Pause in WHO hydroxychloroquine testing

World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that it will temporarily drop hydroxychloroquine - malaria drug US President Trump says he is taking - from its global study into experimental COVID-19 treatments, saying that its experts need to review all available evidence to date.

In a press briefing, WHO director-general Tedros ham Ghebreyesus said that in light of a paper published last week in Lancet that showed people taking hydroxychloroquine were at higher risk of death and heart problems, re would be “a temporary pause” on hydroxychloroquine arm of its global clinical trial.

“This concern relates to use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19,” Tedros said, ding that drugs are approved treatments for people with malaria or autoimmune diseases.

Or treatments in trial, including experimental drug remdesivir and an HIV combination rapy, are still being tested.

Last week, Trump anunced he was taking hydroxychloroquine although he has t tested positive for COVID-19.

His own ministration has warned drug can have dely side effects, and both European Medicines ncy and U.S. Food and Drug ministration warned health professionals last month that drug should t be used to treat COVID-19 outside of hospital or research settings due to numerous serious side effects that in some cases can be fatal.

WHO officials have also renewed praise for China in response to COVID-19 outbreak, citing its "openness" to prospect of scientific inquiries involving foreign experts into origins of vel coronavirus.

Dr Michael Ryan, WHO's emergencies chief, said WHO were in "day to day" discussions with China regarding scientific inquiries into animal origin of coronavirus.

"And I am very pleased to hear a very consistent mess coming from China, which is one of openness to such an approach," he said.

Trump has repeatedly criticised WHO leership, once calling it a "pipe organ" for China in handling of outbreak.

He has also pointed to unspecified intelligence suggesting virus originated in a lab in Chinese city of Wuhan, a claim denied by lab officials.

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