A former NFL player voiced support for the efficacy of an anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, that has been touted by President Trump as a treatment for the coronavirus.
On Friday, former Buffalo Bills tight end Mark Campbell told CNN the medicine helped him overcome the highly contagious disease that has put much of the global economy on hold.
“Fortunately for me, you know, they put me on some meds, the HGQ worked great for me, I will be honest with you there,” Campbell said.
Campbell added that the entirety of his sickness lasted almost 30 days, and that he was recovering at home with his wife and children.
Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malaria drug that has shown signs of improving symptoms of some COVID-19 patients, but there is little evidence that it actually works against the coronavirus.
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, reportedly got into an argument with White House economic adviser Peter Navarro over hydroxychloroquine.
Fauci insists there is no “strong” evidence that the drug can treat the coronavirus. Navarro has called for a “second opinion.”
Trump has been criticized for his insistence that infected patients should have a right to use the drug if it’s a matter of life and death. Although some scientists remain skeptical toward using the drug to treat the coronavirus, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered 1 million doses of the anti-malarial drug.
Michigan Democratic state Rep. Karen Whitsett thanked the president for his vocal support of the drug, saying it would be impossible to get the drug without the work of Trump. On April 1, Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shifted her stance on the drug, instructing officials to order doses of hydroxychloroquine only one week after she ordered medical officials to not use the drug.
