A doctor has warned that patients with auto-immune diseases will be negatively impacted by a global stockpiling of hydroxychloroquine, after US President Donald Trump said he is taking it as a preventative measure against Covid-19.
Consultant rheumatologist Dr Laura Durcan said there is "absolutely no data" that hydroxychloroquine is effective for use against the new coronavirus.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Sarah McInerney, Dr Durcan said taking the anti-malarial drug for use to prevent Covid-19 is "absolute lunacy".
Studies have found it to be ineffective, and the US Food and Drug Administration has warned of the potential for serious side effects associated with it.