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Medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

Beijing proposes criminalizing “slander” or “libel” against TCM

China has long promoted the sale and use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Now the city of Beijing wants to criminalize criticism of TCM.

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Antivaccine nonsense Clinical trials Medicine Popular culture

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.

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

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.

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Bad science Bioethics Clinical trials Medicine Politics

The cult of hydroxychloroquine versus dangerous 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 [NOTE ADDENDUM: This study has been retracted.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.]

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Clinical trials Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

The latest COVID-19 quackery: Intravenous bleach

Just when I thought I’d seen it all, I discover that there are quacks in Ecuador treating COVID-19 with bleach—intravenous bleach.