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Hydroxychloroquine and covid-19 7:37
(CNN) - There was heated disagreement in the White House Emergency Room this weekend about the efficacy of the hydroxychloroquine anti-malaria drug, but several sources say it was largely one-sided, as President Donald Trump's top trade adviser Peter Navarro quarreled with other officials about the efficacy of the drug, which has not been tested, in treating the coronavirus.
The debate is not new within the coronavirus task force, and medical experts have repeatedly explained to the president that there is a risk in enthusiastically promoting hydroxychloroquine in case the drug ultimately doesn't work to fight the virus. But other outside advisers have sided with Trump, including Navarro, who is not yet a formal part of the task force, but has stepped into the meetings.
Axios first reported on the disagreement within the White House about the drug.
While discussing the latest on hydroxychloroquine this weekend, an exasperated Navarro lashed out at Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the advisers who has called for caution on the drug, a person familiar with the meeting told CNN.
Navarro had brought a stack of documents with him about the drug to the Emergency Room, arguing that it was proof that it might work to treat the coronavirus, so Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, was not in the dark. I agree because it was not data.
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"What are you talking about?" Fauci asked - a question that made Navarro lose heart. He was outraged and, at one point, accused Fauci of opposing Trump's travel restrictions in China, which confused many in the room, given that Fauci was one of the first few to agree with Trump on the move. said the source.
A source close to the working group said Fauci is not backing down from his belief that hydroxychloroquine is not a proven treatment for coronavirus. When CNN's Jeremy Diamond asked Fauci to comment on the matter on Sunday night, Trump stepped in and did not allow Fauci to respond. But a source said the doctor has already offered his opinion on the drug elsewhere and will continue to do so.
Several aides later said they were not frightened by Navarro's outburst, given that he has them regularly. But the argument highlights how deep the divide is over the task force response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Another source told CNN that despite the disagreement in the Emergency Room between Fauci and Navarro, Fauci continues to have a good relationship with Trump and Pence, although some employees have shown irritation when their opinions differ.
Medicines
