Unfortunately it's a bit more complicated. In France a famous (now more like infamous) virologist, head of an immunology institute, has defended hydroxychloroquin for months, calling COVID-19 a small flu with negligible mortality on all media. Initially as a call to do more experimental medical studies, but he kept at it long after everything he said was disproved by the academic world in general.

He manipulated studies, he put all of his experience, reputation, and inflated ego in the balance, and he acted as a beacon for all conspiracy theories on vaccines, masks and lockdown measures. He even started selling his bullshit in Africa when he was largely exposed as a fraud in France.

That guy alone is responsible for a lot of deaths, and he didn't just spend 5 years in medical school, he directed a medical research institute.