Out of safety concerns, and in an effort to gather more data, the World Health Organization temporarily halted tests on hydroxychloroquine in its Covid-19 drug trials.

“It’s important to continue to gather evidence on the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine,” WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said at a press briefing in Geneva. “We want to use it if it’s safe and efficacious, reduces mortality, reduces the length of hospitalization without increasing adverse events.”

After President Trump boasted of the drug as an effective treatment the WHO commitee decided to halt trials. It has recently been published that the drug may be linked to an increased risk of death and heart issues. 

“It’s important to continue to gather evidence on the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine,” WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said at a press briefing in Geneva. “We want to use it if it’s safe and efficacious, reduces mortality, reduces the length of hospitalization without increasing adverse events.”

The studies may resume if data warrants, Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said at a briefing. There’s no signals from the Solidarity trials that indicate any problem and the decision was made out of an “abundance of caution,” Ryan said.

This decision will be reviewed. Thoughts on the popular anti-malarial drug curing Covid-19?