Yet More Medical Data on HCQ

The efforts by Big Tech (and Big Bureaucracy) to censor information about hydroxychloroquine have backfired spectacularly. More and more solid data is becoming available not only to those who dig for the data, but to the public as news stories now are getting out about those medical (not academic) studies.

For those interested in facts, read this study, this study, the information in this lawsuit filed by the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons, and finally, the information in this article from Brazil. Really hoping the latter group will do a formal study. The latter are also very correct that it is urgent to stop the politicalization of the treatment and deal with the medical results and facts.

Think I may try to link all the papers I can find in one easy place as soon as I have time.

On A Happier Note

Or possibly notes. First up, I agree with Instapundit that I hope this is right and COVID19 has peaked, and it trends with other data breakdowns I’ve seen elsewhere. As the article notes, the media is into fear porn and does not take into account that the daily death totals released DO NOT ALL DIE ON THAT DAY. It can take days, or even weeks, for the information to come in, so you have to look at when the deaths actually occurred. It also helps to look at the actual death certificates (as one researcher is doing in at least one state) to see if the person died with COVID19 (cough, motorcycle crash, cough) or died of it. Keep in mind that the highest death rates are in the group of 80 plus years old with co-morbidities. Most deaths have on average 2.5 co-morbidities.

Big Tech’s censoring of the group of doctors trying to get the word out about HCQ/Z-Pac/Zinc being used by them (and hundreds of others, probably thousands around the world), has backfired rather spectacularly. As a result of their heavy-handed tactics, a real debate over the effectiveness is slowly starting to take place with real data making it into at least parts of the media as well as social media. In my COVID19 reports, I’ve linked to medical studies (as opposed to the academic studies) from doctors who actually treat patients that when used properly and at the right time, that they are seeing up to a 99 percent success rates. Even when not given as early as is best, the success rates still are above 90 percent. This article puts a lot of things into perspective, and raises serious questions about why there is such a sustained campaign by some (Fauci, who is a bureaucrat and administrator, not a practicing physician). It is link rich, and well worth a read. Again, hat tip to Instapundit.

And, a reminder that the FDA and CDC are political agencies, not healthcare agencies. The testing issues we had at the start, which prevented early detection, treatment, and control, came from the bureaucratic desire to control everything — even though they did not have the resources (or expertise) to do effective testing, nor to do the amount of testing. Despite raising a number of hurdles and efforts to, frankly, thwart development of inexpensive home testing, such efforts are in work. Again, courtesy of Instapundit, comes this article looking at those efforts and where they stand.

Again, keep in mind that when caught and treated early, the success rate is not just more than 99 percent, the severity of the symptoms and the need for hospitalization and ventilators is significantly reduced. That’s a bit of an understatement — see the studies linked in the above article (some of which were previously linked to here). Almost all the problems we have had, as well as the lockdown, can be laid squarely in the laps of the CDC/FDA/NIAID. Testing difficulties, resistance to treatment, interference in doctor/patient decisions on how to treat, and actively trying to suppress evidence from medical studies by real doctors has been, along with general incompetence, have been the hallmark of our so-called elites.

For me, if I am diagnosed with COVID19, I’m asking my doctor for HCQ/Z-Pac/Zinc and we will discuss it and other treatment options. Then, an informed decision between my doctor and I will result in treatment. The idea of one doctor (who is not a practicing physician but an un-elected bureaucrat) determining the treatment for millions is not only ludicrous, but un-American.

Let’s hope it is not needed, and that the good news on the peak is correct. Let’s hope that a real discussion of real medical studies and treatments can take place despite the efforts of Big Tech and Big Government to censor it. Let the marketplace of ideas, and free individual choice, rule.

More On COVID-19

First up, a study has been released by the IHU that looks at 3,737 patients treated there using HCQ-AZ (primary) and other treatments. The results are quite interesting, and it is worth noting that the death rate of those treated was 0.9% (35 deaths), and only 6.2% had a poor clinical outcome. You really should read the study since it gets into the underlying conditions and other factors that went into the poor outcomes. Their conclusion notes that early testing, diagnosis, and treatment are key to successful outcomes (more than 93 %).

It is a shame that HCQ has been politicized the way it has in the U.S., and it is worth noting that studies overseas that do honest reviews of HCQ-AZ (plus zinc) show very different outcomes than the limited, and somewhat questionable, studies done here. As such, it worth noting that only 4.5% of the patients treated at/through the IHU has problems with the treatment and most of those were mild (GI). Really, go read the whole thing.

Next up, how many really died of COVID-19? It’s less, possibly far less, than the 121,809 claimed by the CDC. Why? Read this and the linked article. As I noted when discontinuing the daily updates, the numbers being fed the public are worthless, and will remain so until corrected. Even if that number could stand, which it can’t, new data from the CDC saying that the number of cases may be 10 times what is reported. Which means that it is even less deadly, and/or debilitating, than reported. Now, take a look at the number of people who die from the regular flu in a given year. Go on, look it up as you might not believe it if I just tell you. For this we have gutted our economy and freedoms?

Speaking of the lockdown, guess what was ineffective? And as for herd immunity, this study indicates that less than half of the population would need immunity to create herd immunity, as opposed to the 60 % that is the current/classic standard.

Finally, the elephant in the room that the MSM, CDC, and the usual suspects do not and will not talk about. The surges and spikes that are happening? Guess where they probably came from. Yet another signal failure of our so-called elites.

I want to thank two people for their tireless and even bulldog work on the science of COVID-19. First is Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit. While his co-bloggers have done good work, Glenn has been tenacious on the science and has earned multiple hat tips here and on social media from me. Second, I want to thank Dr. Didier Raoult at the IHU for his efforts to get not only his own data out, but who has tirelessly shared studies and information from multiple other studies. His sharing, and informed commentary, has been everything our own experts have failed to do.