A common drug used to treat malaria might be the cure to COVID-19 until a vaccine is developed, doctors and researchers around the world say.

Doctors in Australia, France and elsewhere say they’ve had success treating coronavirus patients with hydroxychloroquine, a readily available drug that treats malaria, lupus and arthritis.

A French study with a small sample size showed it to be 100 percent effective. In Australia, a University of Queensland study that used the anti-malaria drug in combination with an anti-HIV drug also was highly effective. The Queensland team is now using the drugs in a clinical trial. 

“Prior to the clinical trials going ahead, the medications were given to some of the first Australian patients infected with COVID-19, and all have completely recovered without any trace of the virus left in their system,” David Paterson of the University of Queensland said in a press release. 

“These medications have the potential to be a real cure for all, unlike the random anecdotal experiences of some people.”

The university’s press release called it a “coronavirus cure.” 

The French study, led by researcher Didier Raoult and his team, has received worldwide attention. In it, six COVID-19 patients were given Plaquenil – a brand-name hydroxychloroquine drug – in tandem with the antibiotic drug azithromycin, Forbes reported. All six patients tested negative…