copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2024-06-19): In June 2024, Instagram posts appeared claiming that WHO scientist Soumya Swaminathan faces the death penalty in India for advising against using ivermectin for COVID-19 (see examples here and here). Swaminathan is a pediatrician and researcher who served as the World Health Organization’s chief scientist from 2019 to 2022. [...] While India’s initial guidance for treating mild COVID-19 did include ivermectin—albeit with the caveat of a "low certainty of evidence"—the Indian Council of Medical Research revised that guidance in September 2021, dropping ivermectin after studies showed that the drug had little to no effect on COVID-19. This is in line with evidence-based guidance provided by the WHO and the European Medicines Agency, as well as professional scientific groups like the Infectious Diseases Society of America. In summary, the claim that former WHO scientist Soumya Swaminathan faces the death penalty in India for advising against ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment is baseless. It originates from a legal notice issued by a private association of lawyers that itself cited flawed sources to support its promotion of ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment. Reliable clinical studies have found that ivermectin provides little to no benefit for COVID-19.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2021-09-08): Specific charges included the running of a disinformation campaign against Ivermectin and issuing statements in social and mainstream media to wrongfully influence the public against the use of Ivermectin despite the existence of large amounts of clinical data showing its profound effectiveness in both prevention and treatment of COVID-19. [...] In this update, Advocate Dipali Ojha clarified the nature of the planned action, "The Indian Bar Association has warned action under section 302 etc. of the Indian Penal Code against Dr. Soumya Swaminathan and others, for murder of each person dying due to obstruction in treatment of COVID-19 patient effectively by Ivermectin. Punishment under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code is death penalty or life imprisonment." He further wrote, "After receiving the said notice, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan went on the back foot and deleted her tweet. This has proved the hollowness of the WHO’s recommendation against Ivermectin for COVID-19. The dishonesty of WHO and the act of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan in deleting her contentious tweet was witnessed by citizens across the world, as the news got a wide coverage on social media. By deleting the tweet, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has proved her mala fide intentions."
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2021-05-12): Still listed in India as a possible treatment option for mild COVID-19 patients under home isolation Ivermectin, according to the World Health Organisation’s recent direction, is not recommended for general use. [...] "Safety and efficacy are important when using any drug for a new indication. WHO recommends against use of ‘Ivermectin’ for COVID-19 except within clinical trials," Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, tweeted earlier this week. Indian physicians who continue to use this drug state that it is an approved anti-parasitic agent. "It has shown, in laboratory settings, to inhibit SARSCOV2 replication. It may be effective for the management of early onset, mild COVID-19 for adult patients. In a clinical setting, it is observed that there is an early viral clearance in patients who are put on Ivermectin. Symptomatically, there is no faster resolution observed, in terms of fever, cough, or sore throat despite the use of Ivermectin. There are no severe adverse effects noted in patients with non-severe COVID-19," said Vighnesh Naidu Y, consultant physician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad "Ivermectin is used for the treatment and eradication of two life-threatening illnesses which are onchocerciasis, responsible for blindness, and filariasis, which is debilitating," said Sheela Chakravarthy, director, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2021-03-31): The current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive. Until more data is available, WHO recommends that the drug only be used within clinical trials. [...] A guideline development group was convened in response to the increased international attention on ivermectin as a potential treatment for COVID-19. This group is an independent, international panel of experts, which includes clinical care experts in multiple specialties and also include an ethicist and patient-partners. [...] The panel did not look at the use of ivermectin to prevent COVID-19, which is outside of scope of the current guidelines.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2022-06-13): Ivermectin did not have any significant effect on outcomes of COVID-19 patients and as WHO recommends, use of ivermectin should be limited to clinical trials. [...] And despite the fact that WHO recommends that ivermectin must be used solely in clinical trials to treat COVID-19, according to recently published studies, the misuse of this medication and a significant number of ivermectin prescriptions have been widely documented, particularly in the United States [9, 10].
