This shocking paper presents 5 cases of patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections, 2 of them hospitalized in the intensive care unit, who were successfully treated with homeopathy. All 5 patients responded to homeopathic treatment in an unexpectedly short time span (in fact, it took up to 8 days), improving both physically and mentally.
The authors concluded that the present case series emphasizes the rapidity of response among moderate to severely ill patients to homeopathic treatment, when conventional medical options have been unable to relieve or shorten the disease. The observations described should encourage use of homeopathy in treating patients with COVID-19 during the acute phase of the disease.
If I hear about patients suffering from a cold, or tennis elbow, or otitis, or back pain, or allergy who responded to homeopathic treatment in an unexpectedly short time span, I tend to giggle and usually consider it a waste of time to explain that the observed outcome most likely is not a RESPONSE to homeopathic treatment but a non-causally related by-product. Correlation is not causation! What caused the outcome was, in fact, the natural history of the condition which would have improved even without homeopathy. To make this even clearer, I sometimes ask the homeopath: HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THE PATIENT WOULD NOT HAVE IMPROVED EVEN FASTER IF YOU HAD NOT GIVEN HIM THE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY? This question sometimes (sadly not always) leads to the realization that homeopathy may not have caused the outcome.
But when, in the middle of a pandemic during which millions of people died and continue to die, someone writes in a medical journal that 5 COVID patients responded to homeopathic treatment in an unexpectedly short time span, I feel compelled to disclose the statement as pure, unethical, irresponsible, and dangerous quackery.
The 5 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized at a tertiary medical center in Jerusalem for moderate to severe
COVID-19-related symptoms. Each of them requested homeopathic treatment in addition to conventional therapy from the hospital’s ‘Center for Integrative Complementary Medicine’. All 5 patients were over 18 years old and had confirmed COVID-19 infection at the time of admission. They received their homeopathic medications as small round pills (globules); no further information about the homeopathic treatment was provided. Similarly, we also do not learn whether some patients who did not receive homeopathy recovered just as quickly (I am sure that worldwide thousands did), or whether some patients who did get homeopathic remedies failed to recover.
To make matters worse, the authors of this paper state this:
Several conclusions are evident from the cases presented:
1 homeopathy’s effect may be expected within minutes or, at most, hours;
2 contrary to classical homeopathic consultations, which may extend over an hour, correct medications for patients with acute COVID-19 symptoms may be determined in minutes;
3 there were no observable adverse effects to homeopathic treatment of COVID-19;
4 therapy can be administered via telehealth services, increasing safety of treating patients with active infection;
5 patient satisfaction was high; scoring their experience of homeopathic therapy on a 7-point scale, ranging
from “It greatly improved my condition” to “It greatly aggravated my condition,” all 5 patients indicated it
had greatly improved their condition.
The possibility that the outcomes are not causally related to the homeopathic treatment seems to have escaped the authors. The harm that can be done by such an article seems obvious: fans of homeopathy might be misled into assuming that homeopathy is an effective therapy for COVID infections and other serious conditions. It is not hard to imagine that this error would cost many lives.
The authors state in their article that, to the best of their knowledge, this is the first time that a tertiary medical center has permitted homeopathic therapy of patients under treatment for COVID-19-related illness.
I sincerely hope that it is also the last time!
48 Responses to Homeopathic Treatment for COVID-19: a case of scientific misconduct and/or irresponsible behavior?
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Why not making a test and giving the homeopathic remedies to all people being with Covid 19 in hospital? If it is just sugar, it would not harm. If it does help the same way like written in the paper, all should be happy and we have to rethink the idea and the usage of homeopathy.
I suppose for the same reason one does not test the effects of Bungie jumping on alopecia, for instance.
LACK OF PLAUSIBILITY
Once people thought there was “lack of plausibility” that the earth is moving around the sun and not vice versa.
