Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine abruptly reversed course on Thursday, requesting that the Ohio Pharmacy Board halt a rule set to go into effect today that would have essentially banned the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in Ohio.
The request came just two days after a discredited pair of “doctors,” embraced and promoted by fringe right-wing groups such as the Tea Party Patriots and the Save Our Country Coalition, met with Vice President Mike Pence to urge him to lend his approval to the drug’s usage, touted in a controversial viral video in which they and others lauded the curative effects of hydroxychloroquine, the drawbacks of mask usage, and the purported ineffectiveness of masks in slowing transmission of the virus, as well as the adverse mental health impacts of lockdowns and social distancing—all in furtherance of their backers’ push to reopen businesses.