Tag: pandemic

The 2022-2023 Respiratory Virus Season Hits Early and Hard: Part 2
What is RSV and why is it so bad this season? I discuss this and a promising new vaccine candidate.

Aromatase inhibitors and acupuncture in breast cancer: Spinning a negative study, four years later
Four years ago, I wrote about an essentially negative study looking at whether acupuncture could alleviate joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors, a common treatment for estrogen-sensitive breast cancer. The study's back, and it doesn't look any more positive.

The war on the science-based regulation of medicine accelerates
Last week, it was reported how increasingly there is a war on the science-based regulation of medicine and physicians. It's an old story, but unfortunately the forces arrayed against science-based policy have been emboldened by the pandemic and an stronger alliance with political groups that are against government regulation in general.

Medical debt vs. universal health insurance: The interface between SBM and policy
This blog has long argued that the best medicine is science-based medicine (SBM). The problem is that in the US SBM is often not accessible, except at ruinous cost, which is why I argue that we have to broaden our definition of SBM to include the systems that deliver it and pay for it.

The Toll of COVID
We can't take our eyes off the ball just yet - what's the state of the pandemic?

Intubations and Accusations Part 2
A famous economist once said, "When the facts change, I change my mind". Others take the opposite approach and attempt to alter the facts to preserve their beliefs. Read their work with this in mind.

What the heck happened to The BMJ?
Last week, The BMJ published an "exposé" by Paul Thacker alleging patient unblinding, data falsification, and other wrongdoing by a company running three sites for the massive clinical trial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. It was a highly biased story embraced by antivaxxers, with a deceptively framed narrative and claims not placed into proper context, leading me to look into the broader...

Don’t Jump to Conclusions About So-Called TikTok Tics
A lot of people, even some experts, are making assumptions about so-called "TikTok tics" that might be inaccurate or even harmful for young people with Tourette syndrome.
The Need for Science-Based Medicine
The mission of SBM continues.