Regarding theory of homeopathy the main problem seems to be to me, that nobody has doubts about the theory of Hahnemann behind hins findings. What if the process of dillution is more likely extraction of parts of the substances pulverized in a mortar or macerated and pressed through a tissue with the dillution steps being a process of cleaning of a certain foraction of it, Fraction staying the same through the entire process as time for deposition in the alcoholic environment of the lightweight parts is always same and the process of shaking is a process of cleaning of the molecules?
I know that homeopathy is used in emergency medicine – often with almost spontaneus reactions, turing situations from harmful to well controlled.
sorry, too much utter nonsense here for me to want to argue with you.
Good comments, though sadly, Edzard and his ilk are not really serious about honoring the Hippocratic tradiiton of “First, do no harm,” and even then, they will spin what seemingly good responses to homeopathic treatment as a placebo.
I too comment here occasionally, though I never expect these people to change their point of view, but I do hope that some of their silent readership has a healthier and objective scientific mindset.
Oh, Dana – you are hopeless!
(but quite endearing in your childish naivety and refusal to learn)
https://edzardernst.com/2018/06/first-do-no-harm-what-does-it-mean-how-does-it-apply-to-alternative-medicine/
Dana
We’ve often told you what would change our mind on homeopathy and its supposed effectiveness. The answer is strongly positive results from replicated, robust, well-conducted clinical trials. Curiously, you have been unable to provide such evidence so we follow the good science and maintain what it tells us – that homeopathy is utter bunkum and its adherents are religious zealots, quacks or deluded fools.
It has often been asked of you what evidence it would take to change your mind on homeopathy. You’ve never answered. Because you know it would fatally undermine your position.
There’s one person here with an unscientific mindset lacking objectivity and it is Captain Inconsequential Dana Ullman and his pet dead horse which he continues to beat.
@Dana Ullman
Yes! Why not give homeopathy – even though it is ludicrously implausible that it works – the benefit of the doubt? After all, it appears to do no direct harm, and that is quite important!
But then it would of course be unfair not to give OTHER similarly harmless alternative treatments the benefit of doubt as well. So I suggest that every Covid-19 patient is examined, diagnosed and treated by representatives and practitioners of the following modalities as soon as they experience significant symptoms:
Trager approach, Structural Integration, Therapeutic touch, Nutritional healing, Hypnotherapy, Magnetic healing, Kundalini yoga, Magnet therapy, Vipassana, Reiki, Affirmative prayer, Psychic surgery, Iridology, Water cure (therapy), Pilates, Five elements, Aromatherapy, Traditional Korean medicine, Pranic healing, Home remedies, Natural Health, Transcendental meditation, Support groups, Dowsing, Siddha yoga, Holistic medicine, Acupuncture, Tantric yoga, Chinese herbology, Wuxing (Chinese philosophy), Trigger point, Eclectic medicine, Neuro-linguistic programming, Coding (therapy), Asahi Health, Chinese martial arts, Qigong, Attachment therapy, Chiropractic, Recreational Therapy, Isolation tank, Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, Fasting, Natural therapies, Vinyasa yoga, Auriculotherapy, Chinese food therapy, Chinese pulse diagnosis, Earthing, Light therapy, Yoga Therapy, Visualization, Manual lymphatic drainage, Traditional Chinese medicine, Iyengar yoga, Zang fu, Feldenkrais method, Chelation therapy, Transcendental meditation, Autosuggestion, Rolfing Structural Integration, Bach flower therapy, Uropathy, Prokarin, Craniosacral therapy, Blood irradiation therapies, Hawaiian massage, Ear candling, Bioresonance therapy, Martial arts, Macrobiotic lifestyle, Naturopathic medicine, Radionics, Apitherapy, Chinese medicine, Hijama, Viniyoga, Crystal healing, Graphology, Autogenic training, DST, Sound therapy, Thai massage, Visualization (cam), Amrit