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| Oracle Providing White House With Software to Study Unproven Coronavirus Drugs | Oracle Providing White House With Software to Study Unproven Coronavirus Drugs |
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| WASHINGTON — The White House is preparing to use software provided by the technology giant Oracle to promote unproven coronavirus treatments, including a pair of malaria drugs publicized by President Trump, potentially before the government approves their use for the outbreak, according to five senior administration officials and others familiar with the plans. | WASHINGTON — The White House is preparing to use software provided by the technology giant Oracle to promote unproven coronavirus treatments, including a pair of malaria drugs publicized by President Trump, potentially before the government approves their use for the outbreak, according to five senior administration officials and others familiar with the plans. |
| An online platform designed by Oracle, in collaboration with the White House, is still taking shape, but it is likely to be used to collect information about off-label use of the drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, which are not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. | An online platform designed by Oracle, in collaboration with the White House, is still taking shape, but it is likely to be used to collect information about off-label use of the drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, which are not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. |
| Mr. Trump has tried to reassure Americans that what he has called a “game changer” treatment is imminent, but his language has alarmed senior health officials and public health experts, who say that the Oracle program would amount to a sprawling, crowdsourced clinical trial without the usual controls of the F.D.A. | Mr. Trump has tried to reassure Americans that what he has called a “game changer” treatment is imminent, but his language has alarmed senior health officials and public health experts, who say that the Oracle program would amount to a sprawling, crowdsourced clinical trial without the usual controls of the F.D.A. |
| Chloroquine has been used to treat malaria for nearly a century; the bark of the quinine tree, where the drug comes from, has been used as medicine for hundreds of years. The president has been fixated on it for days. On Monday, at his orders, the federal government was helping obtain “large quantities” of it. | Chloroquine has been used to treat malaria for nearly a century; the bark of the quinine tree, where the drug comes from, has been used as medicine for hundreds of years. The president has been fixated on it for days. On Monday, at his orders, the federal government was helping obtain “large quantities” of it. |
| The president’s promotion has pitted him against some of his top health officials, including Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has warned that there is only anecdotal evidence so far that the drugs may be effective in treating the coronavirus. Amy P. Abernethy, the principal deputy commissioner of the F.D.A., said on Tuesday that a randomized controlled trial is the “most appropriate way” to decide whether the drugs are a suitable treatment. | The president’s promotion has pitted him against some of his top health officials, including Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has warned that there is only anecdotal evidence so far that the drugs may be effective in treating the coronavirus. Amy P. Abernethy, the principal deputy commissioner of the F.D.A., said on Tuesday that a randomized controlled trial is the “most appropriate way” to decide whether the drugs are a suitable treatment. |
| Both drugs are still being studied by the F.D.A. for their effectiveness in treating the virus. | Both drugs are still being studied by the F.D.A. for their effectiveness in treating the virus. |
| The president’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the F.D.A., are involved in the Oracle efforts, according to two senior administration officials. | The president’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the F.D.A., are involved in the Oracle efforts, according to two senior administration officials. |
| Two senior administration officials familiar with the planning say it could gather data from physicians who prescribe the malaria drugs and track patient symptoms. The officials said planners had also discussed using the platform to mail the drugs to patients involved in the trial. | Two senior administration officials familiar with the planning say it could gather data from physicians who prescribe the malaria drugs and track patient symptoms. The officials said planners had also discussed using the platform to mail the drugs to patients involved in the trial. |
| The Oracle project has been heavily influenced by Dr. David B. Agus, a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California, who is working with the White House and Oracle, according to senior officials. Oracle’s co-founder, Lawrence J. Ellison, is a backer of Mr. Trump. | The Oracle project has been heavily influenced by Dr. David B. Agus, a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California, who is working with the White House and Oracle, according to senior officials. Oracle’s co-founder, Lawrence J. Ellison, is a backer of Mr. Trump. |
| Dr. Agus, a CBS News medical correspondent, has campaigned for the drugs over the past week, saying on television that “the earlier you use them, the better.” | Dr. Agus, a CBS News medical correspondent, has campaigned for the drugs over the past week, saying on television that “the earlier you use them, the better.” |
| Dr. Agus has boasted to senior administration officials that he has talked about the benefits of the drugs with Mr. Trump, who has publicly counseled that medical efforts not be wedded to traditional drug trials. That has alarmed senior health officials, who see the Oracle project as a way around the rigor and consensus of the government’s drug safety oversight. | Dr. Agus has boasted to senior administration officials that he has talked about the benefits of the drugs with Mr. Trump, who has publicly counseled that medical efforts not be wedded to traditional drug trials. That has alarmed senior health officials, who see the Oracle project as a way around the rigor and consensus of the government’s drug safety oversight. |
