Question

Analyse and identify the types of arguments and the resultant biases, fallacies or persuaders that have been used to promote the claim that hydroxychloroquine can be used to prevent or treat COVID-19. (450 words)

Answer 1

Chloroquine was discovered as an antimalarial medication in 1934 and was very similar to Quinine, the original malaria medication. Hydroxychloroquine is nothing but a modification of Chloroquine with fewer side effects previously known as Plaquenil and super commonly used in Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and is currently generic. Both Chloroquine and  Hydroxychloroquine have been studied in the past in treating viral infection and currently desperate medical staff treating Corona Virus patients have been trying anything that could possibly work. Due to an indication of early success, there have been more than 25 studies going on about its effectiveness in the treatment of Corona Virus. The widespread excitement comes from test tube work and very limited study in humans. A study published in China in mid-February showed clearance of the Virus in five out of 10 people on Hydroxychloroquine while clearance of Virus in only 3 out of 15 people by using other similar drugs. There is another study that caused excitement carried by Dr. Phillipe Gautret from France in which he gave Hydroxychloroquine 200mg three times a day to 26 patients and 16 patients did not receive the medication. Six of the patient who was receiving the medication were excluded from the analysis. Of the remaining 20 patients who took the medication, each one cleared the virus with a time period of 6 days while only 2 out of 16 people who did not receive Hydroxychloroquine were Virus-free after 6 days. One thing to be noticed here that makes the results a little biased is the fact that some of the patients who were receiving Hydroxychloroquine were also receiving Azithromycin which has shown to be effective against the virus.

In another study based on the test tube work, Hydroxychloroquine was found to be more effective in inhibing Coronavirus activity than any other drug. Persuaders claims that Hydroxychloroquine inhibit endosome acidification and prevents the release of viral RNA into the cell and it also decreases the damage caused by hyperactivated immune system of the body. However, this is by no mean a done deal since the studies were comparatively very small and quick. In fact, there is a study of Chloroquine and another RNA virus called the Chikungunya virus where it was proven to be ineffective. A general fallacious argument that have been used to promote the claim that hydroxychloroquine can be used to prevent or treat COVID-19 is that a low dose of Hydroxychloroquine lowers the death rate by 30% which is quite a profound difference. The argument made against the studies that showed negative results of hydroxychloroquine to treat Corona Virus is the use of too much higher dose. They say that the World Health Organization and Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine did not seem to realize that they have to give the right dose to the patients. They say hydroxychloroquine is not a new drug and we have been using it for decades and yet these institutions get it wrong.