Washington: US President Donald Trump has disclosed that he is taking daily doses of antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine to ward off the coronavirus.
He has been doing so for two weeks, even though there is no evidence hydroxychloroquine can fight off coronavirus. Rather, medical experts and the US Food and Drug Administration have warned of its potentially harmful side effects.
Speaking at a meeting of restaurant executives on Monday, Trump said he began taking the drug after consulting the White House doctor who did not recommend it but felt the gain from using hydroxychloroquine outweighed its risk.
Following Trump's admission, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among a host of doctors and politicians who branded the move as irresponsible. She told CNN: He's our president and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists.
Especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group, what is morbidly obese, they say. So, I think that it's not a good idea.' In his last physical examination, Trump weighed 243 pounds, which is considered obese for a man of his reported height of 6 feet 3 inches, adds Daily Mail.
The president loves steak and fast food. His only exercise is golf, which has been on hold since early March as the coronavirus pandemic causes courses to be closed. Trump had publicly embraced hydroxychloroquine as a game changer in the fight against the virus in March.
