Democratic state lawmaker says Trump touting hydroxychloroquine as coronavirus treatment saved her life

A Democratic representative in Detroit, Michigan, is crediting hydroxychloroquine for saving her life after she began suffering from coronavirus, and she is thanking President Donald Trump.

State Rep. Karen Whitsett says that she likely would not have received the drug had the president not publicized it so greatly.

"It has a lot to do with the president ... bringing it up," Whitsett said to the Detroit Free Press. "He is the only person who has the power to make it a priority."

Whitsett said she sought treatment on March 18 and began taking hydroxychloroquine on March 31.

"It was less than two hours" before the drug began to relieve her of the symptoms from coronavirus, which included shortness of breath and swollen lymph nodes. She also felt as if she had a sinus infection and a headache.

Whitsett tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.

She said that she believes the president saved her life. "I do thank him for that," she added.

The president has been criticized by many for touting the benefits of hydroxychloroquine publicly based on anecdotal evidence from numerous sources. The media excoriated him after an Arizona couple ingested fish tank additive, mistakenly equating it to the drug, and the husband died as a result.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leader of the president's coronavirus task force, has cautioned against overly optimistic hope until there are randomized control groups to prove the drug's efficacy. Medical experts also say the drug should only be prescribed for serious cases in order to prevent a shortage for the treatment of other maladies.

Here's more about the coronavirus drug:

Trump bristled when asked about promoting hydroxychloroquine. Then he cut Fauci off.www.youtube.com