yoga, Herbology, Hatha yoga, Urine therapy, Horticultural therapy, Reiki, Vaginal steaming, Alexander technique, Energy psychology, Numerology, Osteopathy, Siddha medicine, Rebirthing, Cupping, Orthopathy, Havening, Naprapathy, Tantra massage, Jilly Juice, Moxibustion, Electromagnetic therapy, Creative visualization, Art Therapy, Paula method healing exercises, Spiritual mind treatment, Rosen Method, Traditional Tibetan medicine, Faith healing, Ashtanga yoga, Self-hypnosis, Tao yin, Body-based manipulative therapies, Detoxification foot baths, Body work (alternative medicine) or Massage therapy, Qi, Hatha yoga, Colon hydrotherapy (Enema), Flower essence therapy, Colon cleansing, Colloidal silver therapy, Hypnotherapy, Hair analysis (alternative medicine), Hydrotherapy, Shiatsu, Laughter therapy, Bach flower therapy, Isopathy, Myofascial release, Hypnosis, Meridian (Chinese medicine), Biodanza, Daoyin Taoist Yoga, Chakra, Autosuggestion, History of traditional Chinese medicine, Aquatherapy, Holistic living, Ayurveda, Reflexology, Alternative cancer treatments, Acupressure, Sonopuncture, Medical intuition, T’ai chi ch’uan, Electrohomeopathy, Prayer, Grahamism, Sivananda yoga, Massage therapy, Cinema therapy, Detoxification, Grinberg Method, Bibliotherapy, Wellness (alternative medicine), Bikram yoga, Qigong, Nutritional supplements, Feng shui, Astrology, Shiatsu, Therapeutic touch, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Chromotherapy (color therapy, colorpuncture), Coin rubbing, Traditional Japanese medicine, Anthroposophical medicine, Mega-vitamin therapy, Tui na, Unani medicine, Gua sha, Alexander technique, Equine-assisted therapy, Balneotherapy, Hatha yoga, Dance therapy, Dietary supplements, Mindfulness meditation, Introspection rundown, Thalassotherapy, German New Medicine, Salt Therapy, Therapeutic horseback riding, Manipulative therapy, Feldenkrais Method, Tibetan eye chart, New thought, Massage, Functional medicine, Traditional Mongolian medicine, Bates method, Aromatherapy, Activated charcoal cleanse, Autogenic training, Applied kinesiology, and, of course Herbal therapy.
Even though the vast majority of these treatments have a very low plausibility of actually helping patients, I’d say that the sheer number of treatments increases the chances of at least one being hugely beneficial!
@ Richard Basker
I dare say: each and every patient that made it through all of these examinatiions, diagnoses and treatments will survive COVID 19.
@Norbert Aust
I have this mental picture where the bed holding a newly hospitalized Covid-19 patient is obscured by a throng of alternative practitioners, each and every one frantically trying to draw the patient’s attention to foist their own particular method of ‘healing’ on the poor victim.
If my drawing skills were anything but abysmal, I’d be tempted to draw up a cartoon …
@Richard Rasker:
Something in this sort of style?
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/315252042635971808/
The difference is this:
* There was mounting evidence for a heliocentric solar system, with James Bradley’s discovery of the Aberration of Starlight eventually providing irrefutable evidence.
* There is no such thing as an independently replicated robust-quality double-blinded randomised control trial that demonstrates that homeopathy is distinguishable from placebo for any condition or purpose.
Sorry. I am late to the party. I always thought this blog serves to convince Edzard & Co. to accept that homeopathy and SCAM in general are revolutionary treatments. And as can be seen from the Kurd et al. publication this is the truth and nothing but the truth. They will be saving us (even you antihomeopathy lot) as did Hahnemann during the cholera epidemic. Do your own research.
But if it comes to physics I really get annoyed with some of the arguments brought forward here. James Bradley was from Gloucestershire for heaven’s sake. How can he have observed the sun? I am living in Spain and I can reveal that the sun moves from East to West on a daily basis. I observed it myself while remaining in the same position for a whole day drinking beer. Next thing is, that you will tell me that Earth isn’t flat! Just get real!
