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Breccan F. Thies, Investigative Reporter


NextImg:Mayo Clinic removes webpage citing hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 remedy

The Mayo Clinic removed a webpage citing hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for the coronavirus late Monday night, as well as an on-site forum discussing the removal.

While it remains unclear why Mayo decided to remove the site, the same hyperlink has been patched over to a page talking about how the drug is not a viable treatment for the same virus.

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"Hydroxychloroquine may also be used to treat coronavirus (COVID-19) in certain hospitalized patients," the webpage on the drug stated until Monday. "Hydroxychloroquine may also be used to treat coronavirus (COVID-19) in certain hospitalized patients." The site states that portions of the original page were last updated on Sept. 1 of this year.

Mayo Clinic page on Hydroxychloroquine (Screenshot via Mayo Clinic)


While the page was down for some hours, it now redirects to a page, published Tuesday, titled "Is hydroxychloroquine a treatment for COVID-19?" holding different information on the drug as it relates to the coronavirus.

"Hydroxychloroquine is not recommended as a treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)," it now states. "Also, hydroxychloroquine doesn't prevent infection with the virus that causes COVID-19."

The Food and Drug Administration allowed emergency use of HCQ, normally used for malaria, for the coronavirus in March of 2020, and in April of that year warned doctors away from using it for that purpose "unless people were in the hospital or a clinical trial," Mayo's new webpage states.

Mayo Clinic updated page on Hydroxychloroquine (Screenshot via Mayo Clinic)


"Data collected by the FDA found heart problems at a higher rate among people taking these medicines compared with those who didn't take them," it continues, noting that the FDA ended the emergency use authorization in June 2020. Despite that knowledge from 2020, the page remained active for over three years.

Clinical trials, according to Mayo, found "serious heart problems in some people," that it was not an effective treatment for the coronavirus, and did not prevent infection from the disease that causes the virus.

Mayo states there are other approved treatments for the coronavirus, but it does not specify any.

In addition to the pages being changed, a forum where individuals were discussing the removal was also removed. Many on there said they had positive experiences during coronavirus treatment, but they had unverified experiences with the drug.

HCQ became controversial for several reasons during the early days of the pandemic. Then-President Donald Trump spoke about the drug as a potential treatment. HCQ and other drugs, like Ivermectin, received intense criticism, including the false implication from the FDA and others that Ivermectin was for horses and other livestock only.


The campaign against coronavirus treatments also came at a time when pharmaceutical companies were seeking FDA emergency authorization for coronavirus vaccines. One of the parameters for such authorization is that there cannot be other already-approved therapeutics on the market that can be repurposed.

Dr. Pierre Kory, who is skeptical of the efficacy of many of the coronavirus vaccines, told the Washington Examiner that emergency use debate was "absolutely" the reason behind turning people away from alternatives. Kory said also that the move from Mayo "doesn't change much" since it was not being widely used as a remedy.

The move from Mayo Clinic also comes at a time when there is a major public relations push from pharmaceutical companies and the government to encourage coronavirus vaccination and booster shots.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Mayo Clinic did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Washington Examiner.

Gabrielle M. Etzel, healthcare reporter, contributed to this report.