Yesterday, the US Food and Drug Administration allowed chloroquine and hydroxychloroene to be used as a treatment for the emerging corona virus, but only in hospitals, which are two anti-malarial drugs to which President Donald Trump attaches great hopes.
In a statement, the US Department of Health confirmed that the Food and Drug Administration gave the green light for "doctors to distribute and prescribe (these treatments) to adolescent and adult patients with Covid 19 who are treated in hospitals, appropriately, when clinical trials are not available or possible."
On March 24, the US President praised this drug, saying, "There is a real chance that it will have a tremendous impact. It will be a gift from God if he succeeds."
The controversial French doctor, Didier Rouault, is defending this drug and has presented studies on it that have not entirely convinced the scientific community.
The US health authorities have warned residents not to treat themselves at home. A resident of Arizona (southwest) died after consuming chloroquine phosphate intended for aquarium cleaning.
The National Institute of Health and the Department of Biomedical Research and Development in the United States are working on clinical tests for treatments. A protocol-based test prepared by Professor Raoult, which combines hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin (an antibiotic), will be launched in New York.
In the United States, there are more than 140,000 infections and 2,489 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.