Coronavirus — “Maverick” French Virology Professor fights to save the World
Le virus Corona: un virologue français « non-conformiste » se bat pour sauver le monde.
** 29th March 2020 **
COVID-19 created a massive global shutdown not seen since the 1918–1919 Spanish Influenza pandemic, which claimed between 50 and 100 million lives. This event has now changed the lives, livelihoods, travel and economies across the planet.
Medical institutions and specialists across the planet are now desperately looking for vaccines and methods to combat this pandemic.
The Mediterranean Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute in Marseille is one organization in the front line. Professor Didier Raoult is the French virologist who heads this facility and he and his team may well go down in history as saving the world from COVID -19.
According to this report from The Irish Times, he may also;
«…..be dismissed as an arrogant, misguided scientist who raised false hopes. »
Wariness of Raoult derives from his unconventional appearance, and from his reputation as a maverick.
The television channel LCI described the hirsute professor as looking like;
« a druid in the Astérix comic books.»
In her 23 March 2020 report, Lara Marlowe explains;
« Raoult administered a cocktail of hydroxycloroquine, a less toxic derivative of chloroquine, used to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and azithromycin, an antibiotic used against bacterial pneumonia, to 24 Covid-19 patients.»
« After receiving 600mg of Plaquenil (one of the commercial names for chloroquine) and 250mg of azithromycin for six days, three-quarters of patients tested negative for the virus, while 90 per cent of the control group who did not take the drugs still tested positive.»
Professor Raoult began his clinical study after discovering Chinese experiments with hydroxychloroquine, releasing his own in a video entitled, « Coronavirus: Endgame » on 25 February, 2020.
The Chinese study was published on 9 March, 2020 where researchers at the University of Beijing demonstrated its effectiveness in an in vitro trial, after successful experiments on cells affected by COVID-19 in a laboratory.
Professor Raoult is the first virologist to have carried out trials with human patients that seems to have produced conclusive results.
Press enter or click to view image in full size.
This graph shows results of an « open label non-randomized clinical trial » reported in the Mediterranee Infection Journal of 18 March 2020, only 9 days after release of the Chinese in vitro studies.
No doubt Professor Raoult and his team acted so rapidly because « every minute counts in saving the lives of pandemic patients! »
US president Donald Trump apparently learned about Prof Raoult’s trials via a Twitter post by Elon Musk.
This you-tube video, entitled « Coronavirus: diagnostiquons et traitons! Premiers resultats pour la chloroquine » [in French only] started the controversy.
On 20 March, 2020, France 24 has also reported Prof Raoult’s clinical trials;
« This study seems promising, but we have to be really careful before raising hope when it comes to a virus as new as this one, for which we don’t yet have a lot of data,” said Sarah D’Alessandro, a professor of molecular medicine at the University of Milan and a malaria specialist who has worked on hydroxychloroquine.
This drug is regularly touted as a potential solution whenever a new virus appears.
One “possibility is that chloroquine may alter the ability of the virus to bind to the outside of a host cell in the first place (which is an essential first step for entry) ”, noted Robin May, a professor of infectious disease at Birmingham University. »
On 26 March, 2020, France 24 updated their earlier report by adding two video interviews with other health experts after;
« ..pharmacies had witnessed a surge in demand for hydroxychloroquine, marketed by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi under the trade name Plaquénil.»
Dangers of self-medication
These early reports of a potentially successful clinical trial created a rush for self-medication.
The French Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics [FSPT] has issued a warning that both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have a narrow margin of safety, meaning that effective doses and toxic doses are relatively close.
That is why the experts contacted by FRANCE 24 warn against using them as self-medication to fight off COVID-19;
Phillipe Beset from the FSPT stated;
« Both the package leaflet for hydroxychloroquine and the guidelines issued by the [French] drugs watchdog detail the frequent side-effects associated with its use, such as deteriorating eyesight, nausea and digestive disorders,” said Besset. “More rarely — and far more dangerously — they can lead to heart failure.»
This evidence is supported by the experiences of Australian Defence Force [ADF] personnel prescribed with Mefloquine [chloroquine derivative] for two x sixth month deployments — April 2001 — October 2001 and October 2001 — May 2002.
Published adverse health outcomes have been reported by the Australian Dept of Defence [Defence Health] as;
« Chloroquine is generally well tolerated but not suitable for people with epilepsy or existing eye disease. Minor side effects like headache, dizziness or gut upset are common. With prolonged use (continuous use for 3 to 5 years or more) chloroquine can cause eye problems in some people (irreversible retinal damage).
Like primaquine, chloroquine can cause red blood cell problems in people who lack the glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme, causing anaemia.
Chloroquine is no longer available in Australia.»
** Note ** Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine are different drugs with different effects! Some of the media reports incorrectly mix them up.
A panel of scientists have been assessing evidence for a range of medications that have the highest likelihood of success in combating the virus. Safety data from previous uses, together the necessary supplies required to treat a large caseload were part of the selection criteria.
This list was presented to the World Health Organization [WHO] and on 22 March, 2020, the WHO launched a global mega-trial, called SOLIDARITY, using the four most promising therapies;
« …an experimental antiviral compound called remdesivir; the malaria medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine; a combination of two HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir; and that same combination plus interferon-beta, an immune system messenger that can help cripple viruses.»
The WHO panel designing the SOLIDARITY trial had originally decided to omit the chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine therapies from the trial, however, the widespread interest generated by Prof Raoult’s clinical trials generated such widespread attention, that it prompted a need to examine the latest evidence, thus enabling an informed decision about its potential life-saving role.
The French National Institute of Health and Medical Research [INSERM] has announced its own add-on trial in Europe, called DISCOVERY, that will also utilise the WHO template for testing 3,200 patients from at least seven countries, including 800 from France. They stated that they will include the same medications as the SOLIDARITY trial, except chloroquine.
Connecting the Dots
In this 29 March 2020 report by France 24, Professor Raoult released details about a second study, again confirming his earlier results;
« According to his latest study, 65 of the 80 patients treated improved and were discharged from hospital in an average of less than five days. One patient aged 74 was still in intensive care and another aged 86 died.»
A member of the team behind Prof Raoult’s recent study, Dr Philippe Gautret, stated that they only used the combination of drugs on « patients who had not been showing signs of being seriously ill after admission, » to the hospital.
« Our strategy was precisely to treat them at that stage to stop the disease getting to a more serious stage,» he told AFP.
Given the current situation where global health services are scrambling for supplies of Personal Protective Equipment [PPE] — plus ventilators and IV infusion pumps — is it any wonder that « maverick » researchers are working at full speed to find early intervention solutions?
Global Ranking of Microbiology Scientists ~ Professor Didier Raoult
Source: research.com-scientist rankings
Honours and Awards to Prof Raoult
Source: research.com/u/didier-raoult
This honour was awarded to Prof Raoult in 2021.
The National Order of the Lion (French: Ordre national du Lion du Sénégal) is the highest order of Senegal.[1] It is awarded for distinguished contributions,[3] both civil and military.
Source: wikipedia
This honour was awarded to Prof. Raoult in 2015.
« Commandeur de l’ordre national du mérite » translates to Commander of the National Order of Merit, the highest grade within the French National Order of Merit. This French honor is awarded by the President for distinguished civil or military achievements, with the Commander level being worn around the neck.
It was established in 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle to consolidate previous ministerial orders.
Source: google
How could France, who gave the World Liberty, Equality & Fraternity, denigrate & demonise one her most honoured and awarded Sons who put such Herculean efforts to save humanity from Coronavirus ?
« Comment la nation qui a donné à la planète “liberté, égalité et fraternité”, peut-elle piétiner avec tant de mépris l’un de ses citoyens les plus décorés, pour les efforts herculéens qu’il a fait pour sauver le monde du virus Corona? »
Update ~ 2025
Peer-reviewed clinical studies confirm ~~ Professor Raoult and his team’s early clinical efforts are proven correct.
Note: HCQ studies, along with Ivermectin [another off-label demonised drug] prove the value in affordable and effective off-label medications.
Source: c19early.org