> That's my main take-away at this point. I have seen enough reports saying it worked, and enough saying it didn't that I believe the answer is probably somewhere in the middle.
The initial study indicating HCQ was effective was recently withdrawn by the publisher for failing to meet their journal's publishing standards [1]. And for good reason, as the study conveniently dropped patients that deteriorated from their final numbers. None of the follow up studies I have seen (including the one in the OP) have shown anywhere near the same level of effectiveness.
> Unfortunately, politics. So the Left wants it to be completely no use at all
That is such a twisted, uncharitable interpretation of the situation that I have to wonder if it is intentional. Do you really think "the Left" would rather have the drug be completely ineffective so the entire planet has to keep this lockdown going? Really?
I guarantee you every single fucking person on this planet, left, right, or center, would love to have an effective drug against this virus right now.
The primary point I've seen made by "the Left" on this matter is the President of the United States should not be tweeting out unproven drug combinations until their efficacy has been demonstrated by clinical trials. Particularly when: 1) such drug combinations can potentially increase the risk of heart failure [2], and 2) people rushing out to buy these drugs has constrained the supply for patients who actually need it to treat their existing illnesses.
Unfortunately, politics, indeed. The world has gone insane when the position of "don't taken unproven drugs with risky side effects without medical supervision" is construed as a "leftist position" instead of COMMON SENSE.
[1] https://www.isac.world/news-and-publications/official-isac-s...
[2] https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.08.20054551v...