WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is emphatically defending himself against criticism from medical experts that his announced use of a malaria drug against the coronavirus could spark wide misuse by Americans.
The drug, hydroxychloroquine, has potentially fatal side effects, and the government says it should not be tried against COVID-19 outside research or hospital settings.
But the White House says doctors can write prescriptions for the drug, and Trump declared on Tuesday, “This is an individual decision to make.”
He said, without evidence, that a Veterans Administration study showing possible negative effects was an “enemy statement” meant to embarrass him.
