A global trial that will test whether controversial anti-malarial drugs choloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can prevent Covid-19 infection has begun recruiting participants in the UK.
The drugs will be trialled at 25 sites worldwide on healthcare staff who do not have Covid-19 but are in contact with patients carrying the virus. These include the Sussex University Hospitals in Brighton and the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
Participants will either be given choloroquine, hydroxychloroquine or a placebo. Results are expected before the end of the year.
The drugs, which have not been proven to reduce risk of infection or treat patients with Covid-19, have been approved for use in multiple countries, including the US and Brazil. This week, US President Donald Trump revealed he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a precaution.
Content from our partners
Related
