Cardiologist accuses medical industry of ‘therapeutic nihilism’ on Fox News as host pushes COVID-19 conspiracy
Even with multiple vaccines making headlines all over the world, it appears that the unusual saga of hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19 will continue well into 2021.
Cardiologist Peter A. McCullough, MD, vice chairman of medicine at Baylor University Medical Center, appeared on The Ingraham Angle on Fox News to discuss the medical community’s “therapeutic nihilism” when it comes to potential COVID-19 treatments such as hydroxychloroquine.
McCullough, who describes himself on Twitter as an “expert in evaluation of medical evidence and COVID-19 pandemic response,” was quick to note that his opinions are his alone and do not represent the opinions of his employer. He then said that many doctors have demonstrated “therapeutic nihilism” and acted as if “nothing can be done” about COVID-19. This, McCullough explained, has come despite research that shows anti-infectives, corticosteroids and blood thinners can be used together to make significant improvements in the health of patients with confirmed COVID-19.
Hydroxychloroquine, the decades-old antimalarial drug that sparked so much controversy in the early months of the pandemic, was the medication mentioned the most in the segment. Though early research did suggest hydroxychloroquine could be an effective COVID-19 treatment, multiple studies have highlighted the drug’s cardiovascular risks and found that it offered patients no real benefit. Other researchers, meanwhile, have concluded that it does provide certain benefits. It’s a topic that researchers are still evaluating, with new studies getting published almost daily.
During the interview with McCullough, host Laura Ingraham suggested that the medical industry collaborated to keep drugs such as hydroxychloroquine from gaining acceptance as a valid treatment option for COVID-19 so that it would be easier for vaccines to gain the necessary approvals.
“What we’re saying, Dr. McCullough, is that there was a concerted campaign to vilify, dismiss and lie about the effectiveness of these drugs,” Ingraham said. “There’s nothing else to call it.”
McCullough stops short of agreeing with Ingraham’s premise, responding by saying it “is not uncommon during pandemics” for different medications to be pushed to the side out of fear.
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Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.