14/n Without any description of the analysis whatsoever, we cannot trust a single number that is portrayed on this site, because the stats could be simply incorrect Impossible to know!
-
-
25/n If nothing else, the most basic additions that would make the website slightly less worthless would be - details of statistical analysis - measure of HCQ CONSUMPTION by country - deaths BY INFECTION as the outcome - control for other govt measures to prevent COVID-19
Show this thread -
26/n Another point that's worth making - the authors say that HCQ is preventive of COVID-19 The methodology is not even vaguely close to what you'd need to know if that's true
Show this thread -
27/n You'd want to see case numbers by day, along with every intervention (i.e. social distancing, school closures etc) and the day they were implemented for every country on the list Then, number of HCQ doses given by day AT AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM
Show this thread -
28/n Even if the authors make the suggested changes up until 25/n, they'd just end up with a meaningless correlation without measures like these, which are an enormous amount of work The thing about ecological studies is that the good ones take A LOT of time
Show this thread -
29/n Oh, another thing The authors keep maintaining on Twitter that this study was "random" because patients didn't choose what treatment they got, countries did This is absolute nonsense
Show this thread -
30/n Firstly, it is misdefining random If ANYONE chooses the treatment, then it's not random BY DEFINITION Random means no one chooses, it's that simple
Show this thread -
31/n But also - PATIENTS DID CHOOSE This is where we get back to the ecological fallacy - it is absurd to suggest that individuals within countries didn't choose to take HCQ. Even countries that authorised it had adopters and non-adopters
Show this thread -
32/n This protocol was BY NO POSSIBLE DEFINITION "random" Using the term is incorrect, and at best ignorant not just of the scientific terminology but also the colloquial meaning of the word
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.