A new atypical profile is emerging in discussions of treatments for coronavirus. For nearly two weeks, the name of Vladimir Zelenko, an American doctor, has appeared more and more in the press, from the United States to France.
The reason? The practitioner, who practices in a particularly infected Orthodox Jewish community, claims to have tested hydroxychloroquine on several hundred patients at risk. And, according to him, the molecule works against Covid-19, as Professor Didier Raoult repeats in France, even if many doctors still call for caution in the absence of large-scale studies.
Unlike his French colleague, Doctor Zelenko, is not specialized in infectious diseases, but in general medicine. On the other hand, it shares two points in common with the Marseille specialist: it displays an atypical journey, and is listened to even in the highest strata of power.
The American practitioner, of Russian origin, nicknamed "Zev", practices mainly in the commune of Kiryas Joel, in the south of the State of New York. The city, which has 25,000 inhabitants, is known for hosting a large community of Hasidic Jews, a religious movement from Eastern Europe and two centuries old.
It was within this community, populated by large and young families, that the first hepatitis A vaccines were tested in the 1990s. “People live there close to each other, which explains the rapid progression of an illness, ”explains Vladimir Zelenko.
A treatment tested by the doctor himself
"I do not say I have found a miracle cure," he assures the Parisian. I found things that seem to be working. His treatment, administered to 200 out of 700 infected patients in Orange County, New York (according to tests or clinical examinations), combines hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and zinc. This mixture, he says, is inspired by studies carried out in China, in South Korea, as well as in France, where the conclusions of professor Didier Raoult, in favor of a treatment based on the first two substances are constantly debated .
To choose his test patients, Dr. Zelenko says he has privileged the profiles most at risk: those who suffer from heart disease, cancer, who are immunocompromised or who are over 60 years old. “I conducted this test for two weeks, and I did not count any deaths. Six of my patients are in the hospital. The condition of four of them is improving, and two are intubated, he details on Monday. Without these treatments, 20 patients would have died and 40 would have been intubated. "
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Vladimir Zelenko claims to have followed his own protocol himself. The doctor is part of this population at risk, after having been affected, two years ago, by a rare form of sarcoma. This tumor made him lose a lung and imposed heavy chemotherapy on him, which continues to this day. "I don't know if I will survive this virus," says the 46-year-old practitioner, father of eight children. I try to stay healthy. "
Donald Trump's loved ones seduced
The results are so promising, he says, that they ended up on the desks of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. The lawyer for the American head of state and former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, even devoted a long 45-minute interview to him on YouTube, where he explains in detail - interspersed with random questions - the effects of the disease and the treatment. The empirical study is very timely for Donald Trump: for ten days already, he has not ceased to tout the benefits of hydroxychloroquine on social networks and in the media.
Vladimir Zelenko's speech also drew criticism. In one of his first videos posted on YouTube, the doctor was alarmed by the possible thousands of deaths in his Jewish community and a contamination rate of 90%. Statements deemed "highly irresponsible" by the regional health commissioner.
A letter, relayed by an information site intended for its religious community, and signed by municipal elected officials in charge of the health crisis, abounds in this direction. "Distancing measures and closings of public establishments have, thanks to the Lord, enabled 90% of the population to remain in good health, the opposite of the extravagant prediction of Dr. Zelenko", can we read.
According to the Washington Post, the doctor also shared publications on social networks - now untraceable - claiming that the coronavirus was deliberately created in China to control its population and that its impact would have been exaggerated. Theories most often relayed by conspiratorial accounts, and refuted by many scientists around the world.
But for his part, the doctor denies any political affiliation. "I don't care about politics. I don't care if Republicans or Democrats support or criticize me, I want everyone to be better, he promises. It's war medicine, and we're on the front lines. "