COMMENT | Before we make any rash decisions to approve any medications to treat or prevent a specific disease or symptom, there needs to be good evidence that using the medication will improve the outcome of the disease and will not cause more harm than good.

The same principle also applies when we want to repurpose a medication that has been approved for use for another disease, for example, a broad-spectrum antiparasitic medication for viral infection. The drug will still need to go through stringent clinical trials.

We are mindful that currently many people are feeling helpless as the Covid-19 pandemic is raging and appear to spiral out of control, and everyone is looking for a miracle.

Let us stop and learn from history: the story of thalidomide...