Category: Science and Medicine
Ivermectin: The acupuncture of COVID-19 treatments
As high-quality evidence increasingly and resoundingly shows that ivermectin does not work against COVID-19, advocates are doing what acupuncture advocates do: Turning to lower quality "positive" studies to claim incorrectly that their favorite ineffective treatment actually does "work".
The CDC Goofs and Doctors React
After a CDC goof, several doctors - including me - shared incorrect information. What happened next was revealing.
Science-Based Satire: Chiropractors…in Space?
Did the United States government recently appoint a new chief to helm a division of space chiropractic? In space can anyone hear your spine crack? No, space is a vacuum and sound can't be produced without vibrating air. Also, this is satire.
“This Would Translate to About 10,000 Deaths” Reflections From the Start of the Pandemic
“This would translate to about 10,000 deaths” Two years ago, Dr. John Ioannidis wrote an essay in STAT titled “A Fiasco in The Making? As The Coronavirus Pandemic Takes Hold, We Are Making Decisions Without Reliable Data.” It contained the following paragraph: If we assume that case fatality rate among individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2 is 0.3% in the general population — a...
The Consequences of a Medical Myth
There are real-world consequences to medical myths spread by contrarian doctors sheltered from the consequences of their words.
Through The Looking Glass With Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and Humpty Dumpty agree, words have no meaning.
It rises again! Bleach as an “early treatment” alternative to vaccines and a cure for COVID-19
Bleach...it had to be...bleach. Again. This time around, it's being used to treat COVID-19, because of course it is. MMS is a slasher quackery. No matter how often it appears to have died, it always returns for another installment in its quackery franchise.
Medical Misinformation Falsely Links a Serious Infection to Leftover Chinese Food
A young man contracted a dangerous infection that was newsworthy, because it could have been prevented by a safe vaccine, but it had absolutely nothing to do with leftover Chinese food despite what is being promoted by a viral YouTube video and several news articles.
Crizanlizumab for Sickle Cell Crisis
Monoclonal antibodies to prevent sickle cell crises represents the promise and difficulties of high tech medical treatment.
The return of the revenge of “COVID-19 mRNA vaccines permanently alter your DNA” and “lab leak”
Claims that COVID-19 vaccines "permanently alter your DNA" or that SARS-CoV-2 was engineered in a lab were resurrected last week based on two dubious studies. No matter how many times you think these myths have been debunked, they always come back for another installment of the same misinformation franchise.