Anti-malarial drug touted by Trump was subject of CIA warning to employees

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Hat tip, Joe.My.God

CIA Memo Warns Staff Against Trump’s Malaria Drug
April 14, 2020

The Washington Post reports:

The CIA has privately advised its workforce that taking an anti-malarial drug touted by President Trump and some of his supporters as a promising treatment for the novel coronavirus has potentially dangerous side effects, including sudden death. The warning, featured on a website for CIA employees with questions related to the spread of covid-19, came in late March after public discussion — and promotion by the president — that hydroxychloroquine might prove effective against the disease.

“At this point, the drug is not recommended to be used by patients except by medical professionals prescribing it as part of ongoing investigational studies. There are potentially significant side effects, including sudden cardiac death, associated with hydroxychloroquine and its individual use in patients need to be carefully selected and monitored by a health care professional,” the answer said, before adding in bold type: “Please do not obtain this medication on your own.”

Read the full article.

National Security

Anti-malarial drug touted by Trump was subject of CIA warning to employees

[rso]

1. Malaria

Before retiring, I served abroad for 27 years, with several African postings. Even then we knew the dangers of this drug, and most of us, including myself, took doxycycline instead, a common antibiotic with a good safety profile ( just needed to stay out of sun).

[BeckyDem]

2. +1.

[MosheFeingold]

3. CIA Agents tend to cowboy things

I knew one (not a secret agent, but an advisor to staff at Congress). He would go to all sorts of countries and bring back all sorts of non-scheduled drugs (i.e., antibiotics, cheap Crestor, Viagra, whatever) -- a legal process for personal use.

I am sure they tend to self-medicate.