While Covid-19 misinformation is as rampant as the virus, some countries have their own distinct disinformation ecosystems.
Dr Stella Immanuel touts hydroxychloroquine as a miracle cure, while some of her more outlandish beliefs include demonic sex, witchcraft, and that the government is run by ‘reptilians’.
Twitter bars Donald Trump Jr from tweeting from his account for 12 hours after US president's eldest son shared a video showing doctors pitching malaria drug as a sure-fire way to treat coronavirus.
Mike Ryan, head of the WHO's emergencies programme, said it would be unwise to predict when a vaccine could be ready against Covid-19, the respiratory disease that has killed more than half a million people.
Hydroxychloroquine has long been used for malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis but is not proven to be safe or effective for preventing or treating coronavirus infection.
Sometimes called a "tropical Trump", Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has followed a similar script to his US counterpart in his handling of Covid-19. Meanwhile in Europe, badly-hit countries slowly continue on a path toward a post-pandemic normal.
Dozens of scientists questioned irregularities and improbable findings in the numbers and the authors said an independent audit would be done.
The World Health Organization’s suspension of trials due to safety concerns follows endorsements by leaders including US President Donald Trump.
The WHO "has implemented a temporary pause... while the safety data is reviewed", its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, referring to the hydroxychloroquine arm of a global trial of various possible treatments.
In the study that looked at over 96,000 people hospitalised with Covid-19, those treated with hydroxychloroquine or the related chloroquine had higher risk of death than patients who were not given the medicines.
Antimalaria drugs for possible treatment of coronavirus have not found effective in previous experiments but combining it with dietary supplement zinc sulfate can actually lead to success, research says.
Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, opposed broad use of hydroxychloroquine, arguing the scientific evidence wasn’t there to back up its use in coronavirus patients.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for all latest in-depth, on the ground reporting from around the world.
Copyright © 2023 TRT World.
Like
Follow