It may seem as though the debate over hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and its effectiveness as a treatment for COVID is over, but a new report from The Economic Standard argues that it shouldn’t be — and suggests that, if it is, it’s because the media and medical professionals interested in politicizing the treatment rather than helping sick people recover have done a bang-up, and ethically questionable, job of demonizing a treatment used safely the world over.

Given that rumblings have started indicating there will almost certainly be opposition to any vaccine the Trump administration promotes, the report is extremely important in the search to alleviate suffering and death from the disease going forward.

The 30 page report, entitled, “HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AND THE BURDEN OF PROOF: An Urgent Call to Depoliticize Medicine in the COVID-19 Pandemic,” is a fascinating look at the history of the drug, how it’s currently being used to treat COVID around the world, how the U.S. media distorted information about the safety and efficacy of the drug, and how HQC should be revisited as a treatment for those with early-onset symptoms of COVID.

Peter Navarro, the Trump administration’s adviser on trade and manufacturing policy, promoted the report on twitter Tuesday, saying that it proves media outlets that downplayed the effectiveness of HCQ have blood on their hands.

Peter Navarro
@PeterNavarro45
More blood on hands of @CNN
@msnbc. @econstandard concludes hydroxychloroquine safe versatile medicine that has treated hundreds of millions over seven decades...HCQ should be more widely recommended, prescribed and promoted to treat China Virus