Fact check: Does hydroxychloroquine treat COVID-19 in its entirety?

Origin

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a matter of discussion on social media for a long time. People on one hand have been convinced that the pandemic is a hoax, whereas others feel that it is a result of 5G towers. But, there have been also been discussions about a possible cure for the pandemic with some potential treatments doing the rounds. One of the most influential drugs in the race of finding a COVID-19 cure has been of hydroxychloroquine. Though there is no concrete evidence which can cement the claim of hydroxychloroquine being effective in treating COVID-19, some section of people seem to be convinced that it does cure the virus. So what is the truth?

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Dr. Stella Immanuel from Houston had featured in a video where she could be seen claiming that hydroxychloroquine has proven to cure patients. She claims furthermore that she has cured over 350 people and not one experienced a fatal outcome. As of now, the video is being flagged by Twitter and Facebook for not following the guidelines laid down by them. But, the doctor has also been known to make blatant claims which cannot be proven. Stella had earlier claimed that alien DNA was being used in medical treatments to keep people away from religion. With a history of having made claims which could not be backed by evidence, it is difficult to trust Stella Immanuel's study on hydroxychloroquine's effectiveness on COVID-19. 

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Besides this, WHO has released a graphic on their official Instagram which states that 'Studies show hydroxychloroquine does not have clinical benefits in treating COVID-19'. On the other hand, Dr Anthony Fauci, who was the headliner in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA, has gone on record and stated that the cumulative data on trails which were randomized and controlled show that hydroxychloroquine is not effective for COVID-19. Check out WHO's clarification on the drug below -

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Google Trends analysis

As the viral claims of hydroxychloroquine being affective started doing rounds on the internet, a number of people took to Google and searched to find the truth. This resulted in a surge in search results for the same. Check out Google Trends analysis below - 

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