Three physicians and public health experts leading the charge for early home treatment for COVID-19 testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, November 19, at 9:00 ET.
Peter McCullough M.D, Harvey Risch, M.D., George Fareed, M.D., discussed a meta-analysis of early use of hydroxychloroquine and other anti-virals to reduce hospitalization and mortality from COVID-19. Statements can be found here: McCullough, Risch, Fareed.
Ashish Jha, M.D spoke at the invitation of Democratic ranking member, Sen. Gary Peters (D – Michigan). Jha told the panel he never treated patients with COVID-19.
Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wisconson) led the nearly two-hour hearing stating that it is important to act now on early-at-home Covid-19 treatment because vaccines will not be widely distributed for months. Johnson’s office released this shortened version of the hearing on YouTube. Johnson’s statement can be found here.
A transcript of the hearing can be found on C-Span.
Hospitals are reporting people coming in at very sick stages. “One in 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are dying, ” stated Tina Freese Decker, president, and CEO of Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The physicians described how the current guidance by federal agencies in the pandemic has been to watch, wait, and do nothing until symptoms become severe and an individual must seek care in a hospital.
An August 7 article in the American Journal of Medicine describes an early treatment protocol for COVID-19. Physicians are seeking changes in NIH/FDA Guidance.
