Hot Air by Karen Townsend 4/17/2020
Dr. Robin Armstrong faced one of the largest outbreaks in the Houston area when 83 people tested positive for COVID-19 at the 135-bed facility in Galveston County. At the time, I wrote that he was treating 30 patients with hydroxychloroquine. Apparently those numbers have shifted. Now it is being reported that 39 elderly people gave Armstrong permission to treat them with hydroxychloroquine. Fifty-six residents contracted the virus.
Now that the five-day trial is completed, Dr. Armstrong was interviewed this week about the results. At first, he couched his answer by saying “most†of the patients have done well. “And, you know, and I think that that is suggestive that the medication is helpful,†he said. When the reporter pressed him on “most†patients, he explained. “We’ve got one patient now that kind of goes back and forth,†said Dr. Armstrong, “He’s an older gentleman, but we’re kind of nursing him through the process, but he’s getting better.â€
Two patients receiving hydroxychloroquine have had to go to the hospital for unrelated conditions, Armstrong disclosed; a woman had a fall and a man got dehydrated in his room because he was not eating and drinking.
But for the first time since this treatment began, many of those who have recovered from the virus have been able to go outside and get some fresh air over the last 48 hours, Armstrong said.
So, except for the one elderly man who is being nursed along, the gamble on hydroxychloroquine certainly looks to have paid off. The drug is routinely used to combat malaria and is used by lupus patients, too. Regular users of the drug are facing concerns over shortages now. It’s not an option for those with lupus, it’s a necessity.
More:
https://hotair.com/archives/karen-townsend/2020/04/17/results-texas-nursing-home-using-hydroxychloroquine/
