# don't forget the zinc **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 8, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382 "2020-04-08T22:50:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/1 "2020-04-08T22:50:07Z")
I’m sick of reading news articles portraying the “Trump Pills” as just hydroxychloroquine. So I’ve written parody lyrics, to be sung to Janet Jackson’s “Nasty”, to help reporters (and doctors) remember what the proposed treatment is: “No it ain’t hydroxychloroquine only You must add zinc And azithromycin if it’s nasty” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/2 "2020-04-08T22:51:49Z")
I hear it works better with Snake Oil. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/3 "2020-04-08T22:52:21Z")
How about a cite to a peer-reviewed journal article that studied the combination in a sizable group of patients? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/4 "2020-04-08T23:02:56Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > How about a cite to a peer-reviewed journal article that studied the combination in a sizable group of patients? [https://abc7.com/health/la-doctor-seeing-success-with-hydroxychloroquine-to-treat-covid-19/6079864/](https://abc7.com/health/la-doctor-seeing-success-with-hydroxychloroquine-to-treat-covid-19/6079864/) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/5 "2020-04-08T23:08:20Z")
Yes, [you should never take zinc for granted](https://youtube.com/watch?v=U1iCZpFMYd0). ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/6 "2020-04-08T23:12:08Z")
Have you been able to find the percentage of people that get the various side effects of hydroxychloroquine? Some of them are pretty serious and might be worse than covid-19 for some people. This is about a different malaria drug but I understand there’s a similarity [Canadian soldiers allege anti-malaria medication left them with intense rage, suicidal ideations](https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/w5/canadian-soldiers-allege-anti-malaria-medication-left-them-with-intense-rage-suicidal-ideations-1.4644742) ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/7 "2020-04-08T23:14:51Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Have you been able to find the percentage of people that get the various side effects of hydroxychloroquine? Some of them are pretty serious and might be worse than covid-19 for some people. Then the doctor won’t give it to them. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/8 "2020-04-08T23:47:17Z")
> [@Jim\_Peebles](#): > > Then the doctor won’t give it to them. Let’s say that hydroxychloroquine + zinc cures 5% of people and kills 1% of people. Let’s also say that phlebotivar cures 90% of people and kills 0.05%. Which of the two should you be getting noisy about? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/9 "2020-04-08T23:59:17Z")
> [@Jim\_Peebles](#): > > Then the doctor won’t give it to them. Oh, like how we should just tell gun dealers not to sell guns to people who are going to use them in crimes. Problem solved! ---
**Author:** ![Harrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@Harrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harrington)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/10 "2020-04-09T00:10:59Z")
This novel coronavirus is pretty sensitive to heat, right? If I stuff myself into my oven for 30 minutes @ 350° will it kill the virus? ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/11 "2020-04-09T00:17:39Z")
> [@Harrington](#): > > This novel coronavirus is pretty sensitive to heat, right? If I stuff myself into my oven for 30 minutes @ 350° will it kill the virus? Remember to frequently baste yourself with a solution of hdroxychloroquine and red wine. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/12 "2020-04-09T00:18:06Z")
> [@Jim\_Peebles](#): > > [https://abc7.com/health/la-doctor-seeing-success-with-hydroxychloroquine-to-treat-covid-19/6079864/](https://abc7.com/health/la-doctor-seeing-success-with-hydroxychloroquine-to-treat-covid-19/6079864/) Do you have the faintest idea of what an actual study is? This is some guy who treated some patients and says he got results. We don’t know anything about the patients, how many there are, what their conditions were, what their underlying conditions were, or what other treatments they were undergoing. We don’t know what outcomes a similar group of people had without taking the drugs. We don’t know if any of them had side effects, what side effects or how serious they were, or if they had to drop out of treatment because of them. We don’t know anything. That report is the definition of an anecdote. It’s exactly why everybody has been screaming at Trump and others who tell people to take untested drugs. It’s no different from snake oil. You provided the strongest possible evidence for not following your advice because you clearly don’t understand what you are reading or saying. This is dangerous. Please stop. Now. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/13 "2020-04-09T00:49:38Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Let’s say that hydroxychloroquine + zinc cures 5% of people and kills 1% of people. > > Let’s also say that phlebotivar cures 90% of people and kills 0.05%. > > Which of the two should you be getting noisy about? That’s not what the doctor in the video I linked to reported. Watch the whole video. Read the papers on the studies he mentions if you want more details. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/14 "2020-04-09T00:51:21Z")
> [@Jim\_Peebles](#): > > That’s not what the doctor in the video I linked to reported. Watch the whole video. Read the papers on the studies he mentions if you want more details. I take it that you agree with my position, though? Even if A is good but B is more gooderer, then B is more important to talk about? ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/15 "2020-04-09T00:52:41Z")
> [@Jim\_Peebles](#): > > That’s not what the doctor in the video I linked to reported. Watch the whole video. Read the papers on the studies he mentions if you want more details. Instead of forcing us to watch a quack/anecdotal video to find the ACTUAL cites, why not provide them yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/16 "2020-04-09T01:00:20Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I take it that you agree with my position, though? Even if A is good but B is more gooderer, then B is more important to talk about? Please provide us with a detailed analysis of: hydroxychloroquine + zinc versus phlebotivar then. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/17 "2020-04-09T01:02:22Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Instead of forcing us to watch a quack/anecdotal video to find the ACTUAL cites, why not provide them yourself? It’s ABC news and the interviewee is a doctor and CEO. Hardly seems quack to me. Go watch it. I provided a link to the French study (the one I infer he is talking about) in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/18 "2020-04-09T01:21:05Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/19 "2020-04-09T01:39:32Z")
A study with less than 100 participants which isn’t double blind and which hasn’t been repeated multiple times with consistent outcomes would have to show some _amazing_ outcomes for it to be more useful than the quizzes they used to have in Cosmo. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382/20 "2020-04-09T01:52:35Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > How about a cite to a peer-reviewed journal article that studied the combination in a sizable group of patients? Naw, a Dr. Oz recommendation is really all you need. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-forget-the-zinc/851382.md?page=2)