| On Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Fauci met with Drs. Deborah L. Birx, the White House’s coronavirus coordinator, Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Stephen M. Hahn, the F.D.A. commissioner, to go over their concerns with the Oracle project and review new Chinese data that indicated the drugs have no meaningful effect. | On Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Fauci met with Drs. Deborah L. Birx, the White House’s coronavirus coordinator, Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Stephen M. Hahn, the F.D.A. commissioner, to go over their concerns with the Oracle project and review new Chinese data that indicated the drugs have no meaningful effect. |
| One person familiar with the Oracle discussions said the project would be driven by science and data, not political calculations. Another person familiar with the conversations said there had been other talks between the Trump administration and television medical experts, such as Dr. Mehmet Oz, a widely watched and often criticized television personality who joined a Fox News-hosted virtual town hall with the president and Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday to ask a question about hydroxychloroquine. | One person familiar with the Oracle discussions said the project would be driven by science and data, not political calculations. Another person familiar with the conversations said there had been other talks between the Trump administration and television medical experts, such as Dr. Mehmet Oz, a widely watched and often criticized television personality who joined a Fox News-hosted virtual town hall with the president and Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday to ask a question about hydroxychloroquine. |
| In response to the question, Mr. Pence said that patients should defer to their doctors on whether to take the drug. | In response to the question, Mr. Pence said that patients should defer to their doctors on whether to take the drug. |
| On some of the president’s favorite Fox News programs in recent weeks, including Laura Ingraham’s, guests have pitched chloroquine as a coronavirus treatment. On March 14, Dr. Marc K. Siegel, a Fox News medical correspondent, said on “Justice with Judge Jeanine” that “no one is talking about" antiviral treatments, but that “we can try some of these treatments.” | On some of the president’s favorite Fox News programs in recent weeks, including Laura Ingraham’s, guests have pitched chloroquine as a coronavirus treatment. On March 14, Dr. Marc K. Siegel, a Fox News medical correspondent, said on “Justice with Judge Jeanine” that “no one is talking about" antiviral treatments, but that “we can try some of these treatments.” |
| Mr. Trump’s own chloroquine boosterism began as early as last Wednesday in a private Oval Office meeting, where he told a group of top officials, including Dr. Hahn, that promoting the drug would be a shot of inspiration for the public. The F.D.A., Mr. Trump said in the meeting, should promote chloroquine treatment, two senior administration officials said. | Mr. Trump’s own chloroquine boosterism began as early as last Wednesday in a private Oval Office meeting, where he told a group of top officials, including Dr. Hahn, that promoting the drug would be a shot of inspiration for the public. The F.D.A., Mr. Trump said in the meeting, should promote chloroquine treatment, two senior administration officials said. |
| Early that morning, and to the surprise of top officials at the F.D.A., Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter that he would be holding a news conference “to discuss very important news from the F.D.A. concerning the Chinese Virus!” Pleading with the White House, officials at the F.D.A. were able to hold it off, according to a senior administration official, forcing Mr. Trump to take his message to the next day’s coronavirus task force news briefing, where he told reporters that chloroquine would be distributed to “large groups of people” even before the government had concluded studying its safety and effectiveness. | Early that morning, and to the surprise of top officials at the F.D.A., Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter that he would be holding a news conference “to discuss very important news from the F.D.A. concerning the Chinese Virus!” Pleading with the White House, officials at the F.D.A. were able to hold it off, according to a senior administration official, forcing Mr. Trump to take his message to the next day’s coronavirus task force news briefing, where he told reporters that chloroquine would be distributed to “large groups of people” even before the government had concluded studying its safety and effectiveness. |
| “We’re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately,” the president said. | “We’re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately,” the president said. |
| At the same Thursday news conference, Dr. Hahn appeared to walk back the promise, saying it was the responsibility of the F.D.A. to make sure products are “safe and effective,” and that “what’s also important is not to provide false hope, but to provide hope.” | At the same Thursday news conference, Dr. Hahn appeared to walk back the promise, saying it was the responsibility of the F.D.A. to make sure products are “safe and effective,” and that “what’s also important is not to provide false hope, but to provide hope.” |
| A spokesman for the F.D.A. said that the agency has been working on therapeutics “from the beginning of this pandemic,” and has been keeping the White House and Mr. Trump apprised, including on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. | A spokesman for the F.D.A. said that the agency has been working on therapeutics “from the beginning of this pandemic,” and has been keeping the White House and Mr. Trump apprised, including on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. |
| Proponents of the drugs have cited Chinese and French reports that indicated they have been successful in treating coronavirus patients. But that research did not have control groups or other measures needed to determine whether a drug actually works. | Proponents of the drugs have cited Chinese and French reports that indicated they have been successful in treating coronavirus patients. But that research did not have control groups or other measures needed to determine whether a drug actually works. |
