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At Fox News, Mixed Message on Malaria Drug: ‘Very Safe’ vs. ‘It Will Kill You’ At Fox News, Mixed Message on Malaria Drug: ‘Very Safe’ vs. ‘It Will Kill You’
(8 days later)
The stress of the coronavirus pandemic is testing even the closest relationships.The stress of the coronavirus pandemic is testing even the closest relationships.
President Trump and Fox News are no exception.President Trump and Fox News are no exception.
In a dust-up between the top-rated cable news channel and its most prominent loyal viewer, Mr. Trump unleashed a barrage against the Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, who gave a withering on-air assessment of the president’s announcement that he was ingesting hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that can pose dangers for coronavirus patients.In a dust-up between the top-rated cable news channel and its most prominent loyal viewer, Mr. Trump unleashed a barrage against the Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, who gave a withering on-air assessment of the president’s announcement that he was ingesting hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that can pose dangers for coronavirus patients.
“.@FoxNews is no longer the same,” Mr. Trump lamented on Twitter. Invoking the name of Fox News’s late founder, the president added: “We miss the great Roger Ailes. You have more anti-Trump people, by far, than ever before. Looking for a new outlet!”“.@FoxNews is no longer the same,” Mr. Trump lamented on Twitter. Invoking the name of Fox News’s late founder, the president added: “We miss the great Roger Ailes. You have more anti-Trump people, by far, than ever before. Looking for a new outlet!”
By Tuesday morning, the president had apparently warmed to the network again, congratulating the morning show “Fox & Friends” on its high ratings. But the fissure underscored Mr. Trump’s keen sensitivity to any hint of criticism from his preferred TV network, where star pundits like Sean Hannity and Steve Doocy have made prime-time and morning shows into pro-Trump cheering platforms.By Tuesday morning, the president had apparently warmed to the network again, congratulating the morning show “Fox & Friends” on its high ratings. But the fissure underscored Mr. Trump’s keen sensitivity to any hint of criticism from his preferred TV network, where star pundits like Sean Hannity and Steve Doocy have made prime-time and morning shows into pro-Trump cheering platforms.
Hydroxychloroquine was already a fraught subject at Fox News. The prime-time host Laura Ingraham has relentlessly promoted the drug as a potential cure for the coronavirus, even pitching Mr. Trump in person in the Oval Office. But many medical experts, including those at the Food and Drug Administration, have warned against its use to treat the disease, citing a risk of serious heart problems.Hydroxychloroquine was already a fraught subject at Fox News. The prime-time host Laura Ingraham has relentlessly promoted the drug as a potential cure for the coronavirus, even pitching Mr. Trump in person in the Oval Office. But many medical experts, including those at the Food and Drug Administration, have warned against its use to treat the disease, citing a risk of serious heart problems.
On Monday, Mr. Cavuto was hosting his 4 p.m. show when Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House that he had begun taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure against the coronavirus. When the camera cut to Mr. Cavuto, the anchor looked stricken.On Monday, Mr. Cavuto was hosting his 4 p.m. show when Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House that he had begun taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure against the coronavirus. When the camera cut to Mr. Cavuto, the anchor looked stricken.
“That was stunning,” Mr. Cavuto told viewers, going on to cite studies about the potentially fatal effects of hydroxychloroquine on older patients and those with heart conditions.“That was stunning,” Mr. Cavuto told viewers, going on to cite studies about the potentially fatal effects of hydroxychloroquine on older patients and those with heart conditions.
“If you are in a risky population here and you are taking this as a preventive treatment to ward off the virus — or in a worst-case scenario, you are dealing with the virus and you are in this vulnerable population — it will kill you,” Mr. Cavuto said. “I cannot stress enough: This will kill you.”“If you are in a risky population here and you are taking this as a preventive treatment to ward off the virus — or in a worst-case scenario, you are dealing with the virus and you are in this vulnerable population — it will kill you,” Mr. Cavuto said. “I cannot stress enough: This will kill you.”
Mr. Cavuto is himself part of a vulnerable population. He has multiple sclerosis, underwent emergency heart surgery in 2016, and survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his 20s. Since the coronavirus outbreak, he has regularly warned viewers about the risks of hydroxychloroquine and, more broadly, the medical danger of a premature end to quarantines.Mr. Cavuto is himself part of a vulnerable population. He has multiple sclerosis, underwent emergency heart surgery in 2016, and survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his 20s. Since the coronavirus outbreak, he has regularly warned viewers about the risks of hydroxychloroquine and, more broadly, the medical danger of a premature end to quarantines.
Those views place Mr. Cavuto at odds with many of Fox News’s most prominent conservative stars — and certainly with Mr. Trump, who was so irked by the anchor’s remarks that he blasted out Twitter posts cursing about Mr. Cavuto and calling him “foolish & gullible.”Those views place Mr. Cavuto at odds with many of Fox News’s most prominent conservative stars — and certainly with Mr. Trump, who was so irked by the anchor’s remarks that he blasted out Twitter posts cursing about Mr. Cavuto and calling him “foolish & gullible.”
