Donald Trump announced that he was taking the drug hydroxychloroquine to ward off the coronavirus, despite the fact it could have dangerous side-effects, especially in an overweight man with a stressful job and a history of heart problems.

After several hours of criticising Mr Trump’s decision to take the drug, the medical community realised that the potential side-effects: heart attack, stroke and death, were, on balance, not necessarily a problem.

“This could be the miracle cure after all,” said one doctor who refused to be named, because he didn’t want to be sacked by his boss. Dr Fauci said he was initially skeptical, given the overwhelming evidence that it would only cause the President harm, but soon came to see the benefits of Mr Trump taking the drug, in that it would only cause the President harm.

Some critics cast doubt on Mr Trump’s claims he was taking the drug, but later retracted the claim after the drug’s other side-effects of “mental impairment and hair loss” were made public.