| One article published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents said that a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, a common antibiotic, appeared to help patients. But that study involved giving hydroxychloroquine to just 26 people with confirmed coronavirus infections, including some with no symptoms. Only six of the patients were also given azithromycin. Some in the group did not even complete the study, including three who were sent to intensive care, one who died, and one who stopped treatment because of nausea. | One article published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents said that a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, a common antibiotic, appeared to help patients. But that study involved giving hydroxychloroquine to just 26 people with confirmed coronavirus infections, including some with no symptoms. Only six of the patients were also given azithromycin. Some in the group did not even complete the study, including three who were sent to intensive care, one who died, and one who stopped treatment because of nausea. |
| Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, a vice dean at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a former principal deputy commissioner at the F.D.A., said that the only way to know whether chloroquine works as a coronavirus treatment is through a high-quality clinical trial. | Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, a vice dean at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a former principal deputy commissioner at the F.D.A., said that the only way to know whether chloroquine works as a coronavirus treatment is through a high-quality clinical trial. |
| Updated June 5, 2020 | Updated June 5, 2020 |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| “I think there’s a major misconception in this country that getting good evidence means red tape,” he said. “Getting good evidence is knowing the difference between something that works and something that doesn’t.” | “I think there’s a major misconception in this country that getting good evidence means red tape,” he said. “Getting good evidence is knowing the difference between something that works and something that doesn’t.” |
| On Monday, an Arizona man died and his wife was hospitalized after they ingested chloroquine phosphate, a substance used frequently in aquariums to clean fish tanks, according to Banner Health, a hospital system based in Phoenix which treated the couple. The woman told NBC News that she took the substance, which she used on koi fish, after seeing Mr. Trump discuss it on television. | On Monday, an Arizona man died and his wife was hospitalized after they ingested chloroquine phosphate, a substance used frequently in aquariums to clean fish tanks, according to Banner Health, a hospital system based in Phoenix which treated the couple. The woman told NBC News that she took the substance, which she used on koi fish, after seeing Mr. Trump discuss it on television. |
| “Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a cure,” the woman said. | “Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a cure,” the woman said. |
| Dr. Daniel Brooks, a medical director with the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center, said on Monday, “It’s incredibly dangerous and foolish for people to be doing this.” | Dr. Daniel Brooks, a medical director with the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center, said on Monday, “It’s incredibly dangerous and foolish for people to be doing this.” |
| “This is not going to be a magic pill for us to get us through this,” he added. | “This is not going to be a magic pill for us to get us through this,” he added. |
| Some of the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Teva and Mylan, are ramping up production of hydroxychloroquine. Rising Pharmaceuticals, a manufacturer of chloroquine, has said it is also increasing production. And Bayer announced that it was donating millions of pills of chloroquine to the U.S. government. | Some of the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Teva and Mylan, are ramping up production of hydroxychloroquine. Rising Pharmaceuticals, a manufacturer of chloroquine, has said it is also increasing production. And Bayer announced that it was donating millions of pills of chloroquine to the U.S. government. |
| The demand for the drugs has caused a nationwide crisis for people with conditions reliant on hydroxychloroquine, like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Patients have described difficulty locating the drug at pharmacies, and hospitals have rushed to stash the treatments in an effort to treat severely ill patients. | The demand for the drugs has caused a nationwide crisis for people with conditions reliant on hydroxychloroquine, like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Patients have described difficulty locating the drug at pharmacies, and hospitals have rushed to stash the treatments in an effort to treat severely ill patients. |
| Doctors have begun hoarding it by writing prescriptions for themselves and family members, according to pharmacy boards in states across the country. | Doctors have begun hoarding it by writing prescriptions for themselves and family members, according to pharmacy boards in states across the country. |
| “The last thing I want to happen now is that, especially since President Trump and others have been mentioning this by name, is that people will go out and ask their doctors to write prescriptions, just in case,” said Onisis Stefas, the chief pharmacy officer for New York-based Northwell Health’s 23 hospitals. | “The last thing I want to happen now is that, especially since President Trump and others have been mentioning this by name, is that people will go out and ask their doctors to write prescriptions, just in case,” said Onisis Stefas, the chief pharmacy officer for New York-based Northwell Health’s 23 hospitals. |
| The stockpiling has become so worrisome in Idaho, Kentucky, Ohio, Nevada, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Texas that the boards in those states have issued emergency restrictions or guidelines on how the drugs can be dispensed at pharmacies. | The stockpiling has become so worrisome in Idaho, Kentucky, Ohio, Nevada, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Texas that the boards in those states have issued emergency restrictions or guidelines on how the drugs can be dispensed at pharmacies. |
| David McCabe contributed reporting from Washington, and Katie Thomas from Chicago. | David McCabe contributed reporting from Washington, and Katie Thomas from Chicago. |