Rolling Stone semi-fails an ivermectin story; but then, Drew Holden over-gloats

In case you missed it, at the end of last week, Rolling Stone ran a story claiming that Oklahoma hospitals can't even treat gunshot victims because of not just a COVID backup, but now, ivermectin overdoses on top of that, based on claims of Dr. Jason McElyea, pictured at right from an old McAlester News photo.

Well, maybe not.

Rolling Stone's report about scads of people OD'ing in Oklahoma on ivermectin is reportedly full of shit, starting with the fact that the doctor-story source hadn't worked at the main hospital in question for two months, per the hospital.

Drew Holden has the details; unfortunately, as a semi-wingnut, or full-on, he may be overzealous in who he's dunking on, or on extending the dunking beyond this particular story, or on misframing what McElyea said, or misframing what Rolling Stone framed, or more. (He did retweet Dylan Matthews noting that winger media do the same stupidity, but will probably fall back on "RTs ≠ endorsements.") See my own opening tweet in a three-tweet thread noting that Holden's actual dunk-value is narrower than he paints it, and concluding with the essentially fraudulent nature of the "go-to" ivermectin study, and calling on Holden to retweet. 

Let's also note, as linked in the Rolling Stone story, that Dr. Jason McElyea first talked to Oklahoma TV, and said there as well as to Rolling Stone, hospitals in the plural and named none by name. Let's also note, and again, before the Rolling Stone piece and linked by it, that McElyea told the Tulsa World he personally was unable to transfer a gunshot victim to another hospital, though he just mentioned COVID and not ivermectin.

That said, the World's story was well done and had multiple sourcing. The problems appear to start with the TV news, which was a one-on-one interview. There's no indication the program talked to anybody else. 

Rolling Stone, which is still print-based (or digital-print) and long-form, compared to local TV news, dropped the ball. The story's author, and editors, while linking to the World piece, apparently failed to note that it had several sources and that McElyea didn't mention ivermectin in detail.

So, the real question is? Why did he focus on it during his TV interview? (He's not responded to Rolling Stone, nor have hospitals beyond the one mentioned by Holden, and cited by Rolling Stone in its update.)

Also, let's again note that McElyea, whether to Channel 4 or the Tulsa World, never mentioned a single hospital by name. Nor did Rolling Stone on its own. NHS Sequoyah chose to respond.

But, with that said, yes, let's pivot to ivermectin.

The full story about how that study is essentially fraudulent itself needs a careful reading. Wingnuts-of-wingnuts like Dark Webber Bret Weinstein have been leaders in ivermectin peddling. And, like some leftists, but from a different angle, he hints at conspiracy behind the push for vaccines if ivermectin means "there shouldn't be vaccines we're administering," because ivermectin renders them irrelevant.

 

And, yes, it's been approved for humans. But, the dosage is much different, and a non-rancher buying it at Atwood's or Tractor Supply likely has zero knowledge about how to adjust the dosage. Given that its human use is not necessarily for the same parasitic worms as for bovines, even a rancher may not be totally right in dose adjustment guesses unless he has an actual human prescription.

But, that all ignores that there is NO GOOD SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ivermectin works on COVID, and is anything other than a dewormer.

Don't believe BuzzFeed cuz it's "librul media"? Well, tat was linked by Retraction Watch. Or, for more, go to Orac's Respectful Insolence and search for "ivermectin." Or just read Orac's latest piece on it.

That said, I suspect Holden will actually do no such retweeting. Yes, he has written for the New York Times before, and the Washington Post. But also for Fox. And National Review.

I might still cut him slack there.

But, the Federalist? Bridge too far, at least in the abstract, for my credibility.

And, Holden, as for some of the people you dunked on? Dunno about Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding's everyday, every issue credibility, but overall on COVID? He's probably ahead of you.

As for Madcow Maddow? Shee-it, that's easy. I've dunked on her myself because she's a neoliberal warmonger, halfway to being a ConservaDem, and that's all the package of being a cable teevee news network news talk program entertainer. Substitute "wingnut" for "neoliberal" and "ConservaDem," and we've got some of your fellow travelers like Swanson Tucker Carlson. 

I will give you credit for tagging mainstreamers like Business Insider as well.

But, that's not the last word.

Drew, per your schlocky catchphrase? "I gotcher receipts Right Here!" (crotch grab) Stop sniffing your own self-written press clippings and/or butt crack ventilations.