Fox News declined to comment on Mr. Trump’s attacks. (One network personality, the meteorologist Janice Dean, defended Mr. Cavuto on Twitter, writing: “I agree with Neil. You can’t just throw the drug around like it’s a cure. It’s not.”)Fox News declined to comment on Mr. Trump’s attacks. (One network personality, the meteorologist Janice Dean, defended Mr. Cavuto on Twitter, writing: “I agree with Neil. You can’t just throw the drug around like it’s a cure. It’s not.”)
On Tuesday, after Mr. Trump again used a White House appearance to promote the drug, Mr. Cavuto re-upped his rebuttal.On Tuesday, after Mr. Trump again used a White House appearance to promote the drug, Mr. Cavuto re-upped his rebuttal.
“The issue here is whether it’s advisable to take to ward off Covid-19, and no less than the Food and Drug Administration warned back on April 24 that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing Covid-19,” Mr. Cavuto told viewers.“The issue here is whether it’s advisable to take to ward off Covid-19, and no less than the Food and Drug Administration warned back on April 24 that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing Covid-19,” Mr. Cavuto told viewers.
Mr. Cavuto was not the only Fox News figure to offer on-air criticism of Mr. Trump’s support of the drug. The network’s senior managing editor for health news, Dr. Manny Alvarez, appeared on Bret Baier’s Monday newscast and called the president’s words “highly irresponsible.”Mr. Cavuto was not the only Fox News figure to offer on-air criticism of Mr. Trump’s support of the drug. The network’s senior managing editor for health news, Dr. Manny Alvarez, appeared on Bret Baier’s Monday newscast and called the president’s words “highly irresponsible.”
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
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.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
The view was rosier from the conservative voices on Fox News’s most-watched opinion programs.The view was rosier from the conservative voices on Fox News’s most-watched opinion programs.
Minutes after Mr. Cavuto’s Monday broadcast, the talk show “The Five” offered up hosannas to the president. “When you get this drug to people who can tolerate it, I don’t think you can have any kind of heart condition or arrhythmias and things like that,” said the co-host Greg Gutfeld.Minutes after Mr. Cavuto’s Monday broadcast, the talk show “The Five” offered up hosannas to the president. “When you get this drug to people who can tolerate it, I don’t think you can have any kind of heart condition or arrhythmias and things like that,” said the co-host Greg Gutfeld.
Mr. Gutfeld also dismissed a Veterans Affairs study showing a link between the drug and an increased risk of death in coronavirus patients, asserting that the results had been hyped by journalists who “wanted that drug to be a failure because they want Trump to fail.”Mr. Gutfeld also dismissed a Veterans Affairs study showing a link between the drug and an increased risk of death in coronavirus patients, asserting that the results had been hyped by journalists who “wanted that drug to be a failure because they want Trump to fail.”
On Tuesday’s “Fox & Friends,” the co-host Brian Kilmeade highlighted studies in France and China that are often cited by the drug’s proponents. “Don’t act like he just grabbed it from some witch doctor,” he said of Mr. Trump.On Tuesday’s “Fox & Friends,” the co-host Brian Kilmeade highlighted studies in France and China that are often cited by the drug’s proponents. “Don’t act like he just grabbed it from some witch doctor,” he said of Mr. Trump.
And Ms. Ingraham, who has resumed her frequent promotion of the drug, booked a doctor on her Monday show who called the drug “life-changing.”And Ms. Ingraham, who has resumed her frequent promotion of the drug, booked a doctor on her Monday show who called the drug “life-changing.”
“The people of the United States need to know that they have a brilliant president of the United States, and that he wants to keep himself safe and healthy so that he can guide us through this pandemic,” Dr. Ivette Lozano, a Texas clinician, told Ms. Ingraham.“The people of the United States need to know that they have a brilliant president of the United States, and that he wants to keep himself safe and healthy so that he can guide us through this pandemic,” Dr. Ivette Lozano, a Texas clinician, told Ms. Ingraham.
She added: “Doctors need to start prescribing it immediately.”She added: “Doctors need to start prescribing it immediately.”
Hydroxychloroquine has been prescribed by doctors around the country, who often cite the speed and severity of the coronavirus as a reason to try any medicinal tools available. Rigorous studies have failed to produce data showing significant benefits, and the F.D.A. said last month that hydroxychloroquine should not be used outside clinical trials or situations where a patient can be closely monitored.Hydroxychloroquine has been prescribed by doctors around the country, who often cite the speed and severity of the coronavirus as a reason to try any medicinal tools available. Rigorous studies have failed to produce data showing significant benefits, and the F.D.A. said last month that hydroxychloroquine should not be used outside clinical trials or situations where a patient can be closely monitored.
Ms. Ingraham offered her viewers some caveats, noting that “studies are still coming in.” But she left an impression that skeptics of hydroxychloroquine were fueled by animus toward the president.Ms. Ingraham offered her viewers some caveats, noting that “studies are still coming in.” But she left an impression that skeptics of hydroxychloroquine were fueled by animus toward the president.
“Look, people should be monitored,” Ms. Ingraham said. “But I think people aren’t getting it when perhaps — I say perhaps, I’m not a doctor — it could actually benefit them. And it’s very safe.”“Look, people should be monitored,” Ms. Ingraham said. “But I think people aren’t getting it when perhaps — I say perhaps, I’m not a doctor — it could actually benefit them. And it’s very safe.”