Has a great tolerability profile... few side effects, though we are not entirely sure of that in Covid-19 sick patients.

The risks of this not working include:

- depletion of drug supplies (really bad news for patients with Lupus and RA, as well as those in malaria infected regions of the world)

- if doctors are focused on hydroxychloroquine, then there will be delays on investigating other potential therapies, thereby delaying the discovery and use of those

In other words, if every patient believes hydroxychloroquine is the answer, very few will enroll in trials for antiretrovirals and such.

Thus, high risk to commit without knowing for sure.  Importantly, it is clearly available, so no need to dramatize.  The issue is on giving or not the scientific/medical seal of approval which, if wrong, guarantees the above drawbacks.