University of Minnesota | Wikimedia Commons/Jo-Anne H. Young
University of Minnesota | Wikimedia Commons/Jo-Anne H. Young
The University of Minnesota launched a COVID-19 trial earlier in March.
Researchers at the university are testing hydroxychloroquine, an FDA-approved medicine for the prevention and treatment of malaria, as a post-exposure treatment for the novel coronavirus.
According to the university, recent experiments have shown that hydroxychloroquine is active in a laboratory setting against COVID-19. The trial will determine if it could benefit people.
Up to 1,500 people who have had household contact or are healthcare workers that have been within proximity of an individual with coronavirus symptoms.
Dr. Timothy Schacker, vice dean for research at the University of Minnesota's medical school, told NBC News that he expects the trials to go quickly.
According to the university, the trial is limited to only high-risk exposures, with the intention of the work being completed as quickly as possible with the fewest number of volunteers.
“We are giving the drug to see if we can prevent them from getting infected,” Schacker said.
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