https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/chloroquine-covid-19-and-lupus/

The recent announcement that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved the “compassionate use” of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with coronavirus disease has been received with mixed emotions around the globe. While many have hailed this move as a welcome development in the search for therapeutics against the COVID-19 pandemic, some find the news concerning.

Chloroquine is a synthetic drug introduced in the 1940s. It is a member of an important series of chemically related agents known as quinoline derivatives. Hydroxychloroquine is a related compound that was introduced in 1955. Both drugs are used in the treatment of tropical diseases such as malaria and amebiasis. But they are also useful in the treatment of various skin conditions and diseases of the joints such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. This is the source of apprehension among doctors working in developing economies.