And then all this talk about there are no molecules in C30. Rubbish. How do you know this? Even if Avogadro had started counting to 6×10^23 on the day of his birth he would not have finished by today.
And here comes my theory with respect to succussion (I am already working on the publication; just wait for it): Of course, does succussion excite molecular vibrations. Hitting something will produce heat. Did you ever get a slap? Then you will know. And the radiation given off by a heated body corresponds to infrared radiation. This is exactly the wavelength range that excites vibarations. Here we go.
Which universities did you go to if you do not understand even the simplest physics and chemistry?
Cheers and Prost!
Wolfgang
Well said! But perhaps the dilution and succussion process serves to amplify the molecular vibration of the substance whilst removing the harmful concentration of it?
“the dilution and succussion process serves to amplify the molecular vibration of the substance whilst removing the harmful concentration of it”
did you ever learn chemistry and physics?
Please explain how this dilution and banging amplifies only the substance the homeopath wants it to and manages to ignore all the other stuff that’s dissolved in the magic liquid.
@Margaret Lamont
I’m with you so far – yes: vigorously shaking a substance will indeed amplify the molecular vibration of the substance. As in: its temperature will increase slightly.
And yes, full marks again! No matter what the substance is, you can render it harmless by simply diluting it far enough (a.k.a. ‘The Dose makes the Poison’). And homeopaths are not kidding when they dilute something – in fact, their dilutions usually don’t contain a single molecule of the original substance any more. You surely can’t get any more harmless than that!
So to summarize your findings: by diluting and shaking, homeopaths ALWAYS end up with slightly warmed water. Well done!
Thoroughly agree with Holger? Edzard is so blinkered by ‘The science’ but what if that is not up to it? Science is changing all the time. Meanwhile Edzard quite happy to ignore and not even ask what remedies were used. One day he will have his come uppance…
“One day he will have his come uppance…”
OH, DEAR!!!
should I be afraid?
@ Ms. Lamont
Respectfully, I wish to point out that in these words you prove without any doubt that you do not know what science is and how it operates. You might obtain some basic litterature on science and scientific method at your local library?
And ‘comeuppance’ is one word.
@Margaret Lamont
(Interesting choice of words – especially the term ‘blinkered’, that is used almost exclusively by proponents of quackery and pseudoscience.)
So you suggest that Prof. Dr. Ernst fails to see any effects of homeopathy because of his prejudice in the matter – even though he has studied it thoroughly for several decades?
So in your opinion, science is not a suitable tool for objectively establishing the effects of homeopathy? Then what is a suitable tool in your opinion?
Indeed it is. And it has made tremendous progress in the past two centuries. Quite unlike homeopathy, that in all 227 years of its existence NEVER succeeded in demonstrating any significant therapeutic effects(*). Even its basic principles (‘Like cures like’ and ‘Higher dilutions = more potency’) have never been found to exist – quite the contrary, they have been proven wrong countless times.
Together with the fact that homeopathic preparations don’t contain even a single molecule of the active ingredient any more, one can safely say that after 227 years, it is extremely implausible that homeopathy any actual effects of homeopathy will be found after all, and that it would be a waste of money, time and effort to carry out yet another trial that will come up negative with 99% certainty. (And the remaining 1% is caused by the inevitable statistical noise, not any actual effects.)
*: And we also KNOW why homeopathy (or any other form of quackery or magic) sometimes may appear to have an effect: the placebo effect and the fact that most complaints resolve naturally are two prominent mechanisms that fool both the practitioners and their customers.
“This research has been exempted from Ethics Commission approval as treatment was administered as a part of the services offered by the hospital.”
yes, I know!
totally unacceptable
Look
Since the beginning of the covid pandemic, we in the USA have been told if you test positive, or if you have covid sympotom, DON”T go to the hospital !! …. unless you have turned blue… and you are dying.
