An international poll of thousands of doctors rated the Trump-touted anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as the best treatment for the novel coronavirus.
Of the 6,227 physicians surveyed in 30 countries, 37 percent rated hydroxychloroquine as the “most effective therapy” for combating the potentially deadly illness, according to the results released Thursday.
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The survey, conducted by the global health care polling company Sermo, also found that 23 percent of medical professionals had prescribed the drug in the US — far less than other countries.
The medicine was most widely used in Spain, where 72 percent of physicians said they had prescribed it.
A debate about hydroxychloroquine was sparked two weeks ago after President Trump touted the drug as a possible “game-changer” in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting critics to accuse him of peddling unproven, untested remedies.
But Sermo CEO Peter Kirk called the polling results a “treasure trove of global insights for policymakers.”
The 30 countries where doctors were surveyed included ones in Europe, South America, and Australia and no incentives were provided to participate, the company said.
NY Post