AUGUST 2022 NEWS
Featured topic: coronavirus
On Science-Based Medicine,
Mark Crislip posted:
“Homeopathy and COVID-45 [a satirical reference to the 45th president]: the toothless old man laughs.”
David Gorski posted:
“The rise and fall of the lab leak hypothesis for the origin of SARS-CoV-2.” “Two new studies were published last week that strongly support a natural zoonotic origin for COVID-19 centered at the wet market in Wuhan, China. Naturally, lab leak proponents soberly considered this new evidence and thought about changing their minds. Just kidding! They doubled down on the conspiracy mongering... I’ll quote Dan Samorodnitsky from over a year ago: ‘If the question is “are both hypotheses possible?” the answer is yes. Both are possible. If the question is “are they equally likely?” the answer is absolutely not. One hypothesis requires a colossal cover-up and the silent, unswerving, leak-proof compliance of a vast network of scientists, civilians, and government officials for over a year. The other requires only for biology to behave as it always has, for a family of viruses that have done this before to do it again. The zoonotic spillover hypothesis is simple and explains everything. It’s scientific malpractice to pretend that one idea is equally as meritorious as the other’.” (See also discussion by Steven Novella from July 27.)
“Antivaxxers rejoice at the 'silver lining' from the pandemic, spillover of distrust of COVID-19 vaccines to all vaccines.” In a related story, Mole wrote “Anti-vaccine activists giddily celebrate as poliovirus spreads in NY.” “…anti-vaccine activists are celebrating dips in childhood vaccination rates, calling them a ‘COVID silver lining’."
“Science denial, overconfidence, and persuasion.” “The pandemic has brought scientists who have rejected science with respect to COVID-19 public health measures a disturbing level of influence. Recent research suggests reasons why and who among the public susceptible to such misinformation remains persuadable.”
“COVID-19 vaccines and the Nuremberg Code.” “Antivaxxers love to claim that vaccine mandates (especially COVID-19 vaccine mandates) violate the Nuremberg Code and call for Nuremberg-style tribunals to hold public health and vaccine advocates ‘accountable.’ As usual, they have no idea what they are talking about. This is also not a new antivax narrative, although what is unprecedented is that what was once fringe even among antivaxxers is now mainstream.”
Frank Han posted:
“COVID-19 vaccination and myocarditis: another preprint.” “A preprint from Thailand gives us more information about vaccine-associated myocarditis in younger people, but should not be weaponized by antivaccine activists as a reason to avoid vaccination against COVID-19.”
Jonathan Howard posted:
“The alternative to vaccinating children isn’t just ‘not vaccinating them.” “It’s putting them on an inevitable collision course with the virus—without any protection from the vaccine.”
“Contrarian doctors, the pandemic is over, again.” “I predicted last year that contrarian doctor would continue to say ‘the pandemic is over.’ How did this prediction hold up?” Predictions of Marty Makary, Monica Gandhi, Jay Bhattacharya, John Ioanniddis, and John Mandrola were discussed.
“Is it 'natural and healthy' when children get sick with COVID?” “The notion that society and children benefit when they contract vaccine-preventable diseases used to be relegated to the fringes of the anti-vaccine movement. It is now embraced by doctors at prestigious universities.”
“Lockdowns ‘postponed the inevitable.’ Is that a bad thing?” “Lockdowns postponed COVID for millions of people until after they were vaccinated. Some doctors feel that’s a bad thing.”
On Respectful Insolence, “Orac” posted:
“Jeffrey Tucker: The antivaccine movement and the far right.” “Jeffery Tucker, founder of the Brownstone Institute, is a far right wing Neo-Confederate hack. What does this say about the confluence of the far right and antivax?... I’m more and more beginning to think that the antivaccine movement as any sort of independent movement is no more. Its members and goals have been largely subsumed into the goals of the anti-democratic right.”
“Toby Rogers knows statistics but not vaccines.” “Toby Rogers is an economist. He knows multivariate statistics. He doesn’t know epidemiology and pharmacovigilance. Does that stop him from fear mongering about vaccines? You know the answer!... It never occurs to Rogers that maybe—just maybe—the reason that scholars in other fields don’t call the CDC out for using incorrect statistical models is not because they are cowardly, paid off, or ‘just want to fit in.’ Maybe—just maybe—the reason that these scholars don’t call out the CDC for its vaccine safety studies (or call out the FDA and reputable non-CDC and non-FDA scientists) is because these studies use the right statistical tools for the job, testing hypotheses involving vaccine safety involving whether vaccines work as intended and/or are associated with increased risks of autism or various diseases and adverse outcomes...”
