Recently, President Trump introduced Operation Warp Speed, promising a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year. Even pro-vaccine advocates—especially pro-vaccine advocates—worry that we’re moving too fast.
Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.
That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)
DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.
To contact Orac: [email protected]
Recently, President Trump introduced Operation Warp Speed, promising a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year. Even pro-vaccine advocates—especially pro-vaccine advocates—worry that we’re moving too fast.
Conspiracy theories are at the heart of nearly all medical pseudoscience, be it antivaccine beliefs or quackery. COVID-19 has been a magnet for conspiracy theories.
A new study of #Hydroxychloroquine and #Chloroquine to treat #COVID19 was published this morning in The Lancet. The results? More deaths and arrhythmias in treated patients. [NOTE ADDENDUM: This study has been retracted. Here’s a link to my followup post.]
Just when I thought I’d seen it all, I discover that there are quacks in Ecuador treating COVID-19 with bleach—intravenous bleach.
We don’t even have a coronavirus vaccine yet, but the antivaccine movement is already spreading misinformation and disinformation about it.