Hu Xijin, editor of Chinese state-run newspaper, Global Times, accused Trump in a since-deleted tweet of ‘leading the US’s struggle against the pandemic with witchcraft’ – suggesting that is why 90,000 Americans have died from the virus.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also accused the US of trying to smear authorities in Beijing in order to avoid criticism for his own mishandling of the pandemic.
Donald Trump has revealed that he is taking anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to protect himself against coronavirus after hearing ‘good things’ about it , leading to backlash from medics around the world.
This is coming as British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has warned against taking hydroxychloroquine, just as UK medics warned that the United States President is setting a dangerous example.
The president, 73, said he began taking the drug ‘a week and a half’ ago because ‘good things are being said about it’, including by medics who have written to him.
Trump has often touted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus, even going so far as to call it a ‘cure’ after a few early studies showed positive results in patients.
But repeated experiments since then have showed it has only limited or no effect on the virus, and can cause serious side effects including potentially-fatal heart arrhythmias.
That led medics to blast Trump’s admission as irresponsible – including former UK government adviser Sir David King, who said ‘every word’ of the president’s advice on coronavirus should be ignored.
Speaking about hydroxychloroquine to Good Morning Britain, Dr King said: ‘I think [Trump] speaks from the top of his head and every word he says should be ignored in terms of advice.
‘I’m sorry but this is not the pronouncements of a person who is listening to the scientists. He is making it up as he goes along.’
Dr Stephen Griffin, an associate professor at the School of Medicine, University of Leeds, added: ‘This is a staggering, irresponsible act that could very well amount to self-harm.
‘The president seems either unaware or unconcerned that his actions will have profound influence amongst his supporters and perhaps the wider US or world population.
‘Hydroxychloroquine is not licensed for the treatment or prevention of COVID19 by the FDA, or any other agency.
In fact the weight of evidence from most recent patient trials shows it to be ineffective, with the potential for adverse side effects including those affecting the heart.’
Highlighting the potential risks to people – including President Trump – Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested the president was putting his health at risk by taking the medicine despite being ‘morbidly obese’.
Dr Sean Conley, physician to the White House, released a memo confirmed that he spoke with Trump about the drug and decided the benefits outweighed the risks
The White House attempted to push back on the criticism by releasing a memo from physician Dr Sean Conley which confirmed he had discussed taking the drug with Trump after several members of staff tested positive.
The White House also stressed that Trump does not have the virus and is taking the medication as a preventative measure.
‘There is no evidence that hydroxychloroquine is effective for the treatment or the prevention of COVID-19,’ said Dr. Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association. ‘The results to date are not promising.’ People should not infer from Trump’s example ‘that it’s an approved approach or proven,’ because it’s not, said Dr. David Aronoff, infectious diseases chief at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Hydroxychloroquine can cause potentially serious heart rhythm problems even in healthy people, but ‘it’s hard to infer’ that Trump’s artery plaque, revealed in tests from his 2018 physical, makes the drug especially dangerous for him, Aronoff said.
White House officials did not say whether any other administration officials were also taking the drug.
The other study from China was a stricter test: 150 adults hospitalized with mild or moderate illness were randomly assigned to get hydroxychloroquine or usual care. The drug made no difference in rates of clearing the virus or time to relief of symptoms, and they brought more side effects.
-Dailymail