Google searches for unproven COVID-19 cures spike by 1000 per cent after Trump, Musk endorsements

They’re unproven cures for COVID-19, but that hasn’t stopped a massive spike in attempts to buy these drugs.

Unproven treatments for COVID-19 are in high demand online despite medical warnings. Picture: AP Photo/John Locher

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Google searches for ways to buy unproven COVID-19 drugs spiked by more than 1000 per cent during the pandemic, new research revealed today.

Medical experts have now warned that the dangerous trend underlines the need for reliable health information to be amplified online during a health crisis.

Endorsements of potential drug treatments by entrepreneur Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump both inspired huge spikes in web searches for the medicines, according to the study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal, as did the first fatal poisoning by someone who took one of the medicines advertised without medical advice.

US President Donald Trump watches as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speak about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. Picture: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

University of California computational epidemiologist Dr John Ayers said he launched the study after massive public attention was drawn to malarial medicines chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as potential treatments for coronavirus even though were untested, could have “toxic effects” on the cardiovascular system, and could be confused with chemicals used in aquarium cleaners.

Dr Ayers said he combined information on Google searches along with keywords such as “buy,” “order,” “Amazon,” and “Walmart” to identify spikes in public interest, and found the drugs’ public endorsements led to dangerous online behaviour.

The study found purchasing interest in chloroquine soared by 442 per cent between February and March, while interest in buying hydroxychloroquine without a prescription jumped by a startling 1389 per cent.

A bottle of hydroxychloroquine tablet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned doctors against prescribing the malaria drug to treat COVID-19 outside of hospitals or research settings. Picture: AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Google searches for the medication even spiked a third time after reports of chloroquine poisoning.

Nigerian officials announced three people had overdosed on the medication on March 23.

Dr Ayers said although Google added “an educational website (to) search results related to the outbreak,” further warnings and restrictions by the company and online marketplaces selling these drugs should be introduced to prevent harm.

Originally published as Google searches for unproven COVID-19 cures spike by 1000 per cent after Trump, Musk endorsements