US cancels emergency use of hydroxychloroquine

he US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked emergency use of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus.

In March, the FDA granted the emergency use of the drug for some serious cases. But on Monday it now said clinical studies suggested that hydroxychloroquine was ineffective in treating the deadly virus and failed to prevent infection among those exposed to it.

President Donald Trump defended promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment of Covid-19.

Responding to the FDA's decision, Mr Trump said that he had previously taken the drug preventatively with no side effects.

The 74-year-old president said that many people had told him it had saved their lives.

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