"A statement of fact cannot be insolent." The miscellaneous ramblings of a surgeon/scientist on medicine, quackery, science, and pseudoscience (and anything else that interests him).

Tag: COVID-19

Operation Warp Speed: Are we rushing COVID-19 vaccine development?

Post author By Orac
Post date May 28, 2020
76 Comments on Operation Warp Speed: Are we rushing COVID-19 vaccine development?

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.

Tags antivaccine, clinical trials, coronavirus, COVID-19, featured, mRNA, Operation Warp Speed, RNA, SARS-CoV-2, vaccine

Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

COVID-19: A magnet for medical conspiracy theories

Post author By Orac
Post date May 26, 2020
106 Comments on COVID-19: A magnet for medical conspiracy theories

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.

Tags antivaccine, conspiracy theories, conspiracy theory, coronavirus, COVID-19, critical thinking, featured, pseudoscience, quackery, SARS-CoV-2, vaccines

Bad science Bioethics Clinical trials Medicine Politics

The cult of hydroxychloroquine versus dangerous arrhythmias

Post author By Orac
Post date May 22, 2020
148 Comments on The cult of hydroxychloroquine versus dangerous arrhythmias

Hydroxychloroquine causes cardiac arrhythmias

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 [NOTE ADDENDUM: This study has been retracted.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.]