extended family member...70 year old, doctors said he would likely not survive, had the conversations on DNR orders and get things in order. They would not give him hydroxychloroquine until the test showed he was positive for COVID but it took 5 days for the results. He almost passed away during that 5 day wait period (it was very up and down during that wait period). Sure enough test was positive started hydroxychloroquine right away and now he is doing much better. It wasn't immediate like your example but 2 days later not on a ventilator and will recover.

The speed of getting test results matter in my opinion. Frustrating that if this was the true reason he got better that he could have taken it 5 days earlier with a faster test result.