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A26 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 4 June 2020
Malaria drug fails to prevent COVID-19 in a rigorous study

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE ticipants who were taking
AP Chief Medical Writer zinc or vitamin C, which
A malaria drug President some people believe might
Donald Trump took to try to help make hydroxychloro-
prevent COVID-19 proved quine more effective.
ineffective for that in the "This fits with everything else
first large, high-quality study we've seen so far which
to test it in health workers suggests that it's not ben-
and others closely exposed eficial," said Dr. Peter Bach,
to people with the disease. director of a health policy
Results published Wednes- center at Memorial Sloan
day by the New England Kettering Cancer Center in
Journal of Medicine show New York.
that hydroxychloroquine This study was in younger
was no better than pla- relatively healthy people,
cebo pills at preventing ill- but the results "would make
ness from the coronavirus. me very discouraged
The drug did not seem to about trying to use this
cause serious harm, though in older people" who are
-- about 40% on it had side most vulnerable to serious
effects, mostly mild stom- illness from the coronavirus,
ach problems. Bach said. "If it does work, it
"We were disappointed. In this April 6, 2020 file photo, a pharmacist holds a bottle of the drug hydroxychloroquine in Oak- doesn't work very well."
We would have liked for land, Calif. Dr. Dan Culver, a lung spe-
this to work," said the study Associated Press cialist at the Cleveland Clin-
leader, Dr. David Boulware, ic, said there's still a chance
an infectious disease spe- or effective for much sicker Boulware's study involved getting what. that giving the drug sooner
cialist at the University of patients with coronavirus, 821 people in the United After 14 days in the study, than four days after some-
Minnesota. "But our ob- and some studies have States and Canada living 12% on the drug devel- one's exposure to the virus
jective was to answer the suggested the drugs may with someone diagnosed oped COVID-19 symptoms may help prevent illness.
question and to conduct do harm. with COVID-19 or at high versus 14% in the placebo But the study "takes 'home
a high-quality study," be- Trump took a two-week risk of getting it because of group, but the difference run' off the table" as far as
cause the evidence on the course of hydroxychloro- their job -- doctors, nurses, is so small it could have oc- hopes for the drug, he said.
drug so far has been incon- quine, along with zinc and ambulance workers who curred by chance, Boul- The study was mostly fund-
clusive, he said. Vitamin D, after two staff- had significant exposure ware said. ed by David Baszucki,
Hydroxychloroquine and a ers tested positive for COV- to a sick patient while not "There's basically no effect. founder of Roblox, a Cal-
similar drug, chloroquine, ID-19, and had no ill effects, wearing full protective It does not prevent infec- ifornia-based game soft-
have been the subject of according to results of his gear. tion," he said of the drug. ware company, and other
much debate since Trump latest physical released by They were randomly as- Even if it were to give some private donors and the
started promoting them his doctor Wednesday. signed to get either pla- slim advantage, "we'd Minnesota university.
in March. Hydroxychloro- Federal regulators have cebo pills or hydroxychloro- want a much larger effect" Boulware also is leading a
quine has long been used warned against their use quine for five days, starting to justify its use and risk of study testing hydroxychlo-
for malaria, lupus and rheu- except in hospitals and for- within four days of their ex- side effects for preventing roquine for treating CO-
matoid arthritis, but no mal studies because of the posure. illness, he said. VID-19. The study is finished
large studies have shown risk of side effects, especial- Neither they nor their doc- Results were no different and results are being ana-
it or chloroquine to be safe ly heart rhythm problems. tors knew who who was among a subgroup of par- lyzed now.q

Cinema chain AMC warns it may not survive the pandemic

the internet. a going concern for a rea- rise of streaming services —
All of AMC's theaters are sonable period of time," Netflix and a growing sta-
shut down through June, AMC wrote in a regulatory ble of rivals — is providing
which means the com- filing. And people may not new competition. Theater
pany isn't generating any want to go sit in crowded chains are also concerned
revenue. AMC said it had spaces because they fear that film studios could push
enough cash to reopen the virus. AMC believes more movies straight to
its theaters this summer, as that desire for social dis- the streaming services that
it plans to do. But if it's not tancing is temporary and they own. Since the pan-
allowed to reopen, it will that people will want to go demic shut down theaters,
need more money, which it to the movies again. entertainment companies
may not be able to borrow. Apart from the pandemic have delayed most mov-
The company said that and its economic after- ies. But Comcast's NBCUni-
In this April 29, 2020 file photo, a message on the ticket window
at the AMC Burbank 16 movie theaters complex informs poten- even when local govern- shocks, the movie business versal released "Trolls World
tial customers that it is currently closed in Burbank, Calif. ments allow theaters to re- in the U.S. and Canada Tour" on video on demand
Associated Press open, AMC may still have has benefited from rising in April, triggering an angry
problems if entertainment ticket prices, but admis- response from the theater
By TALI ARBEL navirus pandemic, which companies delay releasing sions have been gradually industry, and Disney will re-
AP Technology Writer has shuttered its theaters new films. declining since 2005. Se- lease "Artemis Fowl" to its
Movie theater chain AMC and led film studios to ex- "Due to these factors, sub- quels, remakes and super- streaming service, Disney
warned Wednesday that it plore releasing more mov- stantial doubt exists about hero movies dominate the Plus, in June, rather than in
may not survive the coro- ies directly to viewers over our ability to continue as box office. Meanwhile, the theaters.q