The studies that were rushed in to discredit HCQ were all rigged in some way. Providing HCQ too late was one technique. One even administered a massive overdose of HCQ. Strangely, HCQ was found to cause harm in that test.

HCQ should be applied (NB, I am not a doctor!) in combination with other drugs. Zinc and Azythromycin were popular choices. Not administering those drugs also affected results. It is like saying guns can save lives so they set up an experiment where they give youy a gun but no ammunition then say guns are no use.

There was even a rushed paper slating HCQ in The Lancet - a most prestigious journal. It was later retracted but the messsage was already out.

Note: HCQ is but one "ionophore". There are others and other countries like South Korea and Japan used them instead.