A FARNHAM woman was interviewed live on Fox News last week, to address comments by the US president that an anti-malarial drug is a "total game changer" in the fight against coronavirus.

Carol Lynch heads the US division of pharmaceutical company Novartis, whose drug Hydroxychloroquine has been promoted by Donald Trump as a possible treatment for Covid-19.

She confirmed there were “encouraging” early reports that the drug was effective in tackling the virus, but urged caution as the evidence was “really very limited”.

“I know it’s frustrating waiting for the studies to come out,” she said. “We’re dealing with a crisis right now, but we will live with this disease likely for the longer term, and it’s really important we get this data to best inform us how to use this drug.”

It comes after Trump told Fox News: "Hydroxychloroquine is something that I have been pushing... I think it might be successful... We’re going to have a good idea over the next three days..."

The President later told reporters that the drug would be a "total game changer".