Virginia Delegate Wants To Save Lives While Governor Wants More COVID Deaths
The Loudoun Now reports:
As Loudoun County prepares to surpass 5,000 COVID-19 cases, Del. Dave LaRock (R-33) is pressing state leaders to lift restrictions on the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat symptoms of the disease.
In a July 30 letter to state Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, LaRock cites a long list of published studies or medical reports that purport to find value in the use of the anti-malaria drug in treating COVID-19 patients.
The Loudoun delegate is joining a Republican push-led for months by President Donald J. Trump-to support use of the drug.
Delegate David LaRock's letter says in part:
(Addressed to Health Director M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA and Governor Northam by copy)
I am writing to you in objection to your March 25, 2020, directive on the use in Virginia of Hydroxychloroquine, (HCQ).
By allowing this directive to remain in effect, you are ignoring widely-available and highly-credible scientific evidence pertaining to the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. While there are many unknowns being sorted out as the world confronts what is called a global pandemic; in contrast, the benefits of this inexpensive drug are very well known.
In fact, information pertaining to the efficacy of HCQ as an effective application for Coronavirus
was authored and published in a major scientific journal in 2005! Why did your March 25, 2020, directive ignore this?
Quoting your March 25, 2020, directive:
"Prescriptions for chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine & and azithromycin should be restricted in the outpatient setting and should require a diagnosis 'consistent with the evidence for its use.'"
The obvious flaw in this recommendation is timing; by the time a person infected with COVID-19 displays advanced symptoms and is admitted to a hospital, they may have passed the best window of opportunity for effective HCQ treatment. Medical articles, which I cite, indicate that HCQ is most therapeutic in the early onset of the disease.
For no expressed reason, certain COVID-19 policies in Virginia and other states have led, unfortunately, to the preventable loss of life, especially in long term care facilities where treatment decisions are undoubtedly impacted by your misguided March 25, 2020, directive. Continuing your present HCQ policy will further compound these mistakes.