THE Department of Health (DoH) will discontinue the use of the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine as well as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medications lopinavir and ritonavir to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters on Sunday that the department would stop the usage of the HIV drug concoctions after the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement that the medications had shown “little to no reduction” of the Covid-19 mortality rate.