Member-only story
Why Scientists Are Studying if Chloroquine Could Treat Coronavirus
A close look at why this old malaria drug could be promising for Covid-19
As Covid-19 ravages the world, scientists are desperately trying to develop a medication to stop the virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2). Dozens of drugs and vaccine candidates are in various stages of development and testing. Among these is chloroquine, a seemingly strange choice as it has been widely used to treat malaria since the 1940s.
Not only is chloroquine effective in treating malaria, it is inexpensive to make and remarkably well-tolerated by most patients (though it poses the same dangers all medications do if taken without the oversight of a doctor). It was such a good drug in the battle against malaria that it was overused, facilitating the emergence of malaria parasites that are resistant to it.
Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite called Plasmodium. After a mosquito harboring the parasites bites a victim, the parasites make their way to the liver and eventually the red blood cells. Inside red blood cells, the parasites use the hemoglobin as a food source, which is digested in the parasite’s acidic food vacuole. The eventual destruction of red blood cells leads to life-threatening anemia. Consequently…
