Covid Testing Czar Shoots Down Hydroxychloroquine After Trump’s Promotional Binge: ‘I Can’t Recommend’ It

As President Donald Trump continues to tout hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for the coronavirus, Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir used an interview on Sunday to swat down the anti-malaria drug as a viable countermeasure for Covid-19.

In an interview with Chuck Todd for NBC’s Meet the Press, Giroir was asked if it’s “a danger to public health” that Trump repeatedly pushed hydroxychloroquine throughout the last week. Giroir answered by saying the drug looked like a promising solution “at first,” but further studies have shown that it does not provide substantial benefits in treating the coronavirus.

“At this point in time, we don’t recommend that as a treatment,” Giroir said. He went on to say steroids and remdesivir look to be more effective before saying once more “hydroxychloroquine, I can’t recommend that.”

“The evidence just doesn’t show hydroxychloroquine is effective right now,” Giroir continued. He also pointed to public health and safety guidelines before saying “I think we need to move on from that and talk about what is effective.”

Watch above, via NBC.