A viewer asks: “Does hydroxychloroquine have advantages over quinine as an antiviral in treating coronavirus infections, and a better or worse side effect profile?”

It has better bioavailability, tissue distribution, and antiviral activity and accordingly a more favorable side effect profile relative to the therapeutic index comparing effectiveness versus safety, so it is a very worthwhile advance over the much older, natural product. As always, response to any agent may be case-specific. Some people will tolerate it better than others but with everything carrying some risk of side effects, it is often best to go with the agent with greater efficacy, all other things being equal, because there will be a correspondingly greater likelihood of having a good outcome from the risk taken and this, of course, is particularly the case when dealing with treating an infection that could well leave lasting tissue damage or result in a fatality.