Vox Sentences - The risks of hydroxychloroquine

A Trump-touted drug is linked to higher death rates among Covid-19 patients in a new study; the CDC admits to misrepresenting its testing numbers. 

Tonight's Sentences was written by Catherine Kim.

A programming note: Sentences is taking a break on Monday for Memorial Day and will resume on Tuesday. 

• A new study found that hydroxychloroquine and the similar drug chloroquine, which President Trump has touted as preventives for Covid-19, are actually linked to a higher risk of death. [BuzzFeed News / Dan Vergano]
• The study, which examined more than 96,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients and was published in the Lancet medical journal, found a striking difference between those who did and did not use the drugs. Those given hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic –– a cocktail the president has recommended –– saw a 45 percent increase in risk of death, while those given hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic saw a 37 percent increased risk of death. [Washington Post / Ariana Eunjung Cha and Laurie McGinley] 
• The study also observed an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia, which causes rapid and irregular heartbeats. Those given hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic were heavily impacted: 8 percent of patients developed a heart arrhythmia in comparison to the 0.3 percent of patients who hadn't received the drugs. [Guardian / Sarah Boseley] 
• This is the largest study on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to date; the patients came from 671 hospitals across six continents. The study may not have been controlled –– the gold standard for research –– but the sheer size of it is enough for health professionals to warn against giving the drugs outside of clinical trials. [CNN / Faith Karimi, Dakin Andone, and Jamie Gumbrecht] 
• The findings of this study, and many before, contradict Trump's claim that hydroxychloroquine is an effective measure against Covid-19. [WSJ / Jared S. Hopkins] 
• Just days before the study was released, Trump announced he was taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent Covid-19, despite the limited evidence of its effectiveness. It's a measure that experts warn the general public shouldn't follow until there's more information about the drug's potential side effects. [Vox / Zack Beauchamp]
• Doctors started giving hydroxychloroquine, which is  used to treat malaria and lupus, out of desperation, as there is no proven treatment for Covid-19. But this new study adds to the mounting evidence against the use of the drug –– despite the contradicting messaging from the administration. [NYT / Denise Grady]

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been conflating the results of two kinds of coronavirus tests, leading to it misrepresenting its testing numbers and ultimately providing a misleading picture of the current state of the pandemic. [Atlantic / Alexis Madrigal and Robinson Meyer]
• The CDC has acknowledged that it's been mixing the results of its viral and antibody tests. It's a bad idea because the two tests look for different information. Viral tests reveal whether a patient has Covid-19 at the moment they are tested, while antibody tests are used to determine whether a patient has ever had the virus. [Politico / Adam Cancryn and Dan Diamond] 
• Antibody testing is useful in learning how far the virus has spread. But even more crucial is viral testing because it reveals the current state of the pandemic in the community. Based on the number of people who test positive, officials can implement public health measures accordingly. [The Hill / Marty Johnson] 
• Building up testing capacity is important when planning to reopen the economy because it helps officials identify and isolate the sick. Accurate numbers are needed to evaluate whether business should resume, which is why the inflation of testing numbers is particularly concerning. [Vox / German Lopez]
• Another reason mixing the results is problematic: It most likely lowered the overall "positivity rate," which is often used to track whether enough testing is done or not (the lower the better). The World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate lower than 10 percent. [NPR / Rob Stein] 
• States –– including Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, Georgia, and Vermont –– have also been found to have combined antibody and viral test data. Not all the states may have done this deliberately, but it doesn't change the fact that it puts them in a worse position to evaluate their readiness to reopen the economy, ultimately putting their own residents at risk. [Vox / German Lopez] 

[CNN / Sophia Saifi, Adeel Raja, and Laura Smith-Spark]

• The University of California Board of Regent made the landmark decision to suspend SAT and ACT testing requirements through 2024 and eliminate them for California students the following year. Civil rights groups had filed a lawsuit against the UC system last year for discriminating against those who can't afford testing preparation. [USA Today / Jessica Flores]

• The unemployment rate has exceeded 20 percent in Hawaii, Michigan, and Nevada because of the coronavirus. [The Hill / Niv Elis]

• The US needs at least 184,000 contact tracers to safely reopen the economy, and states are scrambling to hire more workers. Here's what it's like to be one. [WSJ / Kathryn Dill]

• President Trump still wants to physically host the G7 summit in June, despite the pandemic. Other world leaders are shying away from committing to attend in person. [CBS News / Kathryn Watson]

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[Eric Topol, a cardiologist and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, on the most recent study on hydroxychloroquine]

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