The anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine does not accelerate the recovery of COVID-19 patients, Chinese scientists claim.

Patients who received this drug reported fewer symptoms, however, the duration of treatment was the same as those patients who did not receive the drug.

According to The Daily Mail, the safety of hydroxychloroquine also raises some questions: such clinical trials in Brazil had to be stopped because a quarter of the patients developed heart rhythm problems.

It is believed that hydroxychloroquine improves the outcome for those infected by their ability to control the immune system.

Chinese researchers tested hydroxychloroquine in 75 COVID-19 patients. Their data were compared with the data of the control group not receiving the drug.

Patients received the drug for 2 or 3 weeks, depending on the severity of the disease. Their condition was checked 28 days after diagnosis. After a month there was no statistical difference in the detection rates of the virus in both groups: 85.4% versus 81.3%. The most common side effect of taking the drug was diarrhea (10% of cases).