The nation's Spanish-speaking networks are increasingly desperate to push their coronavirus panic-porn morning, day and night. As of late, they’ve become fixated with President Trump's admission of taking hydroxychloroquine as a prophylaxis.
As can be expected, sarcasm and skepticism about the treatment pervaded the airwaves, with the nets' anchors insisting that the drug is ineffective against the coronavirus and that it is life-threatening- only to be contradicted by one of their own: Univision's resident cardiologist, Dr. Juan Rivera.
Watch the Latino nets anchors demean the President for taking the drug preventively, and how host Borja Voces, of Univision's Digital News Edition, gets ruffled up and abruptly ends an interview with Dr. Juan, when the latter admits to the widespread use of hydroxychloroquine for the prevention of COVID-19:
JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ: President Trump announced yesterday that he is consuming, that he decided to take hydroxychloroquine.
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This can put at risk those who follow advice from non-health professionals such as the President of the United States.
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PAULINA SODI: And here you have to pay close attention because even though President Donald Trump has decided to take hydroxychloroquine, please be very careful and do not self-medicate.
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JOSE DIAZ BALART: Its effectiveness against coronavirus and its prevention are unproven
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JAVIER VEGA: The president has rejected the warnings of his own government.
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DIAZ BALART: And doctor, we just heard the president say that he is taking hydroxychloroquine. Can it be taken preventively?
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DR. FELIPE LOBELO: It is something that is not to be taken as prophylaxis.
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DR. JUAN RIVERA: Borja, I'm honest with you. I know doctors who are also using it preventively.
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RIVERA: We doctors believe that treatments should start as soon as possible ---
BORJA INTERRUPTS: If it works it can be valid
DR. JUAN: 000 so I would have that conversation ---
BORJA [CUTTING INTERVIEW SHORT]: But there's your opinion on the preventive way President Trump is using it.
To no one's surprise, CNNEE anchor Juan Carlos Lopez editorialized his coverage by declaring that following the advice of non-health professionals, such as the president of the United States, “can put those who follow their advice at risk.” If his comment were to be taken seriously, then he, as well as everyone else in the media shelving out medical advice, should keep their unsolicited medical opinions to themselves.
Only Univision's Dr. Juan had the sense to stray off the talking points and say what all the others condemn: that hydroxychloroquine is widely used by healthcare professionals in order to protect themselves and their patients from being infected by the coronavirus, of ourse, with medical clearing and supervision.
