Real world evidence emphatically disproves what they are saying.
Also, they are affiliated to Raoult and have themselves pushed hydroxychloroquine, so to call them “respected” is a serious case of poetic licence.
On this forum, David Icke and his affiliates are “respected” by a number of posters.
But not by non-amoebas.
So maybe they’re “respected” in that sense of the word.
“Science” for clicks.