Hydroxychloroquine: for the treatment of malaria, or is it for COVID-19?

Malaria is caused by the blood parasites of the genus Plasmodium. There are more than 150 named species of Plasmodium which infect various species of vertebrates. More than 500 million individuals are infected with malaria, and about 3 million people a year, mostly children, die from the disease. The best treatment used for malaria is hydroxychloroquine. With the COVID-19 pandemic, patients were found to have a severe inflammatory reaction in the lungs. The use of hydroxychloroquine was found to relieve symptoms in some patients. Trials and experimentation are still ongoing to find the best cure and preventive measure for COVID-19.