Korea has long ceased to use hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that has recently been reaffirmed to be ineffective for treating Covid-19 infections, according to health officials. 

In June, Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention, said that the nation was not conducting clinical trials to check the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine on Covid-19 due to its various side effects even before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration halted the drug’s emergency use.

On Wednesday, a Spanish research team presented its study results of a randomized clinical trial of 2,314 people who had contacted confirmed patients. Researchers said they could not find the significant efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in preventing or treating the new coronavirus infection.

Among the 2,314 participants, the research team placed 1,116 people in the hydroxychloroquine administration group and the remaining members in a general treatment group. In 14 days, researchers confirmed 138 Covid-19 cases of the 2,314 people. However, they could not find a significant difference between the two groups as 64 people administered with hydroxychloroquine and 74 participants who received general treatment tested positive.

Side effects occurred more in the hydroxychloroquine administration group than in the general treatment group, but these symptoms were not severe.

"Hydroxychloroquine did not lower transmission of the Covid-19 virus or forming antibody fighting against the disease," the research team noted. "The findings provided evidence that hydroxychloroquine does not help to prevent Covid-19 infection or developing symptoms."

U.S. President Donald Trump praised hydroxychloroquine, describing it as a "game-changer" for the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the U.S. National Institute of Health recently made a final announcement that they also could not find the drug to have effectiveness over the Covid-19.