Brazilian chloroquine study halted after high dose proved lethal for some patients
A Brazilian study investigating whether the anti-malaria drug chloroquine was effective in treating patients with Covid-19 was halted on safety concerns, after a high dose of the drug proved lethal for some patients.
Chloroquine, and a related drug, hydroxychloroquine, in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin, has been touted as a potential treatment for coronavirus by Donald Trump despite a lack of evidence.
The findings were published as a letter in the journal Nature raised alarm about serious heart risks associated with Covid-19 patients taking the drugs and the US Food and Drug Administration warned of serious heart complications.
Donald Trump has previously urged Americans to take hydroxychloroquine, although he has apparently backed away from the drug in recent days, and on Thursday even suggested that injections of disinfectant could cure Covid-19 – an idea that was swiftly refuted by experts, who warned the public “please don’t inject bleach”. [Continue reading…]