The World Health Organization has temporarily paused its research into the drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine after a new report warns hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine do more harm than good for COVID-19 sufferers.
In a news conference, the agency’s director-general, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus cited a study, published Friday in the medical journal Lancet, which examined the drugs’ effect on nearly 100,000 coronavirus patients. It concluded that the two medications put patients at a greater risk of death or serious health ailments.
“The review will consider data collected so far in the Solidarity Trial and in particular robust randomised available data, to adequately evaluate the potential benefits and harms from this drug,” Ghebreyesus said.
President Trump last week announced that he was taking hydroxychloroquine along with zinc under supervision of a physician.
“The other arms of the trial are continuing,” Dr. Samba Sow, director general of the Center for Vaccine Development in Mali said. “This concern relates to the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19. I wish to reiterate that these drugs are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria.”
