State Governor Moves Ahead with Widespread Hydroxychloroquine Testing

The coronavirus strain that is currently racing around the world cannot be stopped at this time…it can only be starved.

We are practicing social distancing not because we think this will defeat the illness, but because it’s the only thing we’ve got right now.  We have to prevent it’s spread because we don’t have any real treatment that can stop COVID-19 once it takes hold.

There have been murmurs about the possible effectiveness of a somewhat-common Malaria drug known as hydroxychloroquine, but very little testing has been done on the subject thus far.

All that is about to change.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday announced a statewide clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine for the possible treatment of COVID-19, making her state the first in the country to institute a program exploring the potential effectiveness of the drug in treating and preventing coronavirus.

“From Day One, I’ve said we’re going to let the science, facts and data drive our decision-making in South Dakota,” Noem said in a statement provided to Fox News.

Noem, a Republican, announced the “comprehensive” clinical trial Monday after communicating with White House officials in the last week to “let them know that South Dakota’s medical community was ready to step up and lead the way on research efforts.”

Noem is calling in the big guns to help as well.

“I made direct requests to President Trump and Vice President Pence to supply us with enough hydroxychloroquine so that it could be made available for every hospitalized person the state may have, as well as those for health care workers on the frontlines and those in the most vulnerable populations,” Noem said.

South Dakota has already received a supply of hydroxychloroquine adequate enough to conduct the trials, which, in this time of great uncertainty, was a mighty first hurdle.