In moves capable of further damaging the already fraught relationship with US President, Donald Trump, the World Health Organization on Monday temporarily suspended the clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
The agency’s director-general, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, cited a troubling study published on Friday in the medical journal, Lancet as the main reason for the abrupt suspension.
“Not only is there no benefit, but we saw a very consistent signal of harm,” heart specialist and study leader Dr. Mandeep Mehra wrote in the study that led to the suspension of the drug.
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Also, a high ranking WHO official has renewed praise for China in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, citing its “openness” to the prospect of scientific inquiries involving foreign experts into the origins of the novel coronavirus.
Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s emergencies chief, pointed to “day-to-day” discussions with colleagues in China. He said the U.N. health agency and many governments are eager to understand the animal origins of the virus, “and I am very pleased to hear a very consistent message coming from China, which is one of openness to such an approach.”
Both developments are capable of damaging further the already tense relationship between Trump and the World Health Organization.
Recall that President Trump has been at the forefront of the clamor for the use of hydroxychloroquine, with the US President openly canvassing for the use of the drug.
“I believe in it enough that I took a program because I had two people in the White House that tested positive. I’ve heard tremendous reports about it. Frankly, I’ve heard tremendous reports. Many people think it saved their lives. Doctors come out with reports. You had a study in France, you had a study in Italy that were incredible studies,” Trump had praised the drug.
Recall also that President Trump had continuously blamed China for the devastating scale of the coronavirus pandemic, slamming Beijing over its lack of transparency and warning that the US could “cut off” its relationship with the Asian country.
“This is really the worst attack we’ve ever had. This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center. There’s never been an attack like this. It should’ve never happened. It could’ve been stopped at the source. It could’ve been stopped in China” Trump had said in early May.
It would be recalled also that President Trump last week threatened to permanently halt U.S. funding to the agency and “reconsider” the country’s membership in the United Nations body if it does not “commit to major substantive improvements” within the next 30 days.
In a letter to the WHO posted in a late-night tweet, Trump said the global health agency floundered in its early responses to the coronavirus outbreak. In particular, he continued to attack the organization and its director-general accusing them of being too soft on China, where the virus is believed to have originated.
As such, these latest development coming out from the WHO is seen as a direct assault on President Trump.
