The United Arab Emirates has successfully used hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, UAE health ministry says

While the debate over the use of hydroxychloroquine rages on here in the United States, many countries around the world are finding success with the controversial drug. According to a report from Alarabiya, the United Arab Emirates has been using chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to successfully treat COVID-19 patients amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Dr. Farida al-Hosani, the spokeswoman for UAE health ministry, said on Saturday during a press conference that initial studies have shown success in using the anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory drugs in treating the illness caused by the new coronavirus, Alarabiya reports. Since the virus began in Wuhan, China in December 2019, UAE has recorded 588 recoveries out of 3,736 cases as of Saturday. Only 20 people have died.

Hydroxychloroquine success story is not limited to doctors in UAE. A global survey of 6,227 physicians in 30 countries found hydroxychloroquine is the ‘most effective therapy’ for coronavirus treatment.