Month: July 2021
Cognitive Illusions and How Not to Write About COVID-19 and Children
Many people minimize the deaths and damage COVID-19 has wrought on children because it is "worse in adults". While it is true that more adults suffer due to the disease, that does not make the harms done to children vanish in a puff of smoke.
Near-fatal blood infection following naturopathic IV vitamin infusion
A patient nearly died from a blood infection after a compounded naturopathic vitamin infusion. IV vitamin infusions are a common naturopathic therapy used without adequate medical rationale and are not worth the risks.
Olympic Pseudoscience – Tokyo Edition
Pseudosciences come and go with the Olympics.
Lumen’s Information Is Not So Illuminating
Lumen is a handheld device that you can supposedly use to "hack your metabolism". The science behind it is not convincing. Users are essentially navel-gazing.
Joe Mercola: An antivaccine quack tycoon pivots effortlessly to profit from spreading COVID-19 misinformation
Joe Mercola is a physician whose nearly quarter-century of promoting quackery and antivaccine misinformation has garnered him a net worth north of $100 million. It is therefore not surprising that in the age of the pandemic, he has pivoted to fatten his bottom line promoting misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the COVID vaccines.
“We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April”: Reflections on a Failed Prediction
Surgical oncologist Dr. Marty Makary predicted in February that we would have herd immunity to COVID-19 in April. In late July now, it is clear that we do not, but Dr. Makary continues to make dubious and outright incorrect statements about COVID-19 on national platforms to which he has access. Why can't he just admit that his prediction had been in error?
A New Study Finds No Benefit from Chiropractic for Infant Colic, but They’ll Keep Doing it Anyway
A new study attempted to answer the question of chiropractic's potential benefit for infant colic. It was successful, but I don't think it turned out the way the authors' hoped. Sadly, I don't think that this will change the mind of any chiropractor who treats babies.
Long COVID: Alternative medicine sees a business opportunity
With vaccines transforming the risk and consequences of a COVID infection, the health burden of "long COVID" may become a lasting consequence of the pandemic. Alternative medicine senses a business opportunity.
American Academy of Family Physicians Supports Integrative Medicine
The American Academy of Family Physicians supports integrative medicine and makes recommendations based on less-than-rigorous evidence.
Fake Homeopathy COVID Scam
A naturopath was arrested for selling fake homeopathic COVID treatments, which reveals the "alternative" rot in the medical system.