Thread by @SlickRockWeb

So as a #disinfo researcher with a past medical background, I am desperately trying to understand a tweet like this, the science and validity behind it and the social media buzz / misinformation around it. #covid19 #coronavirus #CoronavirusPandemic

Interest among the non-medical public started a few days ago when Trump mentioned that Chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug & immunosuppressant, was now FDA approved 2 treat #COVID19. That of course got walked back & here is part of my thread from Thursday

Since then and because Trump again tweeted about it as noted at the start of this thread, buzz continues to grow around a very small clinical study in France by physician Didier Raoulta. I will try to get into some of the major caveats with it later. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Australian Geneticist @GaetanBurgio did an excellent job reviewing & poking multiple holes in this study. Based on a prior in-vitro study the idea holds promise & its use is being recommended in multiple locations given the total lack of alternatives

There is anecdotal evidence of its use in S. Korea, some in China & here in the US. The recommendations 4 use mostly revolve around the fact that there are no good options & its up to the discretion of each hospital. But there is no data from a randomized clinical trial #covid19

Predictably after the hype & not what a stressed healthcare system needs: "Nigeria reported two cases of chloroquine poisoning after U.S. President Trump praised the anti-malaria drug as a treatment for the coronavirus" #coronavirus #COVID19
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

So whats the evidence 4 the claim by Trump that chloroquine or HCQ could be the biggest game-changer in the history of medicine? Since Thurs Ive tried 2 read everything I can find. One repeated claim over & over was the Chinese had made its use routine. Seems to not be accurate!

Noted Physician & Scientist Scott Adams believes we can all start taking Chloroquine right now & most of the workforce in the US could be back to work in 2 wks. The "Physician and Scientist" part is sarcasm. He is not either .. but did stay at a Holiday Inn #coronavirus #covid19

Some impressive #disinfo. Its all a communist plot / conspiracy by the mainstream media 2 withhold this miraculous cure from every day Americans. Note the 100% cure rate comes solely from the flawed French study & only from the plot line that contained 6 #covid19 patients.

Everyone from Lou Dobbs, to David Harris Jr, to Jim Holt of the Gateway Pundit & Juanita Broaddrick are joining in on the action. We have been saved from #coronavirus and #covid19 ... just need to setup tents across the US and start administering Chloroquine prophylactically

Besides an apparent rise in Chloroquine over doses which is going to further tax our over stressed healthcare system .... the people who need Chloroquine for their chronic diseases now can't get the drug. And there is this

As far as I can tell Chloroquine & HCQ r being recommended under physician care as an option along with Remdesivir in emergency situations 4 the very sick #covid19 patients. Based on desperation & NOT any RCT data. Its absolutely NOT being recomended prophylactically #coronavirus

Oh that French paper, it was 1st passed around as a manuscript on Google doc. I asked why no peer-review or publication. Its now published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. However one author is also Editor in Chief of the Journal. Serious conflict of interest

Everyone on the planet desperately wants a solution 2 this pandemic. But selling false hope based on anecdotal data & a flawed study of 6 clinical patients is NOT rigorous science needed 2 prevent unintended consequences. This study in Korea may soon help clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04…

Here are some general guidelines, fast facts and myths about #coronavirus and #COVID19 (the pneumonia like disease associated with the virus). Feel free to comment here and add more suggestions that have sound merit.

Oh sigh .... I don't even know where to begin on this one. But you had to know the #antivaxx lunatics would get in on the action. #coronavirus #covid19

OMG idiots on Twitter are trying to apply for example what this guy at the CDC said in early January to now!! People stop with the #fakenews This is extremely dangerous!! The all clear has NOT been sounded! Sen Rand Paul just got infected & has no idea when it happened. #COVID19

Looks like chloroquine / hydroxychloroquine in the context of #covid19 was just dangerous "snake oil" all along. And killed a handful of people here and in Nigeria due to self-medicating overdoses. No better than placebo #coronavirus @NYGovCuomo bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

If Chloroquine or HCQ is such a miracle cure 4 #covid19 why is there so much fraud & blatant #disinfo around this? Why arent the Chinese & S.Koreans screaming its praises? Recently I saw this guy everywhere on #Foxnews & thought wow a Stanford doc ..I should listen #coronavirus

Turns out Gregory Rigano is not a doctor like Stuart Varney referenced multiple times on #FoxNews segment. And clever use of the ticker to only show "Stanford School of Medicine". Turns out he has NO affiliation with them & they are demanding a retraction.

And now the original study from the French doctor Didier Raoult that started this whole hysteria around Chloroquine being a 100% cure for #COVID19 and would save us all from #coronavirus. It turns out Raoult has a history of fabricating data as well.

