Trump unexpectedly revealed he was taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that his government experts said was unsuitable for anti-nCoV.

"I'm taking hydroxychloroquine right now. That's right, I started taking it a few weeks ago," US President Donald Trump said at a meeting with the restaurant industry executives at the White House on May 18.

Trump, noting that he had been negative for nCoV and had no symptoms, said he took the drug as a precaution.

According to the US President, his use of drugs has been approved by the White House doctor.

The US president said he received many "positive calls" from people he could not identify, telling him about anti-malarial drugs, including a letter from a New York doctor.

In contrast, the US government's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against the use of hydroxychloroquine to prevent or treat Covid-19, noting the reported side effects including "issues.

Earlier this month, a health newspaper in New York proposed combining hydroxychloroquine with dietary zinc sulfate, which has anti-viral properties, that could create a more effective treatment than Covid-19.

Trump argues that there is nothing to lose when trying out possible treatments.

The US President also stressed once again that he "has no symptoms" of nCoV infection.

Covi-19 has appeared in more than 210 countries and territories, causing nearly 4.9 million people infected and nearly 320 deaths.

Updated: 9:16, 19/5 | Source: WorldOMeters