Days after saying that Hydroxychloroquine is among the drugs being tested for treating COVID-19, Donald Trump has once again repeated his claim that the anti-malarial drug can be effective in treating the novel coronavirus. "HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains - Thank You! Hopefully, they will BOTH (H works better with A, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents) be put in use IMMEDIATELY. PEOPLE ARE DYING, MOVE FAST, and GOD BLESS EVERYONE!" the President of America tweeted out on Saturday night (IST).

Expectedly, Trump's tweet has caused much controversy. "The combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to treat the coronavirus has not been proven safe and effective through large scale clinical trials. There is only anecdotal evidence from case reports in countries overseas. Promising them as miracle drugs gives false hope," says Eugene Gu, MD, a doctor.

Dr Edsel Salvana, a health expert, has a caveat: "Please don't take hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) plus Azithromycin for #COVID19 UNLESS your doctor prescribes it. Both drugs affect the QT interval of your heart and can lead to arrhythmias and sudden death, especially if you are taking other meds or have a heart condition."

On the other hand, the likes of Michael Coudrey (an entrepreneur and activist) are of the view that the combination is beneficial. "NEW DATA: A French study has demonstrated evidence that the combination of Hydroxychloroquine & Azithromycin are highly effective in treating Covid-19. The patients enrolled in the study showed complete viral eradication around the 5th day of treatment," he writes.