The last thing people need in times of crisis is hope. Thank goodness for NBC News to set fire to any remaining shred of optimism we might have about hydroxychloroquine as a viable COVID19 treatment:

"No miraculous recovery": Some ICU doctors say hydroxychloroquine isn't helping the sickest patients https://t.co/qs5WiA3ZdN — NBC News (@NBCNews) April 8, 2020

Thanks for that, NBC News.

While president Trump enthusiastically promotes the controversial drug Penicillin, which is made from mold, some scientists stress that mold can lead to illness and even death. Also he plays golf with Alexander Fleming. — neontaster (@neontaster) April 8, 2020

No. No they cannot.

What is the intent of this headline? The article says "some doctors" and "many doctors" and "at least anecdotally, a handful of physicians" Why publish this? Did it help *anyone*? Could we give this info in a more encouraging way? What is the intent?https://t.co/LYNJkgT5Kl — PoliMath (@politicalmath) April 8, 2020

Here's how I would headline that piece: "Amid ongoing testing, some anecdotes suggest a benefit; others don't" Informative, accurate, yet hopeful. Maybe this will help you, but be realistic with that expectation. — PoliMath (@politicalmath) April 8, 2020

Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?

The press should be *ruthlessly* self-questioning why they are framing things the way they are and if they are helping. Each individual should be doing this. And, if they do not, it is entirely appropriate for people to dismiss their words as useless noise. — PoliMath (@politicalmath) April 8, 2020

If people give up hope and abandon fighting this disease through quarantine and social distance, it will be in part b/c the press seems eager to relentlessly push bad news & smash down any ray of hope. — PoliMath (@politicalmath) April 8, 2020

Based on what we’ve seen from the press so far, we have good reason to believe they’re genuinely eager to relentlessly push bad news & smash down any ray of hope. We feel like it goes without saying that hydroxychloroquine is not necessarily a universally effective miracle cure for COVID. But the article acknowledges that hydroxychloroquine treatment has shown some promising results and yet NBC News chose deliberately to frame it the way they did.

Many medicines do NOT work well for ALL patients! — Paul M (@PtrMkasa) April 8, 2020

Chemotherapy doesn't work for every single patient either. Shall we stop using it? — Rachel 🐶💙🇺🇸 (@RaychelTania) April 8, 2020

“The sickest patients” is the key phrase here. It doesn’t mean it isnt’t helping others. — Stormy Fanpage (@fanpage_stormy) April 8, 2020

At this point, it seems safe to say that the media — particularly including the ChiCom propaganda pushers at NBC News — are actively rooting for as much devastation as possible.

Are you guys popping champagne there in the newsroom? — Chris McKeever (@TheRealMcKeever) April 8, 2020