Recently, President Trump was accused of pressuring FDA officials to issue an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the use of hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate to treat COVID-19. Major criticism followed as the two drugs fell under conflicting sides in the scientific community about whether or not the drugs are a safe and effective way to treat COVID-19.  

The FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization should never be employed if the treatment used for a sickness has potentially greater risks, injury, or death rates than the sickness it is treating. The data should also be specific to the person that is being treated and ultimately should be the person’s choice if they wish to be treated.  

Should politics be able to get in the way of science? While it is my opinion they shouldn’t, unfortunately it seems politics along with private business interests have driven which scientific studies are listened to. 

The problem is, is that science can be biased. Multiple studies are done to a single problem and differing results are often backed by opposing political parties. Scientists with funding from different sides are pushed to see results in a certain way so politicians can use their findings to back their policy.  

But this comes from both sides of the aisle.  

Is the use of hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate being pushed by President Trump because at the time it was the best–known treatment for COVID-19? Or was he desperate to back anything that could potentially end this pandemic? On the other side, were democrats opposed to the two drugs because some studies questioned the efficacy of them being used to treat COVID-19? Or were they blocking these drugs to make President Trump look worse in the dealing of this pandemic?  

All of the above may be true.