Here’s a link to an article from the Middle East Eye website which reports that a Turkish health official states that patients in Turkey who are treated with the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in the early stages of COVID-19 have a reduced chance of developing pneumonia.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-turkey-hydroxychloroquine-malaria-treatment-progress
From the article:
The Turkish official told MEE that the drug was effective against pneumonia, which is seen as among the leading causes of death for coronavirus patients.
Most of the patients taken to intensive care or who are put on ventilators are there because they have developed pneumonia.
“The minister, instead of underlying the importance of the drug itself, has pointed out the benefit of using the drug in the early stages, before the patient becomes severely ill,” the official said.
Statistics released by the Turkish health ministry on Tuesday showed that since beginning the treatment, new cases of lung disease among coronavirus patients have greatly decreased.