“Zebrafish and Jessica Rose versus vaccines?” “Orac had thought he’d seen everything from antivaxxers; that is, until he saw Jessica Rose invoke a zebrafish study to claim that the spike protein from COVID-19 vaccines is deadly…the choice about why Rose is promoting this paper boils down to ignorance versus dishonesty. Either she really doesn’t know that this study doesn’t represent anything resembling a real world situation, or she does know but knows that she can convince her audience that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous by spinning it the way she does. Or maybe there’s a little of both.”
“Clot nonsense weaponized against COVID-19 vaccines.” “Mike Adams finally reports on the composition of the ‘COVID-19 vaccine’-induced blood clot.”
“Live blood analysis and thermography quackery applied to COVID-19.” “In the age of COVID-19, not only is every old antivax trope new again, but every old quackery has been resurrected anew, including live blood analysis and thermography.” The techniques have been used to detect supposed blood clots in vaccine recipients.
“Self-assembling nanostructures? COVID-19 vaccine ‘blood clots’ revisited.” “Antivaxxers can’t stop misidentifying blood clots as ‘self-assembling nanostructures’ from COVID-19 vaccines, with often hilarious results… as is always the case with ‘findings’ in ‘live blood analysis’ by darkfield microscopy, they appear to come from the imagination of the investigators superimposed on normal findings in blood drops during darkfield microscopy, such as dust and hair, findings that a trained pathologist would recognize.”
August 18 – Klepper reported that “Instagram and Facebook suspended Children's Health Defense this week after the anti-vaccine group led by Robert Kennedy Jr. repeatedly violated rules prohibiting misinformation about COVID-19.”
Other topics
Best of the blogs, August – on Science-Based Medicine,
David Gorski:
Posted “Conspiracy theories about monkeypox: Déjà vu all over again or same as it ever was?” “Unsurprisingly, conspiracy theories abound, many of them recycled from COVID-19 and older antivax conspiracy theories.”
Harriet Hall:
Asked “Is olive oil good medicine?” “Olive oil is a healthy fat that has a proven place in the kitchen. This new study is intriguing, but the evidence is insufficient to justify re-classifying olive oil as a medicine or taking it every day in order to avoid chronic disease and live longer.”
Clay Jones:
Wrote “More false hope for people with Tourette syndrome.” “...this is the third and final installment in a long-running series of posts tackling the claims made by proponents of an oral appliance for the treatment of Tourette Syndrome.”
Posted “Chiropractic for pediatric seizures.” “Here we are again with yet another case report full of limitations but making bold claims regarding chiropractic care of children with real medical conditions.”
Steven Novella:
Posted “Brain stimulation for memory.” “Brain stimulation for memory is interesting science, but don’t believe the premature claims and hype.”
On Respectful Insolence, “Orac”:
Posted “Natural News should be called Weekly World News.” “Mike Adams at Natural News claims that 72 nations are openly worshiping Satanic idols, making Natural News less credible than Weekly World New. What does this say about the antivaccine movement and its links to far right Christian nationalism?”
Wrote “Antivax and transphobia: two crappy tastes that taste crappy together.” “There’s long been a lot of transphobia among antivaxxers. As anti-trans bigotry increases in society, more and more antivaxxers are anti-trans. Enter Toby Rogers, who thinks ‘overvaccination’ causes the trans.” A related post was entitled TransTopia? Another antivaxxer goes full transphobe,” discussing Maryam Henein.
Edzard Ernst:
Wrote “Poor research endangers public health! Yet another example from the realm of acupuncture.” Ernst criticized a review of acupuncture for glycemic control of prediabetes.
Discussed a review of zinc for the prevention or treatment of acute viral respiratory tract infections. “The authors concluded that in adult populations unlikely to be zinc deficient, there was some evidence suggesting zinc might prevent RTIs symptoms and shorten duration. Non-serious AEs [adverse events] may limit tolerability for some. The comparative efficacy/effectiveness of different zinc formulations and doses were unclear. The GRADE-certainty/quality of the evidence was limited by a high risk of bias, small sample sizes and/or heterogeneity. Further research, including SARS-CoV-2 clinical trials is warranted....The authors also remind us to be cautious: clinicians and consumers need to be aware that considerable uncertainty remains regarding the clinical efficacy of different zinc formulations, doses, and administration routes, and the extent to which efficacy might be influenced by the ever changing epidemiology of the viruses that cause RTIs.” Scott Gavura also discussed the review on Science-Based Medicine. “Despite multiple trials over the past 40 years, there remains limited evidence to demonstrate that zinc offer meaningful benefits to prevent or treat respiratory tract infections. While there is some evidence it may prevent infections and shorten their duration, the effects are modest. The authors describe zinc as “a viable ‘natural’ alternative”, but “viable” is doing some heavy lifting in that sentence. Zinc products do have side effects that may be noticeable, and the topical nasal spray formulation is associated with rare but sometimes permanent disturbances in the ability to smell, which seems like a poor trade-off for a product that, at best, may provide a slight benefit.”
