A recent meta-analysis published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases has been found to contain false information regarding the effectiveness of ivermectin against all-cause mortality.
The study claimed that none of the five trials included in the analysis showed a benefit for ivermectin, but one of the trials actually found that ivermectin recipients were less likely to die. Despite being alerted to this error, the journal has not corrected the information.
The paper has received a high number of citations and engagement on social media, indicating its influence in the scientific community. Researchers have expressed concern about the spread of misinformation and called for corrective action to be taken.
This is not an isolated incident, as other meta-analyses have also been found to include improper papers and exclude trials that show positive results for ivermectin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also faced controversy over its position on ivermectin and recently settled a lawsuit regarding its claims on the drug's effectiveness against COVID-19.
