U.S., March 29 -- The Hawai'i Department of Health (DOH) is warning everyone about the hazards and dangers of using non-approved drugs for COVID-19. Antimalarial drugs have been recently reported as possible treatments against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

While hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine prescription medications have been used for the treatment of malaria and certain inflammatory conditions, the efficacy for COVID-19 are unproven and potentially dangerous.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no specific medicine to prevent or treat COVID-19 and a vaccine is not yet available.

"Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can cause severe cardiac toxicity, and in high doses...