So are we 2 just trust these crypto-currency traders, Glenn Beck, Jared Kushner, alt-right talking heads & go ahead & treat all Americans prophylactically in outdoor tents & large drug distribution centers? What could possibly go wrong with this plan? #covid19 #coronavirus

Its interesting to note that many many drugs show promise in a test tube (in-vitro) only to fail miserably in a clinical trial. Turns out Chloroquine looked fantastic for the common flu in-vitro but was useless in the clinical trials. #covid19 #coronavirus

So when you see a Trump ally like David J Harris saying this? "Only known cure that is 100% effective?" Be very very skeptical. One RCT trial showed no effect over placebo and another will be released in a wk I believe #covid19 #coronavirus

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use for #COVID19 #Coronavirus shows no benefit in first small but Randomized Clinical Trial. Technically no placebo as the control arm was usual care minus the HCQ. Again not a cure. forbes.com/sites/tarahael…

Wow this is one damning piece of journalism about the French doctor Didier Raoult by research integrity / science writer @schneiderleonid #covid19 #coronavirus
forbetterscience.com/2020/03/26/chl…

Okay who wants to tackle this seriously bad misunderstanding of immunology? Not to mention he ignores Iran (being devastated by #covid19), Indonesia and Malaysia etc. #coronavirus

Seeing more and more concern about the effects of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine on #G6PD mutations in a cross section of if the population. Guessing hospitals dont have time to test for that in #covid19 patients. https://t.co/zpSvSNKLXf

What the hell ..this Doc made it sound like 100's of patients were being cured with Hydroxychloroquine at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC on the Laura Ingraham show on #FoxNews? Is anything real around this drug? #covid19 #coronavirus

I keep seeing Chloroquine & Hydroxychloroquine advocates referencing the WHO #COVID19 R&D Blueprint doc as proof that these drugs work. Turns out this doc does NOT say that 4 humans. Works in a test tube & some animals studies but not anywhere else yet. who.int/blueprint/prio…

Two notes in the doc caught my eye. 1) NO prophylactic trials involving chloroquine on #covid19 have been reported from China. Much discussion on whether a prophylactic treatment would have any merit or benefit continues. Nevertheless it appears some studies r moving forward.

2) And most important in my opinion, the prophylactic use of Chloroquine in the treatment of chikungunya virus made things WORSE 4 patients due to the immunosuppressant effects of of the drugs. This is the unintended consequence that is most worrisome for #covid19 #coronavirus

More #disinfo. A tweet by Rudy Giuliani has been removed / flagged by Twitter for pushing misinformation about chloroquine and claiming it was 100% effective in treating the #coronavirus. It is not obviously. #covid19

Also concerning about this Hydroxychloroquine craze, besides the lack of positive RCT clinical data that it works, is the number of day traders, options traders & crypto-currency traders touting the benefits of Hydroxychloroquine. Can someone explain this? #covid19 #coronavirus

Excellent video that everyone in their family should watch.
#Covid19 Protecting Your Family Dr Dave Price at Cornell Medical Center in NYC 3/22/2020 #coronavirus
vimeo.com/399733860

This guy who has for yrs pushed out the hashtag #LiberalismIsAMentalDisorder just tweeted to his 498k followers the following #disinfo about Hydroxychloroquine. The new & improved French study that just completely left out the control arm #covid19 #coronavirus

Here is anecdotal evidence from 2 unconfirmed medical professionals not named Dr. Didier Raoult that Hydroxychloroquine is NOT working. See how ridiculous it is to base medical decisions on tweets from randos? It does seem clear its not a magical 100% cure. #covid19 #coronavirus

This seems like more than just "anecdotal" evidence that hydroxychloroquine is not working. No? Still not seeing the miracle cure from chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine. #covid19 #coronavirus

Anyone know how one could confirm whether this overdose death of a doctor in India from Hydroxychloroquine is real or can be verified? Please comment here and I will DM you. Thanks #covid19 #coronavirus

Another small report of Hydroxychloroquine + azithro from Paris Hospital with no effect, anecdotal evidence from Doctors that Hydroxychloroquine has been discontinued in hospitals in Germany & Italy & not going well in NYC 4 the hospitals trying it there sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

At Pitie Salpetriere Hospital, the Mayo Clinic of France and rated France’s best hospital in 2020, Eric Caumes, head of infectious diseases, said use of Hydroxychloroquine was probably not effective against #covid19 #coronavirus bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

"Hydroxychloroquine routinely used among admitted patients in Italy." With their high death rate .. "This is not going to be a miracle drug" #covid19 #coronavirus

Dont want 2b an alarmist but the new Sermo survey of hydroxychloroquine usage (March) around the world shows an alarming correlation. Hope Im wrong but Yikes! Two highest countries with highest use also have by far highest death (normalized) rates #covid19 washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/…

This is why all of this is important ... and in alot of ways i am just trying to slow the flood of misinformation and blatant #disinfo about hydroxychloroquine & #covid19 ... two examples, one from a #Qanon cultist & one out of ignorance

Ah no!! This is absolutely NOT being recommended by ANY licensed medical professional. This is not candy and is dangerous to take these drugs in the absence of a licensed medical provider. #covid19 @eugenegu @nancylevine @KaivanShroff @DavidJuurlink