'I've been on Hydroxychloroquine' says Donald Trump

Washington: President Donald Trump on Monday made the surprise announcement that he is taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that his own government experts say is not suitable for fighting the novel coronavirus.

Trump, noting that he has tested negative for the virus and shows no symptoms, said he'd been taking the drug as a preventative measure for about a week and a half.

"I take a pill every day," he said, adding that he combines this with zinc.

Asked why, he said: "Because I think it's good. I've heard a lot of good stories."

Trump has shown interest for weeks in promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine, even if some doctors think it does not work for coronavirus patients and US government regulators warn it has "not been shown to be safe."