Rise and Fall: Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19 Global Trends: Interest, Political Influence, and Potential Implications.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to rapid research and reporting on potential preventatives and treatments for the disease, including the drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Despite a lack of robust evidence to support the use of HCQ for treatment of COVID-19, it was publicly endorsed and received widespread media coverage and public interest. The purpose of this report is to describe and contextualize the surges in public interest, demand, and adoption of HCQ for treatment of COVID-19 and outline implications for future public health policy and practice.

Methods

Using national and global events and Google Trends data as a measure of public interest, we describe the timeline and trends in the emergence of, interest in, and adoption of HCQ as a tr

SUBMITTER: Englund TR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7738805 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature