Editing Module:COVID-19 pandemic in France (section)

== Hydroxychloroquine controversy ==
On 17 March 2020, [[Didier Raoult]] of the Mediterranean infectious and tropical disease institute in Marseille and member of the scientific council advising the government announced in a YouTube video entitled "Coronavirus: endgame!" that a trial by his team involving 24 patients supported the claim that [[hydroxychloroquine]] and [[azithromycin]] were effective in treating COVID-19.<ref name="irishtimes4210278"/><ref name="AutoQ7-41"/><ref name=20200330slate>{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/didier-raoult-hydroxychloroquine-plaquenil.html|title=The Trumpian French Doctor Behind the Chloroquine Hype|first=Robert|last=Zaretsky|date=30 March 2020|website=Slate|access-date=27 May 2020|archive-date=27 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527210146/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/didier-raoult-hydroxychloroquine-plaquenil.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The design of the study as well as its conclusions are controversial and generally viewed as flawed and inconclusive.<ref name="yahoo024459686"/><ref name=20200330slate/> Raoult has nevertheless offered testing of those with symptoms at his institute and prescribed hydroxychloroquine for those who tested positive.<ref name=yahoo024459686/> The French Health Minister, [[Olivier Véran]], announced that "new tests will now go ahead to evaluate the results of Raoult, to independently replicate the trials and ensure the findings are scientifically robust, before any possible decision might be made to roll any treatment out to the wider public".<ref name="connexionfrance0"/><ref name="aa.com1770571"/>

On 30 March 2020, hospitals reported that there had been two dozen cases with three deaths of individuals who were suspected of self-medication with Plaquenil – a brand name for hydroxychloroquine. Drug safety agency (ANSM) warned against potentially fatal side effects, notably cardiac arrhythmia and heart attack. The agency banned its use, even with prescriptions, outside of hospitals, and in clinical trials, while stepping up its surveillance.<ref name="france2420200331"/>

Raoult later resigned from the committee, and defended chloroquine as a drug that has been safely used for 80 years.<ref name=francetvinfo3941995/>

On 3 December 2021, the [[Professional order#In France|Order]] of Physicians in France gave Raoult a blame for promoting hydroxychloroquine "without scientific data".<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 December 2021|title=Didier Raoult reçoit un "blâme" de l'Ordre des médecins|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/didier-raoult-recoit-un-blame-de-lordre-des-medecins_fr_61aa291fe4b0f398af204cab|access-date=2021-12-07|website=Le HuffPost|language=fr|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205180431/https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/didier-raoult-recoit-un-blame-de-lordre-des-medecins_fr_61aa291fe4b0f398af204cab|url-status=live}}</ref>