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There is a strong case that hydroxychloroquine combined with zinc and azithromycin, given early in the course of the disease, makes the disease much milder. Hydroxychloroquine is a safe drug used for over 50 years. The theory behind this is that the HCQ makes it easier for zinc to pass into cells. Zinc inhibits the reproduction of the virus. Slowing down the multiplication of the virus gives the patient's immune system more time to develop immunity before the virus overwhelms the patient, making him very sick or even killing him. The HCQ treatment must be given early. It is not useful for patients who are already deathly sick.

Quite a few doctors and scientists have advocated the use of HCQ based on clinical experiences and . Recently, Dr. Harvey A. Risch, a professor of epidemiology and a medical doctor at Yale, wrote a review paper. He even published an op-ed in Newsweek.

Dr. Risch is eminently qualified to write about HCQ. The reaction to his articles was virulent hatred and an apparent attempt to get him fired. Supporting Trump by promoting a treatment suggested by Trump is an unforgivable sin among Trump-hating academics. The science does not matter, only the politics. The dean of the Yale School of Public Health felt it necessary to write that it is not his job to suppress the opinions of academics working at this school. A letter signed by 21 Yale academics denounced Dr. Risch.

In his Newsweek editorial, Dr. Risch states: "I myself know of two doctors who have saved the lives of hundreds of patients with these medications but are now fighting state medical boards to save their licenses and reputations. The cases against them are completely without scientific merit."

In my own state of Nevada, the governor has outlawed HCQ except for hospitalized patients. By the time the patient is hospitalized, it is too late. Maybe a new approach to finding a workable vaccine will make a difference.