Medics are reminding the public to disregard Trump’s suggestion that disinfectant could be injected into the body to cure coronavirus. Hydroxychloroquine – an old anti-malarial drug that is today more commonly used to treat lupus – has become another partisan political wedge issue in the US: conservative politicians and media figures have hyped studies that support the theory that the drug is a potential treatment. And on Wednesday, Rick Bright, the head of a US government agency charged with investing in treatments and responses for pandemics, said he was forced out of his job over his resistance to the administration’s “misguided directives” promoting “broad use” of the drug, which he said “clearly lack scientific merit”. The limited evidence around hydroxychloroquine so far has come in a steady stream of scientific studies, often as soon as they are posted online as “preprints” – ie before they have gone through the rigorous vetting process known as peer review. None of the studies that have been released meet the gold standard for demonstrating a drug’s effectiveness – a large-scale, double-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT), though multiple trials of that kind are under way. While the world awaits those results, here’s a guide to some of the studies released thus far: During the briefing, the president evaded questions about Rick Bright, the vaccine expert who says he was removed from his post after resisting the president’s push to use hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus without proper vetting and testing. Bright said he would file a whistleblower complaint, after being reassigned from his post overseeing the development of a coronavirus vaccine. In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. As he does almost daily during his briefings, Trump repeated the claim that the US has done “more tests than all other countries combined”. This is not true. Overall, the US had administered more than 4.6m coronavirus tests, according to the Covid Tracking Project. From a very slow start, the US, with a population of 329m, had ramped up to a testing rate of one in every 71 people – a bit better than to South Korea’s rate of 1 in every 90 people. Germany has done even better, testing every 1 in 63 people. In America, despite the recent increase in testing, backlogs are reported in labs across the country, and many people with symptoms – including health workers – are still struggling to access tests. The briefing has ended. Trump finished by criticizing the media (“CNN is fake news. Don’t talk to me.”), the “fake Russia, Russia, Russia deal” and the “illegal witch hunt,” and implying that the media is giving Joe Biden “a pass”. The president is “not happy about Brian Kemp” Trump said, referring to the governor of Georgia, who has moved ahead with a plan to reopen businesses despite criticisms from the president and other Republican and Democratic lawmakers. “I don’t want this thing to flare up because you’re deciding to do something that’s not in the guidelines,” Trump said. Fact check: Blue states and coronavirus “It is interesting the states that are having trouble are blue,” Trump said. “The states that seem to have the problem happen to be Democrat.” That’s not really the case. Although New York and Washington, both led by Democratic governors, experienced devastating surges, red states led by Republicans have suffered too. For the Guardian, Josh Wood compared the fates of Kentucky (led by a Democrat) and Tennesee (led by a Republican): “Medical doctors,” should see “if there any way to apply light and heat to cure”, the president said. He asked Dr Deborah Birx if that’s possible. Fevers are the body’s way of apply heat to treat itself, but she hasn’t heard of it being used as a treatment, she responded. “It’s just a suggestion,” Trump said. “If heat is good and if sunlight it good, that’s. a great thing as far as I’m concerned.” Will federal distancing guidelines be extended until summer? “We may, we may go beyond that - we’ll have to see where it is. Until we feel it’s safe, we’re going to be extending,” Trump said. The president’s message today is much different than what he’s said earlier this week. We cannot immediately fact-check Bryan on the emerging research he is presenting on the effect of heat, light, and humidity on the coronavirus, but we’ll circle back to it. As I noted earlier, while there are a few preliminary studies suggest that hotter temperatures could slow the virus, most of this research so far has not been through a rigorous process of peer review. The DHS’s Bryan is asked about the president’s suggestions that disinfectants be injected into a person. “We don’t do that within our lab,” Bryan said. “Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t work,” Trump interjected — but disinfectants like isopropyl alcohol definitely has an effect on “stationary objects.” Note: If you are not a stationary object and are, in fact, a person, please follow medical advice and do not inject disinfectant into your body. Congress passes coronavirus relief package Representatives voted 388-5 in favor of the $484bn package. “Supposing you brought the light inside the body - either through the skin or some other way,” Trump wondered. He also mused about ways to use disinfectants on people, “by injections inside or almost a cleaning.” “It’d be interesting to check that,” the president said. “You’d have to use medical doctors.” The DHS has worked with Johns Hopkins to test how the virus in droplets of saliva and respiratory fluids survives at different temperatures, Bryan said. The virus survives best indoors, in dry conditions. UV rays and hotter, more humid temps cut down the halflife of the virus. Both Trump and Mike Pence have referenced research that the virus will fade in warm weather. The president said “you won’t even believe” how the virus reacts to sunlight. Preliminary studies, which have not been peer-reviewed, indicate that warm weather could slow the virus. Some researchers think that some Southeast Asian countries, like Cambodia and the Philippines, were spared larger outbreaks because of their hot, humid climate. But there have several outbreaks in other warm areas. The science is far from conclusive on whether the virus is seasonal. Bill Bryan, who heads the science and technology directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, is presenting more information on how the virus reacts to heat, humidity and light.