Hacker News Reader

Comment by DanBC | Hacker News Reader

> Worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work.

Worst thing that can happen with a chloroquine and azithromycin combination is that it causes heart arrhythmia and sudden death in a patient that would not have otherwise died.

Studies of patients taking this combination of meds include daily EKGs, which is something the general population at home isn't going to have access to.

https://twitter.com/search?q=azithromycin%20qt&src=typed_que...

View on HN

That's why they are starting with a trial, and not a full scale roll out. Other countries are using this combination of drug, and it's not because they're huge fans of Trump, I can assure you. We also have literally millions of devices out there capable of detecting arrhythmia - they're called Apple Watch.

Apple Watch can't detect long QT, which is one of the risk factors here.

That's like saying construction N95 masks can't be used in the medical setting just because they lack appropriate certification. That old shibboleth has been defenestrated weeks ago.

I bet it can, if FDA is beat over the head with a shovel, which it will be if the need arises. It's a real ECG verifiably capable of detecting irregular hearth rhythm, and it costs a tiny fraction of what a big-ass ECG machine would, and therefore can be deployed at a much larger scale. Just because it could only get approval to detect atrial fibrillation duing "peacetime" doesn't mean it can't be pressed into service for other things.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com