Posted “Homeopathy in France: going, going, gone!”
Wrote “Acupuncture for male infertility (MI): a story of sloppy research endangering public health.”
Posted “School-based mindfulness training is not effective.” “I feel that mindfulness has been hyped in recent years. Much of the research that seemed to support it was less than rigorous. What is now needed is a realistic approach based on sound evidence and critical thinking.”
Wrote “High potency cannabis is associated with an increased risk of psychosis.” “The fact that cannabis use increases the risk of psychosis has long been general knowledge. The notion that the risk increases with increased potency of cannabis seems entirely logical and is further supported by this systematic review. Perhaps it is time to educate the public and make cannabis users more aware of these risks...”
Discussed “Effects of placebo injections in knee osteoarthritis.” “Placebo effects are not nearly as powerful and long-lasting as the authors conclude. And this means virtually all their implications for clinical practice are incorrect.”
Wrote “Osteopathic manupulative treatment for pediatric conditions: A systematic review lays bare the unethical behavior of osteopaths.” Ernst and coworkers (Posadzki et al. J Clin Med. 2022 Jul 30;11(15):4455 Paper) updated their previous review (2013). “We concluded that the quality of the primary trials of OMT has improved during recent years. However, the quality of the totality of the evidence remains low or very low. Therefore, the effectiveness of OMT for selected pediatric populations remains unproven....Considering how many osteopaths treat children, the fact that only 13 trials exist is shameful. To me, it suggests that the osteopathic profession has little interest in research. The finding that adverse effects are poorly reported is even more shameful, in my view. It suggests that the few osteopaths who do some research don’t mind violating research ethics. The fact that overall our review fails to yield good evidence that osteopathy is effective for any pediatric condition is the most shameful finding of them all. It means that osteopaths are either not informed about the evidence for their own approach, or that they are informed but don’t give a hoot and treat kids regardless. In both cases, they behave unethically.”
Posted “The prevalence of SCAM [so-called alternative medicine] use in general populations: No, it’s NOT increasing.”
Discussed the possible death of a baby from aromatherapy.
Wrote “Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease.” The paper discussed is Sesso et al., Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jun 7;115(6):1501-1510 Paper. Conclusions from the study of more than 20,000 older adults were: “A daily MVM [multivitamin-multimineral] supplement, compared with placebo, did not significantly reduce the incidence of total cancer among older men and women. Future studies are needed to determine the effects of MVMs on other aging-related outcomes among older adults.”
Posted “Visceral osteopathy claimed to be effective for polycystic ovary syndrome.” “I don’t see any reason to believe the concepts of VM [visceral manipulation] are plausible. Thus I find the hypothesis of this trial extremely far-fetched. The results are equally unconvincing. As we have often discussed, the ‘A+B vs B’ design cannot prove a causal relationship between the intervention and the outcome. The most likely explanation for the findings is that the patients receiving VM experienced or merely reported improvements because the extra attention of mildly invasive treatments produced a powerful placebo effect. To put it bluntly: this is a poor, arguably unethical study where over-enthusiastic researchers reach a conclusion that is not supported by the data.”
Discussed claims for Hourglass S-line Waist Slimming Patch.“ “I find it hard to believe that there are people who actually fall for such an advertisement. And the more I think about it, the sadder I feel. There are quite obviously some who believe such nonsense and get ripped off by irresponsible snake-oil salesmen. Not only does the product not work, but some of the ingredients are also potentially toxic. I hope that my posing this will prevent a few people from wasting their hard-earned money on outright quackery: None of the claims made in this advertisement is backed by evidence!”
Wrote “Death after taking a herbal slimming aid?” The wife of a California congressman had been taking white mulberry. Since this herb is considered safe, Ernst suggest it “might have been contaminated with a toxic substance.”
Posted “Football star, Ellen White, suffered a pneumothorax caused by acupuncture.” Pneumothorax is by far the most common of all the serious, potentially fatal complications caused by acupuncture...I would argue that every single case of acupuncture-induced pneumothorax tells us that the acupuncturist was not adequately trained. With proper knowledge of anatomy, such complications should not happen. Therefore, such instances are a rude reminder that so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) is far too often in the hands of ‘specialists’ who are a danger to the public.”
