This time we are discussing a medley of linked topics arising from our latest posts:
Public health officials going native and being economical with the truth,
Cochrane double standards in COI disclosure,
The end of the pandemic
Some of the comments from our Trust the Evidence quiz.
How far we got with our antivirals series and how topical this is.
Enjoy.
How much did we spend on antivirals?
Answered on 11 May 2023
The following table shows the spend for England by financial year for the procurement of antivirals for use during an influenza pandemic. Years not presented are a nil return. See here
TTE Podcast: Advisors, Journals and Antivirals
You ask where we are to obtain reliable evidence on which we can base trustworthy reviews?
Trust is the reliance on the truth of someone or something. Trust in the scientific process rests on the quality of the material published in peer-reviewed journals. We trust that the review process and the editors are honest and accountable.
You make a robust case that we can no longer trust the review process of many medical journals and that inconvenient evidence is often suppressed by "big pharma." If you are right, we risk losing faith in authority figures such as doctors. Instead we will trust alternative voices.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr is a successful environmental lawyer, anti-CIA propagandist (claiming it murdered his uncle and father), and highly censored anti-vaccine activist. Kennedy is now running for president. His basic message is that you can't trust our institutions which have been "captured" by big business. Your account bolsters his case. Beware of significant pushback.