What is the common factor that accounts for the United States having one of the highest COVID death rates in the world? Many less affluent countries have death rates 20 times lower than the U.S., even with fewer hospitals, doctors, nurses and high tech equipment than we have in the U.S.
It is quite simply this: EARLY OUTPATIENT TREATMENT at home with widely available anti-viral medicines, is begun at the first signs of symptoms, usually without waiting extra days for test results to confirm the physicians’ clinical diagnosis. Visiting health workers take the medicines to the patient at home, and instruct on how to take them.
Dr. Fauci and FDA’s Dr. Hahn have promoted a LATE STAGE treatment model for the U.S. Patients are sent home to self-quarantine until symptoms get worse, and then are told to go into the hospital when they are seriously ill with respiratory distress and even heart damage. Only at this critical illness stage⏤when our medicines don’t work as well⏤do patients get offered medication, oxygen support, steroids, anti-coagulants, vitamin C and other interventions.
But treatment at home could prevent thousands of hospitalizations and deaths. The United States urgently needs to reverse course and implement this new model using the successful early, outpatient, home-based treatment model successfully used in multiple other countries. In a just-published article from the respected American Journal of Medicine, lead author Peter McCullough, M.D., a cardiologist at Baylor, and one of the most widely published physicians in America, and describes how he and others are actually treating COVID patients successfully using this early treatment model.
Dr. McCullough’s recommendation for America to shift to outpatient, early treatment would clearly save lives using cheap, safe, FDA-approved medicines—hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin or doxycycline, possibly ivermectin or colchicine, inhaled budesomide or oral steroids, home oxygen concentrators, plus supplemental zinc, vitamin C and vitamin D. 
The supply of HCQ has been ramped up to handle its use in early treatment of COVID, but we have millions of doses in the Strategic National Stockpile deteriorating in government warehouses—vital medicine that is not being distributed because, for political reasons, doctors are still prevented from prescribing for COVID-19 outpatients.
Why don’t Americans have the freedom to use HCQ as in other countries?

FDA’s false narrative about HCQ causing harm to outpatients have led to more deaths with unprecedented restrictions on physicians’ off-label prescribing rights imposed by state governors, medical boards and pharmacy boards. Thirty-seven states still restrict HCQ.

There are other major forces pushing AGAINST home based treatment that have resulted in our high death rate. These coordinated efforts are amplified by the main stream media megaphone perpetuating the constant drum beat of fear to keep the public afraid of returning to normal activities.

• The Hospital lobby is preventing outpatient, home-based treatment to maintain their income. The issues Avik Roy raised in his classic 2013 review have been made worse during the COVID-19 pandemic because hospitals received significantly higher payments for COVID patients, especially those who go on a ventilator.
• Big Pharma pushes for high cost, new medicines still on patent to protect their revenue, for example Gilead’s major efforts to discredit HCQ and push the use of remdesivir, its costly, experimental drug.
• Enormous financial conflicts exist within the NIH, CDC and FDA –all of whom get payments from pharma and vaccine manufacturers, as well as income from patents on new vaccine adjuvants and processes. Dr. McCullough’s editorial, “The Great Gamble of Covid-19 Vaccine Development,” explained this multi-billion dollar financial incentive to discredit early treatment in order to preserve vaccine windfall profits in wealthy countries. 
• Big Medicine, as shown clearly by the AMA’s actions to falsely malign hydroxychloroquine, no longer advocates for physicians and patients, but works to protect its their revenue source from government contracts.
• Academic medical centers all have research programs dependent on NIH grants, and approvals from NIH, CDC, and FDA. Many academic physicians have been “muzzled” by their institutions from speaking out about the effectiveness of early outpatient treatment to avoid loss of research grant funding.
• The financial and political push for globalization and keeping drug manufacturing in China have also contributed to the false narrative that our older inexpensive medicines, long off patent, don’t provide benefit or are “dangerous.” 

In contrast, the forces pushing FOR outpatient, early, home-based treatment are few in number, smaller, and do not have financial clout or media megaphone.

• One medical organization, The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), has stood against the juggernaut preventing access to HCQ with many efforts: a lawsuit against FDA, lobbying in DC, national editorials, press releases, and educational webinars.
• Frontline doctors, primarily the independent physicians not employed by hospitals or contracted with insurance companies, since these entities have their accepted protocols doctors must follow and often issue directives saying HCQ cannot be prescribed for outpatients. Sadly, there are not many physicians still in independent practice in America.
• Grassroots citizens groups pushing for HCQ, such as the Tea Party Patriots, Open Texas, America’s Black Robe Regiment, and a few others. 
• There have been a few national political leaders willing to advocate publicly for early and widespread access to HCQ: President Trump, Trade Advisor Peter Navarro, Senator Ron Johnson, Congressmen Andy Biggs (AZ) and Louie Gomert (TX).

So what do patients need to do NOW to advocate for early home treatment if they get sick? Here are 10 ACTION STEPS to take:

1. 1. PRINT Dr. McCullough’s article and read about your options before you get sick.
   2. COPY Dr. McCullough’s article and give to your doctors and family members.
   3. ASK your doctor now: “If I get sick with COVID, will you treat me at home with medicines already available for off-label use that have shown effectiveness in stopping progression to late state and hospitalization?”  
   4. CHECK with local pharmacist: “Will you dispense HCQ Rx if I get sick and my doctor prescribes it?”
   5. If your doctor and pharmacist will not do Rx or dispense HCQ, start now to explore other options – next four steps.
   6. READ about Telemedicine options to see what is available for early intervention and treatment at home to keep you out of hospital.
   7. IDENTIFY the TeleMedicine services that fit your needs and budget, keep a list handy in case you get sick.
   8. SEARCH for direct pay primary care medical practices who are more likely to tailor treatment to your individual needs. You need a trusted physician who shares your views.
   9. LOCATE independent pharmacies who will dispense Rx you need and ship to you – they may be in another state, not always local.
   10. ACT to stay healthy! Adequate sleep, exercise preferably outdoors NOT wearing a mask, prayer and meditation (immune boosters!), eat healthy diet avoiding excess sugars and processed foods, vitamins such as zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, and immune boosting anti-viral supplemnts such as quercetin, elder berry, NAC, and others.

The Bottom Line: “If you get COVID-19, you don’t want to be admitted to hospital. The death rate for patients sick enough to be admitted is quite high. And you will probably be a prisoner with no visits from family, clergy, or the doctor of your choice. Patients need a trusted physician who shares their views,” said Dr. Jane Orient, Executive Director of AAPS.
For further information, see AAPS compendium of articles on coronavirus.