ABSTRACT
The febrile respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become the focus of global attention. Up to now, the infection has been continuing to spread all over the world and it is urgent to develop specific drugs for SARS-CoV-2. Finding effective and safe drugs which are already available in the market for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the main strategies to solve the problem in time. As quinoline alkaloids against malaria, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been proved to have the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. Quinoline alkaloids are expected to be important drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. In this article, the research and application of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are reviewed from the aspects of pharmacokinetics, drug interaction, clinical research progress, treatment plan optimization and resolution of optical enantiomers. The possible problems are summarized in order to provide reference for further research and clinical application of quinoline alkaloids in the treatment of COVID-19.