WATCH: Whistleblower says U.S. ‘should not proceed recklessly’ on potential virus treatments

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., asked vaccine expert Rick Bright whether federal researchers could consider all possible treatments for the coronavirus, including hydroxychloroquine, the antimalarial drug promoted by President Donald Trump. “We should look at all options and make sure we evaluate their potential risk and safety and benefit of those within the context of a randomized, controlled, clinical study. In the context of an emergency, we should move swiftly and get that clinical data as urgently and quickly as possible. But we should not proceed recklessly without that clinical data,” Bright said. The former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Bright testified on Thursday before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s health subcommittee in a hearing dedicated to “protecting scientific integrity” of the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. In a whistleblower complaint filed last week, Bright said he was reassigned to a different position in late April for pushing back against the Trump administration’s virus response strategy.

Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Follow us:
Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour
Snapchat: @pbsnews
Subscribe:
PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe