Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is rapidly spreading worldwide, resulting in the third outbreak of coronaviruses in the 21st century. The pandemic of COVID-19 constitutes a serious threat to the whole world [1]. To control the pandemic of COVID-19, effective and easily accessible antiviral drugs and vaccines are urgently needed, in addition to the implementation of epidemiological measures such as strict quarantine. However, until now, no drugs have been demonstrated to be effective against COVID-19. Among the various drugs under investigation are repurposed anti-malarial drugs chloroquine (CQ) and its analog hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which are among the most used drugs because they are easy to obtain and have a proven favorable safety record at relatively low cost. CQ/HCQ are derivatives of 4-aminoquinoline. They are lipophilic weak bases that quickly pass across cell membranes and accumulate in acidic organelles, such as lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi [2]. CQ/HCQ are used to treat and prevent malaria attacks due to their anti-plasmodium activity and to treat autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) owing to their immunomodulatory activity [3]. In addition, CQ/HCQ display antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities [4]. In vitro studies have shown that CQ/HCQ possess antiviral activity against RNA viruses, such as HIV [5], rabies virus [6] and polio virus [7] and various DNA viruses as diverse as hepatitis B virus [8] and herpes simplex virus [9]. This article reviews the current status of CQ/HCQ against SARS-CoV-2 and their use in the treatment of COVID-19.