29/08/2024 | Press release | Archived content
29.8.2024
Question for written answer E-001569/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Virginie Joron (PfE)
Scientific opinions on hydroxychloroquine varied widely:
The Lancet announced on 4 June 2020 the retraction of a study published on 22 May 2020 which claimed that hydroxychloroquine, whether or not associated with azithromycin, increased mortality and heart arrhythmia in patients hospitalised with COVID-19. In France that study had led to the removal of an exemption allowing the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, as well as the suspension of clinical trials to test its effectiveness[1].
On 30 October 2023, Professor Didier Raoult and other authors published retrospective results of a hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin protocol tested on 30 202 patients; the results were extremely positive, with mortality reduced by half or more[2].
On 26 August 2024, the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy decided to retract a study published on 2 January 2024[3] linking the deaths of at least 17 000 people during the COVID-19 pandemic to the administration of hydroxychloroquine during the first wave of the pandemic, from March to July 2020[4].
On 26 August 2024, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta/Facebook, confirmed that the US Government had pressured the company in 2021 to remove COVID-19 content[5].
Did the Commission give instructions in 2020-2022 to Facebook, YouTube or Twitter to remove or hide content concerning specific scientific products or publications?
Submitted: 29.8.2024