Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y., on Sunday said the Department of Veterans Affairs must explain why it allowed the use of hydroxychloroquine…
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y., on Sunday said the Department of Veterans Affairs must explain why it allowed the use of hydroxychloroquine on veterans as a treatment for the coronavirus despite a lack of consensus on its safety.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Schumer said the VA must provide Congress more information about a recent bulk order for over $200,000 worth of the malaria drug, which President Trump has promoted as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
“There are concerns that they are using this drug when the medical evidence says it doesn’t help and could hurt,” Schumer said.
He also said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie should answer questions about a recent analysis of VA hospital data that showed there were more deaths among patients given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care, including how much patients knew about the drug’s risks before taking it.
