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David Gorski, MD, PhD Profile picture
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12 Nov, 6 tweets, 3 min read
Sigh. Just when I thought @Twitter was doing a bit better, it goes and amplifies this as “science.” Image
Geez, @Twitter and @TwitterSafety, this is the worst one yet, straight up antivax misinformation tagged as “science.” It’s not even subtle. Image
And I would have no problem with it if if this were to happen.
And @Twitter continues to mangle “Science” with its tag. Image
And @Twitter continues to amplify misinformation, this time one of the worst #COVID19 quacks. Image
And the examples of how @Twitter algorithms flag antivax lies as "science" and the utter ineffectiveness of @TwitterSafety just keep flowing. Image

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More from @gorskon

David Gorski, MD, PhD Profile picture
13 Nov
Surprise, surprise. We've been warning about this for 20 years. Few listened, and many of our fellow physicians were even "shruggies," who dismissed our warnings as trivial and unimportant, right up until right before the pandemic.
Basically, the "wellness industry" has long been antivax. "Wellness" gurus almost always at least lean antivax.
I'll go even farther than that. "Complementary and alternative medicine" (CAM), since rebranded as "integrative medicine," and then rebranded as "integrative health," has contributed to antivax propaganda by peddling the "wellness" narrative.
Read 6 tweets
David Gorski, MD, PhD Profile picture
12 Nov
You know, @bmj_latest, when two of the biggest antivax propaganda sites in the world are loudly touting a badly sourced, conspiracy mongering bit of "investigational journalism" you commissioned from crank @thackerpd, you are doing it wrong and spreading antivax disinformation.
When one of your @bmj_latest editors, Peter Doshi, has been at least antivax-adjacent for years and years and spreading antivax nonsense about #CovidVaccine, you're doing it wrong. respectfulinsolence.com/2021/01/15/why…
When antivaxxer RFK Jr. loves both @thackerpd and Peter Doshi, you're doing it wrong. respectfulinsolence.com/2021/05/21/why…
Read 9 tweets
David Gorski, MD, PhD Profile picture
11 Nov
I frequently warn science communicators about this. Cranks LOVE to interview you or get you on their podcasts or It takes a very special skillset that few possess to be able to go "into the lions' den," so to speak. @stevennovella, for example, has that skillset.
You, on the other hand, probably do not. When you think you do, that is likely hubris.
Exactly. If you don't know all the conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, tropes, misinformation, and disinformation, you will get tripped up by the Gish gallop.
Read 5 tweets
David Gorski, MD, PhD Profile picture
10 Nov
I thought: That’s a hell of conspiracy theory that, if true, would involve a lot of people covering up a lot of very improbable events. Guess what? After a year and a half it’s STILL a hell of conspiracy theory that, if true, would involve a lot of people covering up a lot. 1/
As I was putting together a talk about antivax conspiracy theories, I perused my blogs. You know what? People were claiming the then-novel coronavirus was an escaped bioweapon as early as January 2020—probably earlier. 2/
That’s because, in every outbreak or pandemic of a new disease, there *always* arise conspiracy theories that the disease was human-made and either leaked from a lab or was intentionally introduced. Such conspiracy theories exist for H1N1, HIV, Ebola, etc. 3/
Read 4 tweets
David Gorski, MD, PhD Profile picture
26 Oct
@FLSurgeonGen What disingenuous nonsense. How did you manage to get through medical school? After all, your surgery, emergency medicine (trauma, wound suturing, , and OB/GYN rotations required a lot of mask wearing. Did you have a problem communicating on those rotations? How did you pass?
@FLSurgeonGen What about pediatrics? How did you do lumbar punctures? Did you do an oncology rotation during internal medicine? Surely you had to wear a mask and gown up to enter the rooms of several immunosuppressed patients at some point in your clinical rotations?
@FLSurgeonGen Did you do an infectious disease rotation and have to wear a mask and PPE to deal with a contagious patient? On second thought, strike that. You clearly know too little about infectious disease to have done even a medical school clinical elective in ID.
Read 6 tweets
David Gorski, MD, PhD Profile picture
26 Oct
It’s actually the culmination of a long process that dates back to at least 2015, although it arguably started several years before that. I’ve been writing about it since then at least, and regularly since 2015. It is no surprise to me.
Antivaxxers figured out that appealing to “freedom” and “parental rights” were very effective attracting libertarian-leaning small government conservatives. Once in, these conservatives, immersed in Trumpist conspiracy theories, also started to go for antivax conspiracy theories.
As this movement grew, @GOP politicians started pandering to the antivax fringe of the party, and here we are…
Read 7 tweets

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