Bahrain claims success with anti-malarial drug used on coronavirus patients

Bahrain says that hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug promoted by US President Donald Trump to treat COVID-19, was successful in treating coronavirus patients.
Researches at the University of Minnesota Genomics Center set up an automated liquid handler as researchers begin a trial to see whether malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine can prevent or reduce the severity of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Craig Lassig - RC2ANF97R1QI
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Genomics Center set up an automated liquid handler as researchers begin a trial to see whether malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine can prevent or reduce the severity of COVID-19, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 19, 2020. - REUTERS/Craig Lassig
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

The much-touted anti-malarial drug seen as a possible treatment for coronavirus has been used successfully in Bahrain, a top health official said Tuesday.

Bahrain, according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency, is one of the first countries to use the decades-old malaria drug known as hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus patients. The agency quotes Lt. Gen. Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the head of the Bahrain’s coronavirus task force, who said hydroxychloroquine had been effective in “alleviating the symptoms of the virus and reducing its complications.” 

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.

Videos

See more