By Canadian Press

Caution on chloroquine as Canada joins global drug-testing effort: Tam

Mar 23, 2020 | 10:56 AM

OTTAWA — Canada’s top public health official is warning against the use of untested drugs to treat COVID-19 amid buzz around the potential effectiveness of an anti-malaria medication.

President Donald Trump caused a stir last weekend when he touted chloroquine as a possible treatment for virus victims, and even decreed it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

That turned out not to be true, but it did spark interest in the drug around the world.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says chloroquine is just one of a “vast suite” of existing drugs being tested for use against the virus and that the medication should not be taken until those scientific tests are complete.

She says to do otherwise might not only be ineffective, it could also be dangerous, as all drugs come with side effects.

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Canada is part of a massive global study started by the World Health Organization to look into the use chloroquine and other potential treatments for COVID-19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2020.

The Canadian Press