Beyond that, keeping all manor of patients out of medical offices and hospitals that were NOT covid ill but needed other medical treatment. CONmed literally pushed patients into alternative treatments.
This is truth !
If you don’t think patients won’t seek out other solutions…. you’re nuts.
Replying to Björn Geir…
Oh thank you. And literature has one ‘t’!
If you truly believe that (li’erture or litera’ure?), why do you spell it with two of them?
Sooooo
Is Ivermectin considered a homeopathic treatment ?
Perhaps you better have a second look.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8248252/
@Listener
The meta-analysis you are touting:
a. has co-author(s) that are associated with pro-ivermecting group called BIRD and yet they declare no conflicts of interests: https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/jun/30/what-know-about-pro-ivermectin-groups-study-toutin/
b. includes a notoriously fraudulent RCT done by Elgazzar et al. that has since been redacted. Redoing the meta-analysis by excluding the fraudulent RCT may very well change the conclusions of the analysis.
Following is a conclusion of a more recent meta-analysis Ivermectin for the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials that doesnt take into account the fraudulent RCT.
@Listener
That paper has been retracted BY THE AUTHORS because of the fraudulent content of one of the papers they used.
@Lenny
Nice try…. one trial in doubt ?
The paper was corrected and re-submitted.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8369353/
@Listener
We know you’re not very bright and it’s lovely when you demonstrate it. Did you actually look at that paper you’ve posted? It’s the retraction notice. Containing the exact words I quoted. Not a resubmission.
@Lenny
OK Lenny, we’ll certainly wait for the updated report.
If you think one out of twenty-four studies is going to vastly change the outcome, you keep hoping.
The truth is the vaccines are NOT working. If they were, they would not require two doses to begin with. Nor would they need to be followed up a few months later with a booster.. .and another booster.
Natural Immunity has been proven to be far superior to the vaccines.
Furthermore, the FDA is not backing boosters due to reasons of a lack of safety. At some point, that means there is a risk to vaccine exposure.
WAKE UP !!
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/09/17/fda-advisory-panel-rejects-pfizer-boosters/
https://www.swfinstitute.org/news/88036/jaw-dropping-academic-study-shows-natural-immunity-superior-to-covid-vaccine
“The truth is the vaccines are NOT working.”
No, the truth is that you are to blinkered to see the truth
@Listener
Did someone say Natural Immunity!!?
I too am a big fan of natural immunity. Do you know how one can acquire natural immunity?
Pay a random stranger to cough or sneeze on one’s face. If one can’t afford to pay, they can always lick door handles at a shopping mall, it’s free and provides natural immunity to a lot more bugs.
A natural immunity proponent like you should have already licked several dozen doorknobs by now, if you haven’t then you are a colossal coward and a hypocrite Listener!
There is nothing to be afraid of, I lick door handles all the time to acquire natural immunity and I am healthy as a rock. Unlike you, I did not get vaccinated, I do not take poisons like ivermectin or wear a mask in public or follow pesky diets like intermittent fasting, calorie reduction blah blah.
You know what, I haven’t caught covid so far and you already know the answer buddy! superior natural immunity!!
@Listener
You wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you in the bottom and left its calling card.
But tell me, if vaccines are NOT working, then why are 99% of Covid-19 deaths in unvaccinated people?
Just a shame that acquiring this natural immunity kills 1 in every 140 people, whereas acquiring the only slightly less effective immunity through vaccination kills less than 1 in every 1 million people.
But hey, don’t let millions of deaths stand in the way of your antivaccine propaganda!
@EE
You are lying… just like we’ve been lied to from the beginning. The vaccine in Israel was rolled out in January, it’s now September and they are planing to give a fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine (which is the vaccine the entire nation received).
https://matzav.com/israel-planning-to-administer-fourth-dose-of-covid-19-vaccine/
So how is it that the vaccine is working if they already see a need for a fourth dose ? This is unprecedented.
STOP the madness !
