Hundreds of items of research compiled since the start of the pandemic are being officially retracted. While the retractions came due to a number of reasons, the withdrawal of the COVID-related pieces comes as the debate over the nation’s pandemic response continues.
Overall, 330 articles related to the pandemic have been withdrawn, according to the website Retraction Watch. The articles often contained factual inaccuracies or research that was later superseded.
This included research published in Britain’s top medical journal, the Lancet. An article published in the journal claimed that hydroxychloroquine, which was used as an alternative treatment for COVID, increased the risk of heart arrhythmia when used in such a fashion.
This information was later retracted.
An article published by the University of Manchester claimed that coronavirus infection was linked to vertigo. The article was withdrawn two years later.
An article that touted traditional Indian medicine as a means of treating the disease was also withdrawn just three months after publication.
A May 2020 article that linked COVID to higher risks of cancer was withdrawn later the same year due to plagiarism.
An article that claimed that the virus was killed by sound waves was also ditched.
An article that cited a decrease in coronavirus cases following mask mandates was withdrawn less than two weeks after publication in late 2020. Another article about the role of masks in combating the spread of the disease faced the ax after less than six months.
One article that discussed the potential effects of the pandemic on the endangered mountain gorilla was also withdrawn.
"The number of retracted research articles on covid-19 is now well over 300."https://t.co/kTxDwWcgBk pic.twitter.com/oKU9bsGNEr
— Retraction Watch (@RetractionWatch) May 26, 2023
The debate over COVID policy continues into the recent debate over raising the debt ceiling.
The tentative deal between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden will likely include cutting billions in unspent COVID funds.
In addition, the 2024 presidential campaign has already opened up comparisons between the major Republican candidates. Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) have been trading barbs related to each of their responses to the pandemic.
This includes a wider debate over when the nation and individual states should have opened up in 2020.
