Er called it a “game changer” and he had a “good feeling” with it. Since US President Trump praised the old malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in a press conference and in later tweets as a supposed miracle weapon against the coronavirus, the drug’s hamster purchases have skyrocketed in the United States and worldwide. The German Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) has also secured “larger quantities” of the preparation as a precaution.
Trump’s optimism is premature. The data available for hydroxychloroquine in use against Covid-19 is thin. Large studies are currently testing whether the old malaria drug really helps against the severe lung disease that the Sars-CoV-2 virus can trigger. In addition, the supposed miracle drug has side effects that can be serious.
Here is an overview of hydroxychloroquine and the current state of knowledge.
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