I was thinking about it not just because Omicron is more upper-respiratory, but just that mechanical processes are probably not as interesting for research & publication. (Then again hand-washing is an obvious mechanical process that took a long-time to establish and does work.)
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted Kevin Donato
Alright, we have a 2015 review and the answer is maybe yes but don't know. Only 5 randomized studies ever done, apparently. (Found some mild benefit but with so few, hard to tell either way). I always wonder why such common claims don't get trialed more.https://twitter.com/WhatMyWifeYells/status/1476338701823213574 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted Aartik Sarma
Okay, adding the reviews we do have, and one COVID related preprint coming up.https://twitter.com/AartikSarma/status/1476342990176075776 …
zeynep tufekci added,
Aartik Sarma @AartikSarmaReplying to @zeynepEvidence is limited. Some pediatrics studies found
symptoms (2020) : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32312677/
Evidence is weaker in adults (2015): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25892369/
Pilot study in 2019 found
symptoms,
viral shedding, but larger studies required: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30705369/ 1 reply 2 retweets 66 likesShow this thread -
And here's a preprint. It has a positive finding, but do note it is tiny sample and there is no for-real control group—just comparison to national rates of hospitalization. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.16.21262044v3 … https://twitter.com/jpdleblanc/status/1476342862405111811 …pic.twitter.com/4lzlnxfvJY
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Okay, here's a 2019 study. Same encouraging findings, same small sample, same "need a bigger trial" recommendation. https://twitter.com/microlabdoc/status/1476346209291886595 …pic.twitter.com/YP39ZOkIiW
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I have the most sincere respect for the power of both placebo and nocebo—aka don't mess with folk medicine—but I can't help but get curious about trials for things with plausibility, like this.
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted Amy Heckathorn
Btw, I asked out of curiosity, and I know this is a common folk-remedy in some cultures but... just in case anyone is encountering this with a practical mindset. DO NOTE THE FOLLOWING. Rinsing nasal passages with tap/contaminated water has real risks!https://twitter.com/heckathorn_amy/status/1476353795927904259 …
zeynep tufekci added,
Amy Heckathorn @heckathorn_amyReplying to @RobbDawson4 @specterm @zeynepYES! Or boiled water. Two people in Louisiana used tap water a few years ago and died from a brain eating amoeba. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tap-water-in-neti-pots-behind-two-brain-eating-amoeba-deaths-in-2011-investigation-finds/ …15 replies 11 retweets 143 likesShow this thread -
zeynep tufekci Retweeted Dr. Jennifer BLM Glass
Just because I find rigorous testing of folk-remedies interesting… Someone could do a quasi-experiment by using rapid tests like this, but with some folks using rinse/gargle, some not, and also do before/after comparisons (after waiting an hour or so, as per test instructions).https://twitter.com/methanoJen/status/1476276591219064836 …
zeynep tufekci added,
Dr. Jennifer BLM Glass @methanoJenDay 10 of 3x-Pfizer-vaxxed#COVID19 breakthrough case. Still testing faintly +ve. I analyzed all nine of my rapid antigen tests w/ ImageJ & plotted the ratio of the area of sample to the area of control. Saw a linear relationship (R2=0.99) from day 2-10: pic.twitter.com/8vR6r5ygwzShow this thread6 replies 3 retweets 59 likesShow this thread -
By the way, why rigorously test folk-remedies? First: sometimes there’s unintended harm you can uncover only through proper trial. Second: if beneficial, yeay! Third: if no effect found? It seems that the placebo benefit is essentially unshakable, so no harm in finding no effect.
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Replying to @zeynep
presumably very hard for an RCT to rule out *all* heterogeneous treatment effects, so it's not irrational to say "it seems to work for me despite the lack of evidence"
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It is not irrational, though a trial could uncover harms. (The studies we do have on this tend to find no effect or mild benefit (though usually underpowered) so I think harm is less likely in this case, but not so for all folk-remedies.
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