Coronavirus and hydroxychloroquine: What do we know?

Drugs normally used to treat malaria, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, have been touted as potential treatments for coronavirus.

The treatments have been promoted and used by some world leaders, but concerns have been raised about their safety and efficacy.

We've looked at what we know so far about these drugs.

Why have these drugs gained prominence?
US President Donald Trump revealed earlier this month that he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure against Covid-19, but then said he'd stopped.

Mr Trump has repeatedly referred to its potential in White House briefings. At a press conference in April, he said: "What do you have to lose? Take it."

President Bukele of El Salvador has said he and "other world leaders" were also taking it.

And Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro claimed in a video that "hydroxychloroquine is working in all places". It was subsequently removed by Facebook for breaching its misinformation guidelines.

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Following Mr Trump's comments, there was a sharp increase reported in prescriptions in the US for both hydroxychloroquine and the related drug, chloroquine.

The publicity given to these drugs has also led to a global surge in demand for them.

What are the concerns about safety?
There is growing alarm in the scientific community about using such drugs to treat coronavirus.

Hydroxychloroquine is safe for treating malaria, and conditions like lupus or arthritis, but so far no clinical trials have recommended it for use against Covid-19.