No, I am not ‘lying’ but you are an idiot!
SOMETHING IS WORKING can also mean it does not work for years.
SOMETHING IS WORKING can also mean it prevents severe cases
SOMETHING IS WORKING can also mean it reduces death rates.
@EE
I have great respect for you but I have to agree with my buddy Listener on this one.
SOMETHING IS WORKING has only one definition. It means that it must work right away, for everyone, indefinitely for the rest of eternity. Any deviation from this means that it is not working!! As a researcher you should have already known that, yet you make troglodytes like us lecture you!
@EE
We WERE lied to, what happened to “fifteen days to flatten the curve” ? So what if it helped temporarily. Here we are eighteen months later and still with masks, lock-downs, mandated vaccines (with boosters) and loss of freedoms. Have we progressed al all ?
After years ? C’mon Edzard, in a couple years, covid-19 will no longer be pandemic, it will be endemic. How will it work in years if the vaccines only last a few months ?
We’re doing all this so that we can perhaps see results in a couple years ? …. baah. In a couple years natural immunity will have kicked-in.
“We WERE lied to…”
you may well believe it, even if it is just your delusion playing tricks on you.
but “you are lying” is an entirely different statement.
I have enough of this: you are herewith banned from commenting on this blog – bye
@ Listener
“The truth is the vaccines are NOT working. If they were, they would not require two doses to begin with. Nor would they need to be followed up a few months later with a booster.. .and another booster.”
Yes, I see. Same with food. If it would work you would hardly go hungry the next day and for sure you would not need a booster then and another and another your whole lifetime.
@Listener
When one uses BS trials for their analysis, redacting just one study can make or break the analysis.
The link you posted is just an expression of concern and says the following.
Post a link to the corrected paper if you can find it.
Listener:
You clearly haven’t looked at any standard childhood immunisation schedule, unless you think that pretty much all the standard childhood vaccinations “don’t work”.
Here’s the Australian schedule for non-indigenous children & adolescents:
Birth: HepB
2 Months: DPT, HepB, polio, HiB, Rotavirus, Pneumococcal
4 months: DPT, HepB, polio, HiB, Rotavirus, Pneumococcal
6 months: DPT, HepB, polio, HiB
12 months: Meningococcal, MMR, Pneumococcal
18 months: HiB, MMR+varicella, DPT
4 years: DPT, polio
12-13 years: HPV, DPT
14-16 years: Meningococcal
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/06/national-immunisation-program-schedule-for-all-non-indigenous-people_0.pdf
So by your reasoning, none of the HepB, DPT, polio, HiB, Rotavirus, Pneumococcal or Meningococcal vaccines work, because they require repeat doses (and in come cases, more that the two doses recommended for COVID-19).
@Richard Rasker
Very few of the therapies that you list have the llong well documented clinical history of cures that homeopathy has.
but homeopathy is easily beaten by bloodletting, mercury cures, and exorcism.
@Roger
I’m afraid you are wrong. The list of conditions for which homeopathy is a proven cure is just as long as the list of conditions that those other modalities work for. Here it is:
https://rationalwiki.org/w/images/2/2f/Tumbleweed.gif
Yes, homeopathy boasts a long (and often very silly) list of shaken-water varieties – but all those preparations are 100% identical, and all have exactly the same effect: nothing beyond placebo.
Just like acupuncture features a long list of ‘acupuncture points’ that don’t actually exist, or chiropractic distinguishing between many dozens different ‘subluxations’ and other musculoskeletal deviations that no real doctor has ever been able to confirm. Similar things exist for most of those other alternative modalities.
This 100% made-up complexity has an important function: it serves to impress the gullible audience, and tries to convey the notion that [your quackery of choice] involves a serious body of knowledge, thereby elevating its practitioners above the ignorant masses. Yes, indeed, just like any other cult or religion …
Do a homeopathic proving of a couple different remedies and then tell me if they are the same.
oh Roger, not again!