Fact Check: Does the coronavirus study in France prove chloroquine to be the vaccine?

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has evidently become a looming threat to the lives of many people in various countries. Along with the fast spread of the virus, the race to find a vaccine has also been taken up in full form in various countries. But a controversial study in France is claiming that chloroquine, a commonly used medicine to treat malaria can be used to cure the coronavirus. 

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Claim - 

Didier Raoult, a 68-year-old scientist from the medical field recently carried out an experiment where COVID-19 patients were treated with common antimalarial medicines like chloroquine. A research paper of the study was then published which concluded that chloroquine, coupled with Azithromycin has shown a significant effect on COVID-19 patients. This study was later referenced by many news portals internationally as a definitive answer to the pandemic and advocated the use of the same. President Donald Trump had also promoted the use of chloroquine in one of his tweets. 

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Rating - False

The study done by professor Didier Raoult states that a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin has a significant effect on patients suffering from COVID-19. The study does show some positive effects of the common antimalarial medicine on COVID-19 patients but the sample size of the study was only 42 patients which have raised various eyebrows in the medical community. Besides this, the Centers for Disease Control has also issued a public statement to stop people from self-medicating using chloroquine to cure COVID-19. 

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Origin - 

Didier Raoult's study on chloroquine being effective on COVID-19 patients was published on March 20, 2020. The study was then passed around on various news portals globally as a possible cure for the coronavirus outbreak. President Trump's tweet in favour of the hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin resulted in various people trying to get their hands on the antimalarial medicine in the USA. 

Google Trends analysis - 

The chloroquine medication for COVID-19 patients evidently created a stir as various people started to search for the same. Internet users were curious to know whether the chloroquine compound can prove helpful to curb the ongoing pandemic. Check out  Google trends analysis below - 

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