Coronavirus: Emmanuel Macron makes a surprise visit to Professor Raoult's

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Emmanuel Macron went to Marseille on Thursday April 9 to meet with Professor Didier Raoult, who recommends the prescription of chloroquine for Covid-19 patients, but whose position and methods are not unanimous in the scientific community .

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The visit had not been announced to the very media professor Marseilles, but Emmanuel Macron estimated that he could not ignore a meeting with Didier Raoult, even if this doctor is at the heart of a scientific controversy on the chloroquine. A divisive and media personality, he has received numerous support, starting with that of the mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi, whom he treated.

So far, the Minister of Health has opted for caution on chloroquine pending the results of studies in progress. Coming to Marseille, Emmanuel Macron wanted to send a signal of support to Didier Raoult who took advantage of this visit to give the president the results of a study showing, according to him, the effectiveness of his treatment? Absolutely not, according to an adviser to the Head of State who explains that this trip should not be considered as "recognition" and that the debate must be settled "scientifically".

A few days before his next speech, Emmanuel Macron wanted in any case to show the French that he was taking all the trials on the treatments into consideration by going to Marseille after having met the research teams of the Kremlin-Bicêtre hospital . If once again the press was not invited, we must not sum up this Thursday's meeting " one on one with Didier Raoult ", warns the entourage of the president, but with a desire to salute the mobilization of researchers French. An official consensual message, but one that cannot minimize the symbolic nature of this meeting.

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• France
• Emmanuel Macron
• Coronavirus