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President Donald Trump isn't the only one looking to hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19.
Oregon Department of Corrections infectious disease specialist Dr. Daniel Dewsnup recently requested the antimalarial drug to treat inmates afflicted with the coronavirus, department spokeswoman Jennifer Black said.
The department purchased the drug "both for usual use as an anti-inflammatory drug in patients with rheumatologic disorders, and also a limited quantity for COVID-19 use," Black said in an email to WW.
Black later clarified that the department did not order additional hydroxychloroquine solely for COVID-19 treatment, because its pharmacies already have a sufficient supply on hand.
She says ODOC would treat patients afflicted with COVID-19 with hydroxychloroquine, but declined to tell WW how many inmates, if any, it had treated with the drug.
Last month, the Oregon Pharmacy Board approved the drug "for a seriously ill patient in an institutional setting, such as Correctional Facilities and Long-Term Care Facilities, who would otherwise be hospitalized," the Associated Press reported.
Still, uncertainty surrounds the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says hydroxychloroquine has not been approved for treatment of COVID-19, and the Food and Drug Administration warns it is not "safe or effective" in treating the virus and can cause heart problems.
Despite the risks, President Trump himself has been taking the drug to stave off the virus, The New York Times reported May 18.