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2024-10-06): The WHO, the European Medicines Agency, and the IDSA all recommend against the use of ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19, with the NIH stating that there is insufficient data to recommend for or against its use outside the context of a clinical trial. (subscription required) - ^ "WHO advises that ivermectin only be used to treat COVID-19 within clinical trials". Newsroom. World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2023. [...] - ^ "WHO advises that ivermectin only be used to treat COVID-19 within clinical trials". World Health Organization. 31 March 2021. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2024-06-19): No, former WHO scientist doesn’t face death penalty for advising against using ivermectin for COVID-19 [...] In June 2024, Instagram posts appeared claiming that WHO scientist Soumya Swaminathan faces the death penalty in India for advising against using ivermectin for COVID-19 (see examples here and here). Swaminathan is a pediatrician and researcher who served as the World Health Organization’s chief scientist from 2019 to 2022. [...] In summary, the claim that former WHO scientist Soumya Swaminathan faces the death penalty in India for advising against ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment is baseless. It originates from a legal notice issued by a private association of lawyers that itself cited flawed sources to support its promotion of ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment. Reliable clinical studies have found that ivermectin provides little to no benefit for COVID-19.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2021-06-18): Indian Bar Association Rebukes WHO Chief Scientist Over Ivermectin Guidelines for COVID Treatment 18/06/2021 • Raisa Santos & Elaine Ruth Fletcher Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan The Indian Bar Association (IBA), a voluntary organisation, say it has served a second legal notice to WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan for allegedly "running a disinformation campaign against Ivermectin", after WHO failed to recommend use of the anti-parasitic drug as a COVID-19 treatment – due to a lack of evidence of efficacy. The Mumbai-based IBA sent a 51-page notice to Swaminathan on 25 May, and a follow-up on 13 June, reacting to her statements saying that WHO does not recommend the use of the drug as a treatment for COVID-19, except in the context of clinical trials. A tweet by Swaminathan specifically advising against the use of Ivermectin for COVID-19, which the IBA has called "controversial", has since been deleted.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2022-08-01): ABC News interviewed Dr. Peter McCullough, a Texas cardiologist, who promotes ivermectin as part of a "multi-drug protocol" aimed at early treatment of COVID-19 outpatients -- despite the FDA and CDC's warning that people should not be taking ivermectin at all for COVID-19 treatment outside of a clinical trial. [...] Advocates of using ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment often cite "dozens" of studies that show benefits of ivermectin in combating COVID-19, but a closer look at the studies shows that some of them have been retracted for flawed or fabricated data and analysis, while many of the other solid randomized trials have shown no benefits. There have been some small studies that did suggest positive effects of ivermectin on treating COVID-19 patients, but no large, rigorous, randomized controlled trial has shown that ivermectin is effective at treating or preventing COVID-19, medical experts say. [...] The general consensus in the medical community now is that there's not enough data to recommend ivermectin for use as a COVID-19 treatment, said Dr. Adrian Hernandez, professor of medicine and vice dean and executive director of Duke Clinical Research Institute, who is leading the largest ivermectin trial ever to see if three existing medications used for other conditions could help in the early treatment of COVID-19 patients outside of the hospital.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2023-05-05): But the regulator stressed the lifting of the ban did not amount to an endorsement of off-label prescribing of ivermectin to treat Covid-19, citing studies showing it was not an effective treatment. "A large number of clinical studies have demonstrated ivermectin does not improve outcomes in patients with Covid-19. The National Covid Evidence Taskforce (NCET) and many similar bodies around the world, including the World Health Organization, strongly advises against the use of ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of Covid-19." At the time of the ban, off-label prescriptions of ivermectin for Covid-19 were being discussed quietly in Facebook and Telegram communities, with people sharing the names of sympathetic doctors who were willing to prescribe it. The TGA said at the time it was concerned that people could be taking unsafe doses of the drug if following advice from social media.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2024-09-12): The WHO, the European Medicines Agency, and the IDSA all recommend against the use of ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19, with the NIH stating that there is insufficient data to recommend for or against its use outside the context of a clinical trial. - ^ "WHO advises that ivermectin only be used to treat COVID-19 within clinical trials". Newsroom. World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2023. - ^ "EMA advises against use of ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 outside randomised clinical trials". News. European Medicines Agency. Amsterdam. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2021-06-25): The Indian Bar Association (IBA) sued WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan on May 25, accusing her in a 71-point brief of causing the deaths of Indian citizens by misleading them about Ivermectin. There is also an updated legal notice on June 13, 2021. [...] Ivermectin is a cheap drug that is prescribed as an anti-parasitic. It has been gaining in popularity for preventing COVID-19. The WHO and FDA are not approving Ivermectin but many doctors and scientists believe Ivermectin is effective. There is the claim that the Indian States that used Ivermectin had far better outcomes and far fewer COVID deaths than the Indian states that did not use Ivermectin. [...] "The Indian Bar Association has warned action under section 302 etc. of the Indian Penal Code against Dr. Soumya Swaminathan and others, for murder of each person dying due to obstruction in treatment of COVID-19 patient effectively by Ivermectin. Punishment under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code is death penalty or life imprisonment."
