Dr. Vin Gupta, a critical care physician and lung health expert, said Wednesday night that he has seen no evidence to support President Donald Trump's assertion that zinc—paired with other drugs—is an effective treatment for the novel coronavirus.
During a Coronavirus Task Force briefing Wednesday evening, Trump said "you should add zinc" to any COVID-19 treatment regiment, suggesting that medical professionals have recommended the mineral supplement.
"I want to throw that out there because that's where they seem to be having the best result," said Trump, who has faced criticism for recklessly touting unproven coronavirus treatments. "So you add the zinc and the azithromycin, and it's been—we've had a lot of good stories."
MSNBC cut in to the president's briefing to get a response from Gupta, who said he found Trump's comments about zinc "mystifying."
"There's no evidence I've seen in the literature suggesting zinc in addition to hydroxychloroquine would be helpful," said Gupta, referring to an anti-malaria drug that Trump has repeatedly promoted during briefings and on Twitter.
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