The search for COVID-19 treatments shows how messy science can be

There’s yet another new study out this week on hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug championed by President Trump (without evidence) as a cure for COVID-19. Bottom line: the hospitalized patients who took it didn’t seem to be any better off than patients who didn’t take the drug. Some patients had to stop taking the drug because of cardiac side effects.

The report isn’t published yet, and hasn’t gone through the standard review process, but doctors are starting to sort through its findings. It’s not a good sign for the drug. But this single study is not a killer blow, either.

That’s because a lone study or single clinical trial rarely offers incontrovertible evidence to disprove or bolster a claim — especially if, like this one,...

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