most recent meeting on Wednesday, leadership briefly touched on the study but quickly moved on.
"After this order was put in, we asked about the purpose of this order, and we were told it was for routine treatment of lupus and arthritis," the senator said in a request for information from the VA. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee., said while the results may be preliminary, he found the data released by the VA to be concerning and showed that it"may be premature to treat veterans" with the drug,"particularly in light of NIH recommending these drugs not be used."
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
VA will continue to use unproven drug touted by Trump to treat Covid-19 despite FDA saying it has 'known risks'The Department of Veterans Affairs says it is continuing to use an anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump to treat coronavirus cases in a manner 'consistent with current FDA guidance' despite the Food and Drug Administration warning it's not proven to work and could cause deadly side effects.
Read more »
Coronavirus | ReutersA deadly virus spreads around the globe, killing and infecting millions.
Read more »
Does cooking food kill coronavirus? An expert weighs inTo address the coronavirus food safety question of whether cooking kills the virus on food, an infectious disease medical expert answers common concerns.
Read more »
Did The Trump Administration Ignore Early Coronavirus Warnings?U.S. officials at the World Health Organization were reportedly in regular contact about the spread of the virus, revelations that come as Trump attacks the United Nations health agency.
Read more »
About a quarter of Covid-19 patients put on ventilators in New York's largest health system died, study findsA study’s authors significantly updated their data about the rate of deaths among Covid-19 patients on ventilators in New York. The authors now say about 25% of those on ventilators have died, revised down from 88%. An earlier tweet has been deleted.
Read more »
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman Says City’s Desert Heat Will “Deter” Virus, Allow City’s ReopeningJust two days after a wild interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper in which she argued that, despite the pandemic, her city needed to reopen to avoid catastrophic job losses, Las Vegas Mayor Car…
Read more »