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Clinical trials Medicine Personal Politics Popular culture Skepticism/critical thinking

Henry Ford Hospital hydroxychloroquine trial: Not good evidence that the drug works for COVID-19

Recently, Henry Ford Hospital published a study of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 that showed a benefit. Unfortunately, it was a bias-prone retrospective study. That didn’t stop President Trump from touting the drug again.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

No, the Americans With Disabilities Act doesn’t say shop owners have to let maskless people into their stores

Antimask activists falsely claim they have medical problems that mean that they don’t have to wear masks and, further, that the American with Disabilities Act protects them. They’re wrong.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Politics Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Dr. Cammy Benton: An antivaxxer plays the “both sides” card on masks for COVID-19

Dr. Cammy Benton is an antivaxxer. She also thinks that “both sides” are way over the top when it comes to masks for COVID-19, in a classic case of false equivalence.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

“We need to catch that cold!”: Antivaxxers and COVID-19 deniers vs. public health

Antivaccine activist Del Bigtree posted a rant denying the severity of COVID-19, blaming the chronically ill for having made themselves vulnerable to severe disease through their lifestyle choices, and urging the young and healthy to “catch this cold”. His rant shows exactly why COVID-19 conspiracy theorists and antivaxxers have such an affinity for each other and resist public health initiatives.

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

Christopher Shaw uses the results of an abusive FOIA request to intimidate a scientist

Scientist turned antivaccine activist Christopher Shaw tried to intimidate an Alzheimer’s disease expert named Catherine Roe for having withdrawn from an antivaccine crankfest called One Conversation using the results of an abusive FOIA request. Sadly, this is now a common tactic.