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2022-03-19): "Researchers testing repurposed drugs against Covid-19 found that ivermectin didn't reduce hospital admissions, in the largest trial yet of the effect of the antiparasitic on the disease driving the pandemic," reports the Wall Street Journal: Public-health authorities and researchers have for months said the drug hasn't shown any benefit in treating the disease.... The latest trial, of nearly 1,400 Covid-19 patients at risk of severe disease, is the largest to show that those who received ivermectin as a treatment didn't fare better than those who received a placebo. "There was no indication that ivermectin is clinically useful," said Edward Mills, one of the study's lead researchers and a professor of health sciences at Canada's McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2021-06-12): New Delhi: The Indian Bar Association served a legal notice to chief scientist at the World Health Organization, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, for "influencing the public against" and "running a disinformation campaign against Ivermectin" — a popular anti-parasitic drug prescribed for Covid-19 patients. [...] "You (Swaminathan) have abused your position as the Chief Scientist at WHO to adversely influence the people including medical doctors and scientists, by trying to impose upon them the fact that WHO does not support the use of Ivermectin either as prophylactic or in treatment of COVID-19," reads the notice. "It seems that you have deliberately opted for deaths of people to achieve your ulterior goals." [...] The Indian government is also reviewing the use of Ivermectin in its treatment protocol. The latest Covid-19 treatment protocol released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on 27 May excluded Ivermectin, along with several other antibiotics, in its guidelines.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2024-03-27): In August 2021, to discourage people from using ivermectin to prevent or treat Covid-19, the FDA tweeted "You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Serious y’all. Stop It." and posted a similar message on Instagram. The tweet got nearly 106,000 likes. [...] "FDA has not changed its position that currently available clinical trial data do not demonstrate that ivermectin is effective against COVID-19. The agency has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19." [...] Bowden, for example, began recommending ivermectin to treat Covid in early 2020 and, according to the suit, was "derided by Houston Methodist Hospital and forced to resign her privileges there as a result." Marik was forced to resign his positions at Eastern Virginia Medical School and Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for promoting the use of ivermectin after the FDA’s actions, according to the lawsuit.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2021-10-06): Ivermectin has been called a Covid "miracle" drug, championed by vaccine opponents, and recommended by health authorities in some countries. But the BBC can reveal there are serious errors in a number of key studies that the drug's promoters rely on. [...] The group of independent scientists examined virtually every randomised controlled trial (RCT) on ivermectin and Covid - in theory the highest quality evidence - including all the key studies regularly cited by the drug's promoters. [...] But the Lebanon and Iran trials were excluded from a paper for Cochrane - the international experts in reviewing scientific evidence - because they were "such poorly reported studies". The review concluded there was no evidence of benefit for ivermectin when it comes to Covid.
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2021-09-09): Bill Gates' worst nightmare: WHO scientist in India may face death penalty for advising against Ivermectin
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2024-02-04): The harm done by publishing poor or fabricated research is demonstrated by the anti-parasite drug ivermectin. Early laboratory studies indicated it could be used to treat Covid-19 and it was hailed as a miracle drug. However, it was later found these studies showed clear evidence of fraud, and medical authorities have refused to back it as a treatment for Covid. "The trouble was, ivermectin was used by anti-vaxxers to say: ‘We don’t need vaccination because we have this wonder drug,’" said Jack Wilkinson at Manchester University. "But many of the trials that underpinned those claims were not authentic."
