ANALYSIS
Emmanuel Macron's trip to Marseille to meet with Professor Didier Raoult on Thursday made a lot of noise. The results of his latest study were presented by the doctor to the Head of State. They conclude that hydroxychloroquine is effective against Covid-19, which was already stated in its previous publication. But again, the method is challenged.
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Professor Raoult's critics oppose him the same criticism. Admittedly, the treatment was tested this time on more than 1,000 positive patients against a few dozen during the previous test. They were given hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for at least three days. After ten days, almost 92% of the patients were cured, for five unfortunately dead elderly people. This experience makes Didier Raoult say that the treatment is effective and safe.
No control group
But many scientists note a pitfall: the professor has still not set up a control group as is the usual procedure for this type of study. Another group of 1,000 people who were ill, but to whom he would not have given treatment, should have been trained to see how the disease would have progressed without hydroxychloroquine. Then, the results of the two groups should have been compared.
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85% of patients normally recover covid-19 spontaneously without any treatment. The result of Professor Raoult's study therefore appears much less miraculous, especially since the test includes 95% of patients whose degree of severity of the disease is considered to be low.
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The problem posed is always the same: Didier Raoult continues to affirm that his treatment works and a majority of the scientific community continues to say that no rigorous study validates it for the moment