It's the most googled medication of the past two weeks, largely due to Donald Trump and TV personality Dr Oz promoting its 'miraculous' effects in fighting the novel coronavirus. But hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are yet to be tested against COVID-19, despite the FDA – following pressure from Trump – allowing their use in emergency cases.
Despite the drug's tremendous popularity in recent days, let's make it clear from the start: hydroxychloroquine is not a cure for COVID-19. As of now there still is no cure. Which may be precisely why so many people wish this story were true. Americans have rushed to check the medication's long name online, prompted by heavy promotion of it by the President and TV personality Dr Oz.
Together the two have touted the drug as effective against COVID-19 no fewer than 30 times already. And yet there is no actual peer-reviewed clinical study that would confirm any of their claims. So, how did the drug become America's most popular one? Hydroxychloroquine has been in use for years, but it was never effective against viruses. Instead, it's a drug proven in treating malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
