A controversial 2020 study that claimed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine showed promise for treating COVID-19 has been retracted, after sparking widespread criticism from scientists ever since its publication. The study was originally published online in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents on March 20, 2020. With a small sample size of just 36 total participants, the trial had involved treating 20 COVID-19 patients with 600 milligrams of hydroxychloroquine, a drug best known as an antimalarial. Some of the patients were also given the antibiotic azithromycin. Based on the results, the authors concluded that hydroxychloroquine was “significantly associated with viral load...