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Doctor Who Promoted Malarial Drug Draws Scrutiny of Federal Prosectors Doctor Who Promoted Malarial Drug Draws Scrutiny of Federal Prosectors
(about 1 month later)
WASHINGTON — A federal prosecutor has opened a preliminary inquiry into whether an obscure New York doctor who won White House attention by claiming he could treat the coronavirus broke the law by falsely claiming that a hospital study of drugs he had promoted had won federal approval.WASHINGTON — A federal prosecutor has opened a preliminary inquiry into whether an obscure New York doctor who won White House attention by claiming he could treat the coronavirus broke the law by falsely claiming that a hospital study of drugs he had promoted had won federal approval.
The doctor, Vladimir Zelenko, wrongly claimed that the Food and Drug Administration had backed a study of a drug cocktail that he asserts is effective in treating Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Through a misdirected email, that claim came to the attention of Aaron Zelinsky, a federal prosecutor in Baltimore working on fraud cases arising out of the pandemic.The doctor, Vladimir Zelenko, wrongly claimed that the Food and Drug Administration had backed a study of a drug cocktail that he asserts is effective in treating Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Through a misdirected email, that claim came to the attention of Aaron Zelinsky, a federal prosecutor in Baltimore working on fraud cases arising out of the pandemic.
Dr. Zelenko, known as Zev, had claimed the study had the F.D.A.’s approval to Jerome Corsi, a conservative commentator who figured in the special counsel’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Corsi then repeated that claim in an email he mistakenly directed to Mr. Zelinsky instead of to the physician, he said in a podcast this week.Dr. Zelenko, known as Zev, had claimed the study had the F.D.A.’s approval to Jerome Corsi, a conservative commentator who figured in the special counsel’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Corsi then repeated that claim in an email he mistakenly directed to Mr. Zelinsky instead of to the physician, he said in a podcast this week.
Mr. Zelinsky, a former member of the special counsel’s team that investigated Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, had dealt with Mr. Corsi while working on a criminal case that led to the conviction of Roger J. Stone Jr., President Trump’s longtime friend.Mr. Zelinsky, a former member of the special counsel’s team that investigated Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, had dealt with Mr. Corsi while working on a criminal case that led to the conviction of Roger J. Stone Jr., President Trump’s longtime friend.
Mr. Corsi said that Mr. Zelinsky promptly checked and discovered that the study was not F.D.A.-approved, then requested all Mr. Corsi’s communications with the doctor. Mr. Corsi’s lawyer, David Gray, said Mr. Corsi voluntarily turned over the information. The inquiry was first reported by The Washington Post.Mr. Corsi said that Mr. Zelinsky promptly checked and discovered that the study was not F.D.A.-approved, then requested all Mr. Corsi’s communications with the doctor. Mr. Corsi’s lawyer, David Gray, said Mr. Corsi voluntarily turned over the information. The inquiry was first reported by The Washington Post.
In an interview on Friday, Dr. Zelenko said that he was guilty of nothing more than sloppy wording.In an interview on Friday, Dr. Zelenko said that he was guilty of nothing more than sloppy wording.
“I’m a clinician, not a researcher,” he said. “I don’t understand fully the language of clinical research.”“I’m a clinician, not a researcher,” he said. “I don’t understand fully the language of clinical research.”
He said the misunderstanding stemmed from a lecture he gave last month to a group of physicians over the videoconferencing app Zoom, which Mr. Corsi attended. During the lecture, Dr. Zelenko claimed that the clinical trial he was helping organize, sponsored by St. Francis Hospital in New York, had been approved by the F.D.A. In fact, only the hospital’s internal review board had approved it.He said the misunderstanding stemmed from a lecture he gave last month to a group of physicians over the videoconferencing app Zoom, which Mr. Corsi attended. During the lecture, Dr. Zelenko claimed that the clinical trial he was helping organize, sponsored by St. Francis Hospital in New York, had been approved by the F.D.A. In fact, only the hospital’s internal review board had approved it.
Dr. Zelenko said he had the impression that his study had the government’s seal of approval because he had spoken with Stephen M. Hahn, the F.D.A.’s commissioner, who discussed his treatment with him and helped him locate medicine for the trial, he said.Dr. Zelenko said he had the impression that his study had the government’s seal of approval because he had spoken with Stephen M. Hahn, the F.D.A.’s commissioner, who discussed his treatment with him and helped him locate medicine for the trial, he said.
