Laura Ingraham on testing anti-malaria drug for coronavirus: ‘I’ll happily volunteer’

Fox News’s Laura Ingraham on Thursday said she’d be willing to volunteer to test whether hydroxychloroquine, a drug used on malaria and arthritis patients, could help with the coronavirus.

Ingraham on her show said a controlled 2,000-patient study “could be organized pretty quickly” given the high stakes.

“I have a feeling given the fact that most of the countries are locked down right now, the controlled study of 2,000 patients could be organized pretty quickly, given what is at stake here,” Ingraham said. “I’ll happily volunteer. If you’re looking for volunteers, I’ll volunteer.”

President Trump announced earlier Thursday that he had directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prioritize an investigation into if hydroxychloroquine could be used to treat coronavirus patients.

“The FDA needs to hop onto this pronto. It looks like they are,” she continued. “Now seeing the president snap his team into action, and in the process, harnessing the full power of the government, all of the government, the private sector and our citizens who are doing great acts of selflessness during this crisis. It gives all of us hope in this very difficult time.”

“As we have done with polio and the measles and so much else, we will find the answers we need. We have beaten diseases in the past, and we will do it again,” the host concluded.

It’s unclear whether the malaria drug can definitely be used to treat the coronavirus. 

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, speaking at a Thursday press briefing with the president and other officials, repeatedly emphasized the importance of safety and said he does not want to “provide false hope.” 

“We may have the right drug, but it might not be in the appropriate dosage form right now, and it might do more harm than good,” Hahn said.