Fact check: Trump, Pence stumble over clinical details while touting coronavirus treatments
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Trump mentioned anti-malaria drugs that are being tested as potential treatments, saying that the clinical trials are “having some good results,” even though public health officials say the results are months away.
Moments later, Vice President Mike Pence said the Food and Drug Administration had “approved” a new method to test the coronavirus, even though the FDA only granted emergency authorization for the test, which requires a much lower standard.
Facts First: Both comments overstate the medical realities a bit. For Trump, he has repeatedly touted and expressed unbridled optimism about the drugs, even without conclusive scientific data to back up his claims. For Pence, he oversold the FDA’s confidence in the new Covid-19 test.
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... “And the big news, of course, over the last few days was that the FDA, once again, in near record time, has approved an antibody test developed by Cellex,” Pence said.
This isn’t quite accurate. The FDA uses very specific terminology about medical drugs, tests and equipment, and the FDA would likely disagree with the notion that it “approved” the test. These terms are important, as medical professionals need clarity to be sure their use of these items is safe for every patient.
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