Science in times of COVID-19: Notes on the “Chloroquine Movement” and Clinical Research in Southeastern Brazil

This article reflects on the “chloroquine movement” in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on empirical material generated by research conducted between 2022 and 2023. Researchers from southeastern Brazil who investigated the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the treatment of COVID-19 were interviewed. A documentary analysis of news published during the pandemic in Brazil was also carried out, focusing on the trajectory of HCQ before and after its controversial use during the pandemic. The results highlight questionable medical practices, such as the prescription of medications without scientific evidence outside of formal research contexts, pressure on ANVISA (Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency) to authorize the use of HCQ without adequate clinical trials, and the funding of studies by industries interested in altering package inserts without new tests. Conflicts arose between scientists who defended methodological rigor and physicians who, supported by the Federal Council of Medicine, claimed autonomy to prescribe the "COVID kit," even in the face of proven ineffectiveness. The symbolic efficacy of HCQ was reinforced by political discourse and doctor-patient trust. It is concluded that scientific denialism manifested itself not only in the denial of evidence, but also in the creation of narratives that legitimized practices at the healthcare level that omitted the condition of testing.

Keywords:
Denialism; COVID-19; Anthropology of science; Medical anthropology