Claim: “WHO scientist faces death penalty” in India for advising against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (Social media users, 2024-06-17)
Evidence (2020-06-29): WHO published a Scientific Brief on the off-label use of medicines for COVID-19, addressing the issue of compassionate use. [...] WHO announced that the hydroxychloroquine arm of the Solidarity Trial to find an effective COVID-19 treatment was being stopped. The decision was based on large scale randomized evidence from the Solidarity, Discovery and Recovery trials, as well as a review of available published evidence from other sources, which showed that hydroxychloroquine did not reduce mortality for hospitalised COVID-19 patients. [...] WHO published a guideline on therapeutics and COVID-19, with new information for clinicians including a conditional recommendation against the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, regardless of disease severity.
Claim: “The clothing industry contributes up to 10% of the pollution driving the climate crisis.” (Patagonia, 2020-11-30)
Evidence (2020-11-30): Globally, the fashion industry is estimated to contribute 3 - 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change, based on scientific studies and reports from the United Nations and charities. The clothing industry has a variety of other environmental impacts, including intensive water use, water pollution through dying and textile production, and pesticide and herbicide pollution through the agricultural production of cotton. Microplastics, which are shed primarily from synthetic textiles during washing, are also polluting the oceans, potentially negatively impacting human health and natural ecosystems.
Claim: “The clothing industry contributes up to 10% of the pollution driving the climate crisis.” (Patagonia, 2020-11-30)
Evidence (2024-03-21): Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution from dyeing and finishing products. [...] Washing synthetic products leads to the accumulation of more than half a million tonnes of microplastics on the bottom of the oceans every year. In addition to this global problem, the pollution generated by garment production has a devastating impact on the health of local people, animals and ecosystems where the factories are located. The fashion industry is estimated to be responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions – more than international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Claim: “The clothing industry contributes up to 10% of the pollution driving the climate crisis.” (Patagonia, 2020-11-30)
Evidence (2018-12-11): The fashion industry produces between 2 to 8 per cent of global carbon emissions. Textile dyeing is also the second largest polluter of water globally and it takes around 2,000 gallons of water to make a typical pair of jeans. Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned. If nothing changes, by 2050 the fashion industry will use up a quarter of the world’s carbon budget. Textiles are also estimated to account for approximately 9% of annual microplastic losses to the ocean. [...] At the March meeting, UN Environment will formally launch the UN Alliance on Sustainable Fashion to encourage the private sector, governments and non-governmental organizations to create an industry-wide push for action to reduce fashion’s negative social, economic and environmental impact and turn it into a driver for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Claim: “The clothing industry contributes up to 10% of the pollution driving the climate crisis.” (Patagonia, 2020-11-30)
Evidence (2022-12-06): Every year, the fashion industry generates 10% of the world’s global carbon emissions. It’s why UCL scientists have pioneered a more sustainable method to help make propylene – a common ingredient in the fabrics and plastics of the clothes and shoes we wear. Find out more... [...] According to the United Nations Environment Program, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions. That means it causes more upset to the climate than than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. And the problem is set to grow. [...] It’s just clothes – how hard can it be? In fact, it’s a complicated business, with many of the most polluting aspects of the industry not obvious to the average shopper. Take polypropylene – a plastic made from fossil fuels that is usually associated with the chemical industry. In fact, an increasing amount of polypropylene is made into artificial fabric, and much of that fabric is bought and used by clothing manufacturers. And, because of its source and the way it is made, polypropylene apparel comes with a colossal carbon footprint.
Claim: “The clothing industry contributes up to 10% of the pollution driving the climate crisis.” (Patagonia, 2020-11-30)
Evidence (2021-10-28): Fashion is the third-largest manufacturing industry in the world and, by some calculations, it produces up to 10% of the world's emissions. And fast fashion is a major contributor to greenhouse gases, water and air pollution, creating problematic levels of waste. [...] - Fashion contributes up to 10% of global carbon emissions - It accounts for 20% of global wastewater - Fashion uses more energy than aviation and shipping combined - About 70 million barrels of oil a year are used to make polyester fibres - A polyester shirt has double the carbon footprint compared to one made from cotton - Polyester takes hundreds of years to decompose