“In my mind, that led me to think it was F.D.A.-approved,” Dr. Zelenko said. “In reality, it was a mistake.”“In my mind, that led me to think it was F.D.A.-approved,” Dr. Zelenko said. “In reality, it was a mistake.”
Dr. Zelenko said that he had not been contacted by the Justice Department, and that he learned of the inquiry from Mr. Corsi’s public statements.Dr. Zelenko said that he had not been contacted by the Justice Department, and that he learned of the inquiry from Mr. Corsi’s public statements.
Mr. Corsi said he believed that the doctor never intended to deceive anyone. “He can’t speak precisely about something he doesn’t understand,” he said.Mr. Corsi said he believed that the doctor never intended to deceive anyone. “He can’t speak precisely about something he doesn’t understand,” he said.
A self-described “simple country doctor,” Dr. Zelenko proposed a three-drug cocktail of an antimalarial medication called hydroxychloroquine, the antibiotic azithromycin and zinc as a treatment for Covid-19 after seeing numerous patients with symptoms of the disease. He is not the first, nor the only, doctor to propose antimalarial drugs as a treatment.A self-described “simple country doctor,” Dr. Zelenko proposed a three-drug cocktail of an antimalarial medication called hydroxychloroquine, the antibiotic azithromycin and zinc as a treatment for Covid-19 after seeing numerous patients with symptoms of the disease. He is not the first, nor the only, doctor to propose antimalarial drugs as a treatment.
But his claims that he could cure the disease by treating it aggressively in the early stages, which he played up in a YouTube video that he addressed to Mr. Trump, caught the attention of the president’s inner circle. After the video went viral, Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, contacted him. Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, also publicly praised the doctor. The video has now been taken down.But his claims that he could cure the disease by treating it aggressively in the early stages, which he played up in a YouTube video that he addressed to Mr. Trump, caught the attention of the president’s inner circle. After the video went viral, Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, contacted him. Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, also publicly praised the doctor. The video has now been taken down.
For weeks, Mr. Trump himself promoted hydroxychloroquine as “very effective” and possibly “the biggest game changer in the history of medicine.” The right-wing news media also seized on the potential of antimalarial drugs as a treatment.For weeks, Mr. Trump himself promoted hydroxychloroquine as “very effective” and possibly “the biggest game changer in the history of medicine.” The right-wing news media also seized on the potential of antimalarial drugs as a treatment.
Updated June 2, 2020
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
Since then, more evidence has emerged that hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin may not be effective at treating the coronavirus, and may in fact be harmful because of the risk of severe side effects. The F.D.A. warned in April that hydroxychloroquine, either on its own or in combination with azithromycin, should not be administered to treat Covid-19 outside the hospital setting or in a clinical trial, saying it could cause heart rhythm problems.Since then, more evidence has emerged that hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin may not be effective at treating the coronavirus, and may in fact be harmful because of the risk of severe side effects. The F.D.A. warned in April that hydroxychloroquine, either on its own or in combination with azithromycin, should not be administered to treat Covid-19 outside the hospital setting or in a clinical trial, saying it could cause heart rhythm problems.
But Dr. Zelenko has remained firm in his conviction, sending regular updates about new studies and patient testimonials to a contact list that includes reporters and government officials in several countries. “I am more emboldened,” he said in a voice memo on April 22.But Dr. Zelenko has remained firm in his conviction, sending regular updates about new studies and patient testimonials to a contact list that includes reporters and government officials in several countries. “I am more emboldened,” he said in a voice memo on April 22.
Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are now being used in several clinical trials to determine their efficacy against the virus, including a trial conducted by the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and another by the pharmaceutical company Novartis, which is studying the effect of hydroxychloroquine alone.Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are now being used in several clinical trials to determine their efficacy against the virus, including a trial conducted by the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and another by the pharmaceutical company Novartis, which is studying the effect of hydroxychloroquine alone.
Sharon LaFraniere reported from Washington, and Kevin Roose from San Francisco.Sharon LaFraniere reported from Washington, and Kevin Roose from San Francisco.