Widely disputed research that wasted time and potentially endangered people during the pandemic is finally dead in the ground.
Many experts were skeptical about the studys findings, however, and subsequent studies failed to replicate its results.
The findings led to a surge of interest in the drug.
A vendor displaying hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets at a pharmacy in Amritsar, India© Narinder Naru/AFP via Getty
A day after the study was published, President Trumptoutedthe combination therapy as a game changer for the pandemic.
The team identified several potential ethical lapses.
The patients may have also been given azithromycin without proper permission.
At least ten other papers authored by Raoult havealso been retractedby Elsevier this year.
Perhaps the most damaging legacy of this study is the futile wild goose chase it set in motion.
Scientists were able to find other, older drugs that were actually effective for covid-19, particularly the steroiddexamethasone.
Thanks to these drugs and innovations like vaccines, Covid-19 is now much less of a public health threat.
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