Professor Didier Raoult, who is controversial by recommending taking chloroquine against the coronavirus, will not attend the next meetings of the scientific council gathered around the government. However, he did not resign.

Didier Raoult steps back from the scientific council. The professor of the IHU of Marseille, who is controversial by recommending the use of chloroquine against the coronavirus, will no longer participate in the next meetings of the college of experts who advises the executive on the disease.

"Didier Raoult has not resigned from the scientific council. Busy with the management of the Mediterranean IHU infection, he will not participate in the next meetings," said an IHU spokesperson, denying information from Les Echos assuring that Professor Raoult "slammed the door" of this council.

"Didier Raoult has not resigned from the Scientific Council. Busy with the management of the IHU Méditerranée Infection, he will not participate in the next meetings." (Source close Didier Raoult) @ Europe1

- Jean-Rémi Baudot (@jrbaudot) March 24, 2020

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He tests chloroquine on his patients

On the first two opinions (dated March 12 and 14) of this council, made public by the Ministry of Health, the name of Professor Raoult appears with the words "excused". On the other hand, his name does not appear in the list of members on the third opinion, dated March 16.

Didier Raoult, director of the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée infection and recognized specialist in infectious diseases, is currently testing chloroquine - an antimalarial - on patients with Covid-19. On Sunday, his team announced their intention to administer "hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin" to all infected patients.

>> READ - Chloroquine, a drug that is debating

Treatment authorized only for severe cases of coronavirus

Several elected officials are mounting the pressure to quickly generalize the use of chloroquine. As for Donald Trump, he has praised its merits on several occasions. But the scientific community is far from sharing this opinion.

The Minister of Health Olivier Véran said Monday that he was preparing to authorize treatment with hydroxychloroquine but only for severe forms and in a hospital setting "on the collegial decision of doctors" and promised an order on the subject. "In the absence of any convincing data", it is however excluded to prescribe it in the general population or for non-severe cases.

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