U.S. sending 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine and 1,000 ventilators to Brazil

The U.S. has delivered 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and will soon send 1,000 ventilators to Brazil, according to a joint statement from both countries released on Sunday.

“HCQ will be used as a prophylactic to help defend Brazil’s nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals against the virus. It will also be used as a therapeutic to treat Brazilians who become infected.” the statement read.

The statement also revealed the formation of a joint research effort to help combat coronavirus in the two countries.

“Further, in continuation of the two countries’ longstanding collaboration on health issues, we are also announcing a joint United States-Brazilian research effort that will include randomized controlled clinical trials.”

The U.S. and Brazil are the two countries with the highest registered number of coronavirus cases worldwide.

The move came after the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced it has temporarily halted studying hydroxychloroquine as a potential coronavirus treatment due to safety concerns. The decision was made following an observational study published in the medical journal, The Lancet, which described how seriously ill Covid-19 patients who were treated with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were more likely to die.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against the use of hydroxychloroquine outside of clinical trials and that there are currently no released studies on using the drug as a prophylaxis, or preventative treatment.