* patients with contraindication to the use of hydroxychloroquine e.g. known allergy to hydroxychloroquine * patients enrolled in another interventional study which may interfere with study results * patients on medication that are known to have clinically significant interactions with the study drug e.g. digoxin, piperaquine, lumefantrine. * patients presenting with severe/critically ill covid-19 (world health organization ordinal scale for clinical improvement score of 5 or more) * patients with a fever( temperature ≥ 37.5 degrees centigrade) and a positive rapid diagnostic test (rdt) result for malaria * patients with corrected qt interval (qtc) prolongation of \> 450ms for males and \>470ms for females * pregnant or breastfeeding women * patients on chronic hydroxychloroquine use

* patients with contraindication to the use of hydroxychloroquine e.g. known allergy to hydroxychloroquine * patients enrolled in another interventional study which may interfere with study results * patients on medication that are known to have clinically significant interactions with the study drug e.g. digoxin, piperaquine, lumefantrine. * patients presenting with severe/critically ill covid-19 (world health organization ordinal scale for clinical improvement score of 5 or more) * patients with a fever( temperature ≥ 37.5 degrees centigrade) and a positive rapid diagnostic test (rdt) result for malaria * patients with corrected qt interval (qtc) prolongation of \> 450ms for males and \>470ms for females * pregnant or breastfeeding women * patients on chronic hydroxychloroquine use

- patients with contraindication to the use of hydroxychloroquine e.g. known allergy to hydroxychloroquine - patients enrolled in another interventional study which may interfere with study results - patients on medication that are known to have clinically significant interactions with the study drug e.g. digoxin, piperaquine, lumefantrine. - patients presenting with severe/critically ill covid-19 (world health organization ordinal scale for clinical improvement score of 5 or more) - patients with a fever( temperature ≥ 37.5 degrees centigrade) and a positive rapid diagnostic test (rdt) result for malaria - patients with corrected qt interval (qtc) prolongation of > 450ms for males and >470ms for females - pregnant or breastfeeding women - patients on chronic hydroxychloroquine use

- patients with contraindication to the use of hydroxychloroquine e.g. known allergy to hydroxychloroquine - patients enrolled in another interventional study which may interfere with study results - patients on medication that are known to have clinically significant interactions with the study drug e.g. digoxin, piperaquine, lumefantrine. - patients presenting with severe/critically ill covid-19 (world health organization ordinal scale for clinical improvement score of 5 or more) - patients with a fever( temperature ≥ 37.5 degrees centigrade) and a positive rapid diagnostic test (rdt) result for malaria - patients with corrected qt interval (qtc) prolongation of > 450ms for males and >470ms for females - pregnant or breastfeeding women - patients on chronic hydroxychloroquine use