Fact Check: Left-Wing Media Claim Aborted Baby Parts Needed to Cure Coronavirus

Breitbart:

CLAIM: Left-wing media are claiming a National Institutes of Health (NIH) immunologist cannot find cures for the infection caused by the coronavirus without the body parts of aborted babies.

VERDICT: FALSE

The Washington Post and Vox are two left-wing media outlets that published stories this week claiming that a Montana-based NIH scientist is appealing to the Trump administration to end its ban on federal funds for research that uses fetal tissue from the body parts of aborted babies so he can develop a treatment for the infection caused by the coronavirus.

According to the reports, NIH immunologist Dr. Kim Hasenkrug claims he has been unable to conduct experiments on possible cures for the infection because he cannot obtain aborted fetal tissue.

WaPo stated:

According to several researchers familiar with the situation, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive internal dispute, such experiments could be particularly fruitful. Just months ago, before the new coronavirus began to infect people around the world, other U.S. scientists made two highly relevant discoveries. They found that specialized mice could be transplanted with human fetal tissue that develops into lungs — the part of the body the new coronavirus invades. These “humanized mice,” they also found, could then be infected with coronaviruses — to which ordinary mice are not susceptible — closely related to the one that causes the new disease, covid-19.

However, the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), the research arm of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, said the claim is coming from those who are “shamelessly exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, playing on people’s fears at a vulnerable time so that a select few can continue to use aborted fetal tissue in their research.”

CLI continued:

The fact is there are modern, successful alternatives available. Already, over 60 potential treatments are under investigation – none of which need aborted fetal tissue to fight coronavirus. Instead of wasting precious time listening to these dishonest claims, we should continue to focus our attention on successful, ethical alternatives that don’t require the exploitation of baby body parts, taxpayer dollars, and public sentiment that just wants a swift and compassionate end to this crisis.

In fact, on Thursday, President Donald Trump said his administration would make the malaria drug chloroquine available “almost immediately” to treat the infection caused by the coronavirus.

Studies are showing chloroquine can both prevent and treat coronavirus in the cells of primates, but it is not yet FDA-approved for COVID-19.

The FDA will make the drug available under the “compassionate use” program until it undergoes a clinical trial.