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Multi-award winning Hepatologist. https://t.co/plckS04V3e https://t.co/HDX4tZ2CdH https://t.co/8lHqoHOR2f

Sep 25, 2020, 14 tweets

Here is an example of exactly HOW NOT to design a study and publish.
A grp of #ayurveda vaidyas published:💡Clinical Improvement In #COVID19 #patients With Timely Intervention Of Panchagavya: Preliminary Finding
💵International Journal of Pharmacological Research
1/n
#MedTwitter

First, choice of #journal. Choose one indexed in valid scientific databases - eg @Scopus, Medline @NCBI, @embase, @EBSCO, @webofscience. International Journal of Pharmacological Research is indexed👇😶
Just bcoz its on Google doesn't mean its quality. #pseudoscience #fake
2/n

There R indexed and impactful journals charging #openaccess fee (eg @JHEP_Reports) if the institute can afford it. Most quality indexed, impactful journals (eg @HEP_Journal) dont have open access fee to publish, but #Subscription fee for persons to read #published study.
3/n

The current journal, The International Journal of Pharmacological Research - isnt indexed, doesn't have an impact factor, no valid presence in scientific repositories, has a blurry editorial board charging an open access fee - the making of a #PredatoryPublishing STAY AWAY.
4/n

Now the study and obnoxious results:
#Gomutra or distilled #cow urine was given, along with prescribed medications to three very mild COVID-19 positive patients. All three recovered from #COVID19 with no #complications. That's it. That's the study and its conclusions.
5/n #ayush

So what is wrong?
First, case study/series must have an intro section providing insight, references 2 previous work which made possibl current work. In this study, authors hav written non-structured BACKGROUND (with study conclusions!) followed by INTRODUCTION which is nuts.
6/n

Methodology is quite hilarious.
All 3 patients wit #coronavirus (patient+2 fam members) were treated 'telephonically' - i.e, they were told over the phone to take distilled cow urine 'while they are at home'. This means, tat #Covid infection was very mild at outset #science
7/n

Once they were confirmed #SARSCoV2 , underwent admission to a Covid hospital at Nagpur and underwent ultra-proper treatment (they got every thing undr the sun along wit cowurine). After gov hospital based treatment they were deemed #Covid -ve & send home
All medications 👇😱
8/n

Finally, authors conclude that cowurine improved immunity (how it did is up2 readers fantasy) and all patients recovered wit cow urine. They then dive into the imaginary reasons why this is so, in the process, stretching readers imagination and then, sudenly discus #Cancer!
9/n

Im not sure why cow urine was used, and not human urine. Both hav similar composition, properties. Human urine easily available, people can donate free. Collection jars at public urinals ensure steady flow 4 clinical use. This discussion is missing from limitation section😵
10/n

The authors finally call 4 population study on cow urine FOLLOWED BY in-vitro study. Interesting reverse science. They conclude that comorbidly ill patients with #coronavirus recover with cow urine, based on family study of 3 who received all treatments under the Sun.
11/n

So wat is conclusion!? If you hav #COVID19, esp mild #Disease, call #cowurine #Ayurveda helpline, buy distilled cowurine packs, go 2 nearby modern hospital, get treated, get well. Witout drinking, jus holding on2 urine pack in a proper hospital promotes wellness as well.
12/n

But let us not belittle urine so much. It has potential, as another study shows (Sreedevi et al , IJPP 2016)
When human urine used wit farmyard manure, mazie crops grew better than wit cow urine. Its time for another #ayush team to look into this combo therapy in #COVID19
13/n

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