The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fact, fiction or something in between?
Q: There are so many studies out there regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations for people to read and react to. How do we know/decide which study is accurate and worthwhile for patients and which studies aren’t when it comes to COVID-19?
A: “There is more information on the internet than anyone can digest,” says Melanie Swift, M.D., infectious disease physician at Mayo Clinic. “It can be difficult to know what to believe. Depending on who is running the website or sharing their interpretation of the medical studies, it may be reliable, but it might be a misinterpreta- tion of the data or completely falsified information.”
Reputable sources
■ Studies that are indexed in PubMed, are published in reputable journals and have undergone scientific peer review are reputable.
■ Studies that are searchable in Google Scholar may have undergone peer review as well but might be a “preprint” that has not yet undergone peer review or been accepted by a reputable scientific journal. Preprints are labeled as such and should be interpreted with caution.
■ Use trusted sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (a branch of the National Institutes of Health) — these websites will end in .gov — Mayo Clinic and other academic medical centers, medical professional societies like the American Medical Association or the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
What to be wary of
■ Websites that feature medical experts who are not trained in a relevant specialty or endorsed by a reputable medical center or legitimate medical society. “Infectious diseases or pulmonary and critical care medicine specialists are ideal sources for COVID-19 information. If the website or organization features just one or two doctors from unrelated specialties, be skeptical,” says Swift.
■ Social media postings from individuals sharing opinion, anecdotes or their interpretation of medical studies. “People will commonly state they have done their own “research,” but this may mean they only searched for studies that support their bias. These individuals may not have the expertise to judge the validity of a medical study, may be justifying their personal beliefs or promoting a political agenda,” Swift adds.
■ Claims for alternative or “miracle” drugs that sound unrealistic, without studies published in reputable medical journals. When highly effective treatments are confirmed through valid scientific studies, they are publicized by the CDC, medical centers, medical societies and reliable media outlets.