RETRACTED: Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as a treatment of COVID-19: results of an open-label non-randomized clinical trial

This 2020 study by Gautret et al. claimed that hydroxychloroquine, particularly when combined with azithromycin, significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 viral load in COVID-19 patients. The open-label, non-randomized trial involved 36 participants and reported that the combination therapy led to faster viral clearance compared to controls. However, the study faced immediate criticism