DETROIT – State Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) found out she had tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) the day her friend and House colleague died from it.
Her health was deteriorating fast and she prevailed upon her doctor to get hydroxychloroquine for her.
“I thank God the president of the United States mentioned that drug because it did save me,” Whitsett said.
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An Executive Order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made it harder to come by the drug and as of yet there is no science that definitively proves it works.
“Whether hydroxychloroquine works or not is a question that still needs an answer. At this point anyone who says the drug helped them is simply relating an anecdote. I have also seen patients on hydroxychloroquine who have died. I totally understand the need for hope but this is not a miracle drug,” Local 4′s Doctor Frank McGeorge said.
Whitsett believes it worked for her.
“Let’s just put politics aside and be human beings, I give credit where credit is due,” she said.
“Congratulations to State Representative Karen Whitsett of Michigan. So glad you are getting better,” President Donald Trump said in a Tweet.
Whitsett said she was feeling like she was in good shape, but feels it will take weeks for her to feel like herself again.
She said she is worried about Detroit and people she sees not taking social distancing seriously. She has the utmost respect for how Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is handling the crisis.
“I thank God for the relationship the president of the United States has with Mayor Duggan and that we have a mayor who has so many years of experience because if we didn’t I don’t know where we’d be right now,” Whitsett said.