2020-08-25 Mehra et al. was worse than fraud.

On August 22, The Lancet published an editorial Trump versus Biden: a fight for the health of a nation, attacking Trump administration and repeating talking points of the Democrat-Socialist party. For example: “The US must move away from a system in which health care is politicised, contentious, and tied to employment, income, and immigration status. In addition, President Trump’s isolationist and anti-scientific adminstration [sic!] has de-prioritised health and health care.” The Lancet is a British journal. This act is an open and in-your-face interference in the American elections.

The British government might re-consider any support it provides to The Lancet. Scientists, regulatory bodies, and the public in both countries should take notice that The Lancet became a political journal, publishing scientific articles matching its politics, and discount them.

On August 21, The Lancet Rheumatology published another anti-HCQ paper, with a surprisingly similar title to the fraudulent Mehra et al., which was published on May 22 and retracted on June 4. This new paper is titled: Risk of hydroxychloroquine alone and in combination with azithromycin in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a multinational, retrospective study. While it might not be be an outright fraud, it is incorrect and produced by dubious methods. Continue reading The Lancet Doubles Down on anti-HCQ Fraud →