A malaria drug President Donald Trump took to try to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) proved ineffective for that in the first large, high-quality study to test it in people in close contact with someone with the disease. The drug did not seem to cause serious harm, though — about 40 percent on it had side effects, mostly mild stomach problems. Hydroxychloroquine and a similar drug, chloroquine, have been the subject of much debate since Trump started promoting them in March. Participants were not all tested for the coronavirus but were diagnosed as Covid-19 cases based on symptoms in many cases. But the study “takes ‘home run’ off the table” as far as hopes for the drug, he said.

Source: Manila Times June 04, 2020 05:13 UTC