Trump says he will finish his hydroxychloroquine regime 'in a day or two'

'The FDA is aware of reports of serious heart rhythm problems in patients with Covid-19 treated with hydroxychloroquine,' agency has warned

Donald Trump says he should finish his prescription of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug he is pushing to treat coronavirus despite warnings of negative side effects by his own health agencies, in "a day or two."

The president announced matter-of-factly earlier this week about the medication: "I happen to be taking it" before minutes later suggesting he revealed the information to see reporters' eyes "light up" as he did.

Mr Trump on Tuesday said he started taking the medication because "a young man close to me" contracted the virus, appearing to cite a military valet who tested positive recently. He also noted Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, also tested positive. She is married to one of his top policy advisers, Stephen Miller.

The president on Tuesday dismissed a Veterans Department study on hydroxychloroquine, which found the malaria drug that is unproven to prevent or treat coronavirus could lead to dangerous side effects, was conducted using patients who were "almost dead" and "in very bad shape."

Mr Trump, defying warnings from multiple federal health agencies, claims to be taking the medication as a Covid-19 prevention measure.

The Veterans Affairs study featured 368 patients in a number of VA hospitals, concluding there was "no evidence" the antimalarial drug lowered the patients' risk of death or needing a ventilator when they were given hydroxychloroquine in combination with any drug . What's more, those in the study who were treated with just hydroxychloroquine were more likely to pass away.

White House aides on Monday night released a memo from the top White House physician, Navy Commander Sean Conley, contending that Mr Trump began taking hydroxychloriquine after that military valet tested positive for Covid-19.

Mr Trump has pushed the medication for months. The New York Times has reported his family has a financial tie to one of the parent companies of one of the drug's manufacturers. The president denies is making any money off hydroxychloroquine.

Medical professionals have prescribed it mostly as a possible treatment drug. What Mr Trump and Commander Conley described, however, was a preventative prescription.

The Conley memo never stated he wrote a prescription for Mr Trump to obtain the controversial antimalarial medication.

The president, who has been a contrarian since he was a private citizen who was mulling a political career, continued that on Monday. He revealed he was taking the malaria medication despite a dire warning published late last month by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"The FDA is aware of reports of serious heart rhythm problems in patients with Covid-19 treated with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, often in combination with azithromycin and other QT prolonging medicines. We are also aware of increased use of these medicines through outpatient prescriptions," the agency said. "Therefore, we would like to remind healthcare professionals and patients of the known risks associated with both hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. We will continue to investigate risks associated with the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for Covid-19 and communicate publicly when we have more information."

"Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing Covid-19. They are being studied in clinical trials for Covid-19, and we authorised their temporary use during the Covid-19 pandemic for treatment of the virus in hospitalised patients when clinical trials are not available," the agency warned. "Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can cause abnormal heart rhythms such as QT interval prolongation and a dangerously rapid heart rate called ventricular tachycardia."

But Mr Trump on Tuesday claimed the anti-malaria drug has had "no effect" on him.