Trump’s V.I.P. Medical Care Could Do More Harm Than Good

President Donald Trump is getting almost every medication available to help him fight off the new coronavirus. That might not be a good thing.

It’s a well-established phenomenon with its own name: V.I.P. Syndrome. Wealthy and well-known patients often have easy access to the most cutting-edge medical treatments. Taking care of high-profile personalities can put physicians under added public pressure, increasing the incentive to try out highly touted new medicines and procedures.

The aggressive embrace of exotic and unproven therapies can be a double-edged sword if it leads doctors to bypass standard care. Disease has no regard for prestige or ...