BFF-26 WHO suspends trial of hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 treatment over safety concerns

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BFF-26

HEALTH-VIRUS-WHO

URGENT

WHO suspends trial of hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 treatment over
safety concerns

GENEVA, May 25, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The World Health Organization said
Monday that it had “temporarily” suspended clinical trials of
hydroxychloriquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 being carried
out across a range of countries as a precautionary measure.

The decision came after the publication last week of a study in the
Lancet indicating that the using the drug on COVID-19 patients could
increase their likelihood of dying, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference, adding that the
WHO-backed trials had been “suspended while the safety is reviewed.”

BSS/AFP/MRU/2250hrs