A Washington Post report has revealed that the state-run Southeastern Veterans’ Center in Spring City administered a “COVID cocktail” containing hydroxychloroquine to residents for more than two weeks in April even before they were tested for the virus.

The cocktail was also given to residents with medical conditions that are known to raise the risk of dangerous side effects. Some nurses at the center had raised concerns over its use but were reportedly told it was “the standard order,” write Debbie Cenziper and Shawn Mulcahy for The Washington Post.

Chester County Coroner Christina VandePol was able to determine that at least 11 out of the 42 veterans whose deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 received the drug but had not been tested for the infection.

Moving forward, she is proposing that all nursing home deaths be reported to the state’s coroners for oversight.

“In the case of hydroxychloroquine, as part of a COVID cocktail, perhaps, knowing there would be outside scrutiny, the home would not have been as cavalier about routinely giving elderly, debilitated people an unproven drug outside of a clinical trial,” said VandePol.

Read more about the Southeastern Veterans’ Center in The Washington Post here.

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