You may remember the internet postings during the height of the COVID pandemic touting hydroxychloroquine, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of malaria and rheumatologic disease, as a prophylactic or even a cure-all for COVID-19. The postings, many initiated by celebrities such as Elon Musk and Dr. Oz and by social media “influencers,” referenced a now discredited, nonrandomized, 36-patient study on YouTube. COVID misinformation campaigns like this, trumpeting off-label use of an approved drug, took a deadly turn, as some infected patients elected to reject physician-recommended treatments or vaccination based upon the belief, encouraged by social media, that hydroxychloroquine and similar unproven treatments such as ingesting borax, were the ultimate answer.
Read More