Wrote “Spermidine for improving cognition in older adults with cognitive decline?” “The authors concluded that in this randomized clinical trial, longer-term spermidine supplementation in participants with subjective cognitive decline did not modify memory and biomarkers compared with placebo…The absence of an effect might have, according to the authors, two reasons…I am tempted to add a third one: spermidine might not be effective at all for this indication (or any other condition)!”
Published “Chiropractic spinal manipulation is a risk factor for cranio-cervical artery dissection.” “Reports of serious complications of chiropractic manipulation keep on coming.”
August 1 – An Editorial in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology (2022 Aug;7(8):689) was entitled “Dietary supplements: improving education is not enough.” It discussed the new FDA Supplement Your Knowledge web site. “We welcome the new FDA education initiative, but it is only a small step towards improving the safety of dietary supplements for consumers…Illegal marketing of dietary supplements is unacceptable, and major legislative change is required to restore public trust and ensure products only contain approved, safe ingredients before they ever reach the market.”
August 5 – A story by Bjella reports that “A chiropractor has gone viral on TikTok after calling out an unexpected group -chiropractors. TikTok user Trevor Zierke is a D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) whose page is filled with many tips to help people properly lift weights and take care of themselves. Now, he’s gone viral after saying that ‘literally 99% of my profession’ is a scam.” Edzard Ernst also discussed the story.
August 10 – Crawford and others published “Analysis of select dietary supplement products marketed to support or boost the immune system” (JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Aug 1;5(8):e2226040 Paper). “A total of 30 select dietary supplement products were evaluated. Thirteen of the 30 products had accurate labels based on the product analysis. Of the 17 products with inaccurate labels, 13 had ingredients listed on the labels that were not detected through analysis, such that their labels were misbranded. Nine products had substances detected that were not claimed on the product labels, some of which may be considered adulterated. Five were misbranded and contained additional components not claimed on the label. No product had third-party certification seals present on the packaging.”
August 22 – Nick Tiller wrote “Kinesio tape: a magnificent marketing machine” for Skeptical Inquirer.” When the omnipresence of K-tape in health and fitness is contrasted against the evidence for its benefit, the disparity is among the largest I have seen for any intervention, second only to chiropractic and homeopathy... there is likely to be a potent placebo effect that some proponents will use to justify its continued use in the clinic. In fact, around 40 percent of athletic trainers and physiotherapists are already cognizant that K-tape only works via placebo. They use it anyway.”
August 24 – Stephen Barrett posted “A close look at chiropractic wrongdoing” on the Chirobase section of Quackwatch. “The terms ‘chiropractic’ and ‘chiropractic treatment’ are ambiguous and are not synonymous with ‘spinal manipulation.’ Chiropractic is both a philosophy and a treatment approach. Chiropractic treatment may include a wide variety of dubious measures in addition to appropriate or inappropriate manipulation. Thus, the potential usefulness of spinal manipulation may not counterbalance the unscientific philosophy or methods commonly embraced by chiropractors.”
Additions to previous months
December 26, 2020 – Leino and others discussed toxicity of colloidal silver products (Toxicol Rep. 2020 Dec 26;8:106-113 Paper). Marketing claims were also analyzed.
April 20, 2022 – Nick Tiller wrote “When medicines go rogue, part 1: methylene blue” for Skeptical Inquirer. “Methylene blue is the latest in a long line of products and services sold on commercial buzz and often-sponsored influencer endorsements that overlook potential risks. And while there is a strong body of literature on the potential benefits of methylene blue for patient populations, you would be a fool to accept advice from a fitness influencer regarding a controlled drug.”
July 27 – William London published “Health Street Smarts Fairs Created by University Students to Promote Critical Thinking on Campus, Part 1” on Skeptical Inquirer. Part 2 was published on September 2.
July 28 – Cummings and Rosen wrote “VITAL Findings - A Decisive Verdict on Vitamin D Supplementation” (N Engl J Med. 2022 Jul 28;387(4):368-370 First paragraph. “The fact that vitamin D had no effect on fractures should put to rest any notion of an important benefit of vitamin D alone to prevent fractures in the larger population. Adding those findings to previous reports from VITAL and other trials showing the lack of an effect for preventing numerous conditions suggests that providers should stop screening for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels or recommending vitamin D supplements, and people should stop taking vitamin D supplements to prevent major diseases or extend life.”