Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the global spread of the idea that hydroxychloroquine can treat coronavirus. Americans know it as Trump’s favorite drug, but the idea actually started with a famous contrarian doctor in France — and its most fervent acolyte in politics is the Brazilian president, not the American one. They talk about how faith in the drug spread globally, despite a lack of evidence and considerable reason to worry about its side effects, and how it exemplifies a style of politics that academics have termed “medical populism.”

References:

The Guardian has a great story on the origins of how hydroxychloroquine became a global phenomenon.

Here’s that study on “medical populism” we talked about so much.

Populists around the world are turning to hydroxychloroquine, reports the Washington Post.

The New York Times has a thorough profile of French doctor Didier Raoult.

You can find the video of Brazilians singing about the drug to President Bolsonaro here.

Hosts:Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, VoxJennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, VoxAlex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, VoxConsider contributing to Vox:If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcastsMore to explore:Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram.About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.Follow Us:Vox.com Newsletter: Vox SentencesLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices