Three hours ago I got in touch with my UCLA-affiliated primary care giver.

HE: What about giving me a prescription for hydroxy chloroquine? An antiviral malaria medication known by the CDC to be effective as treatment and prevention for SARS, with three new studies allegedly showing strong anti-Covid19 effects.

UCLA doctor/primary caregiver: I’m aware of this. We’re not recommending it.

HE: May I ask why? It’s an “old” malaria preventative. Been around forever. Trump is no medical authority, but he did mention it today. Why not?

UCLA doctor/primary caregiver: There is not actually data that it works. I discussed it extensively with a top expert in the field today who said absolutely not. The only time they may consider it in the future is for hospitalized patients with recent diagnosis. It is not a benign medication and may end up doing more harm than good. Also, it is bad for the community as it may mask symptoms. The idea is isolation. I appreciate your strong your desire to want to take action. Believe me, I wish there was something I could do besides educating people. But really there is exactly one way to prevent getting this virus and it is to socially isolate. Which works EXTREMELY well.