"It would have been completely abnormal not to audition him." Almost a week after the president of the Scientific Council Jean-François Delfraissy, it was Professor Didier Raoult's turn to be heard on Wednesday afternoon by the National Assembly's Commission of Inquiry on the coronavirus. A choice which can surprise, so much the Marseilles defender of the hydroxychloroquine was permanently against government policy during the health crisis.
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"It is important that we can understand things"
But "he was part of the landscape of this health crisis", points to the microphone of Europe 1 Brigitte Bourguignon, LREM MP and president of the commission who must hear all points of view, even the most controversial. "There have been controversies about the efficacy or not of chloroquine, it is important that we can understand things," adds vice-president Boris Vallaud. "It is not a question of granting a certificate to each other, of qualifying or disqualifying such and such."
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How could the Marseille IHU be a good student in terms of tests?
In addition to his vision of crisis management, the epidemiologist will also be asked about his withdrawal from the Scientific Council, or even about screening tests. While he continues to assert adamant that if we had listened, there would be "half the victims," Didier Raoult should also explain why some states that the assessment of the IHU Marseilles he heads is better than in the rest of the country.
A point of particular interest to Eric Ciotti, rapporteur of the committee. While the "lack of tests has been one of the major shortcomings of our country", the deputy said at the microphone of Europe 1 that the investigation group "will be keen to see why the example of the institute led by the Professor Raoult was on the contrary a good pupil and was crowned with success as regards tests ".
To make the report as complete and precise as possible, the Commission of Inquiry wants to hear as many scientific and political actors as possible. After Didier Raoult, it will be the turn of Professor Karine Lacombe, very critical of the latter, to be auditioned.