Trials of hydroxychloroquine for prevention of COVID-19 ongoing, WHO says

Hydroxychloroquine can be ruled out as a treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients — but the World Health Organization says it is aware of ongoing trials into its value as a preventative measure.

A decades-old malaria and rheumatoid arthritis drug, hydroxychloroquine has been at the center of political and scientific controversy.

On Wednesday, the WHO decided to halt its trials of the drug for novel coronavirus patients in the hospital, after evidence from its own work and others that it had no effect on reducing the mortality rate.

But the UN health agency says non-WHO trials into whether it might be useful in guarding against the virus have not yet concluded.

“As far as the use of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis or prevention of COVID-19 — either before or after exposure — the last word is not yet out,” WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan tells a virtual press conference.