After the World Health Organization (WHO) temporarily banned the use of hydroxychloroquine for the potential treatment of Covid-19, the ICMR said on Tuesday that studies in India have not revealed any major side effects of hydroxychloroquine and therefore, it should be continued to be used as a preventive treatment for Covid-19.

Significantly, the World Health Organization said on Monday that an ongoing global drug trial of a possible treatment for Covid-19 would temporarily remove hydroxychloroquine. The United Nations Health Organization has said that experts will analyze the data to adequately evaluate the potential benefits and disadvantages of this drug.

WHO Director-General in Geneva Tedros Edhanom Ghebreyes said the drug has been temporarily removed from global drug testing and he cited a study published in the Lancet Journal on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine and their effects on hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Scientists in the study team said that patients who were being given this drug when used alone or with a 'macrolide' (antibiotics, usually given to the patient when infected with the bacteria) So they measured the high mortality rate, whereas the WHO director general said that the working group temporarily halted the use of hydroxycloquine under test until the data safety monitoring board reviews the safety data.