Washington: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert against the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19.
The FDA alert on Friday said hydroxychloroquine can have negative effects on the heart, contributing to abnormal heart rhythms that can be life-threatening.
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For those with existing heart problems, the dangers could be even greater, especially if the drug is combined with the antibiotic azithromycin, as some researchers treating COVID-19 patients have done, the Time reported.
Earlier, the FDA had authorised emergency use of hydroxychloroquine by doctors after preliminary studies hinted that the anti-malarial drug may help some patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms to improve
