WASHINGTON, May 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he will finish his preventative hydroxychloroquine regimen "in a day or two."

"I think the regimen finishes in a day or two. I think it's in two days," Trump told reporters at a White House event.

The comments came two days after he announced he had taken the anti-malaria drug on a daily basis for some two weeks as a preventative measure against the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

Trump has frequently touted hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for the coronavirus, despite warnings that it can cause heart problems.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned last month against the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 "outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial due to risk of heart rhythm problems."

"Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19," the FDA said in a release. "They are being studied in clinical trials for COVID-19."