Home > Facemasks in the Era of COVID-19: A Health Hypothesis
Facemasks in the COVID-19 Era: A Health Hypothesis
Facemasks in the COVID-19 Era: A Health Hypothesis [now stated Retracted] by Baruch Vainshelboim.
Received by ELSEVIER 25 February 2020, Accepted 6 March 2020, Available online 22 November 2020, Version of Record 15 January 2021.
This article is an example of a ‘soft censorship’ that is also running the circuit of the web – it was published originally in November 2020 but has since been labeled “Retracted” (although not technically ‘scrubbed’) in order to make the reader believe it has been ‘debunked’.
Alleged ‘problems’ with the article were not discovered, despite it being “externally peer reviewed” [see publisher’s statement], until it was picked up by non-corporate media and began getting widespread attention.
Then suddenly, “misleading” data were found in the article and the publishing platform decided to essentially character assassinate both the article and its author.
A current call for the article provides the following:
Medical Hypotheses
Volume 146, January 2021
RETRACTED: Facemasks in the COVID-19 era: A health hypothesis
by Baruch Vainshelboim
-----------------------------------------------
This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal).
This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief.
Medical Hypotheses serves as a forum for innovative and often disruptive ideas in medicine and related biomedical sciences. However, our strict editorial policy is that we do not publish misleading or inaccurate citations to advance any hypotheses.
The Editorial Committee concluded that the author’s hypothesis is misleading on the following basis:
1. A broader review of existing scientific evidence clearly shows that approved masks with correct certification, and worn in compliance with guidelines, are an effective prevention of COVID-19 transmission.
2. The manuscript misquotes and selectively cites published papers. References #16, 17, 25 and 26 are all misquoted.
3. Table 1. Physiological and Psychological Effects of Wearing Facemask and Their Potential Health Consequences, generated by the author. All data in the table is unverified, and there are several speculative statements.
4. The author submitted that he is currently affiliated to Stanford University, and VA Palo Alto Health Care System. However, both institutions have confirmed that Dr Vainshelboim ended his connection with them in 2016.
A subsequent internal investigation by the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher have determined that this article was externally peer reviewed but not with our customary standards of rigor prior to publication. The journal has re-designed its editorial and review workflow to ensure that this will not happen again in future.
The Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher would like to apologize to the readers of The Journal for difficulties this issue has caused.
This site does, currently, give access to the original article by Baruch Vainshelboim. The PDF is downloadable, but with "Retracted" watermarked on each page.
Unfortunately, there are several problems with the Editor-in-Chief’s groveling apology for accidentally going against the international ‘masks work, dammit!’ brigade:
While stating that a “broader review of existing scientific evidence clearly shows that… masks…are an effective prevention of COVID-19 transmission.” [point 1, above] the Editorial Committee does NOT list ANY of this so-called “existing scientific evidence” used to come to this conclusion.
The Editorial Committee also states that there are references in the original article which are “misquoted,” naming specifically footnotes “16, 17, 26, 27,” but they do not footnote their own statements. What “quotes” in the article are incorrect? What “quotes” from the identified footnotes prove that the author “misquoted” them?
The Editorial Committee then determined that the author’s hypothesis is misleading. How can a HYPOTHESIS be “misleading?” The entire point of presenting a hypothesis is to put forth an IDEA with its supporting evidence and let the READER decide to agree or disagree. Readers who can check the author’s references themselves, and analyze his OPINIONS with their own. HYPOTHESES are not ‘determined’ to be right or wrong by some ‘committee’ before being allowed to be presented for discussion in the real world.
As in ALL scientific debate, if the Editorial Committee and/or the Editor-in-Chief wish to DISPROVE the author’s hypothesis, then they need present their arguments, and the supporting evidence, NOT use their Editorial powers to scream "Nuh-Uh!" like children on a playground. This not only disrespects the author of the original article, it disrespects us all.
Then, speaking of disrespect, the final point [above] mentions that the author stated (or implied) he was currently affiliated with Stanford University and the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, but he wasn't.
Wow.
He was at one time, though, right? Isn't this called a Curriculum Vitae? Don't we all have one?
The Editorial Committee didn't check his references for more than eight MONTHS and now they try to make it sound like the author was trying to 'pull a fast one' by listing his credentials on the article.
This doesn't discredit Baruch Vainshelboim or his hypothesis -- but it does discredit the Editor and Editorial Committee of Elsevier.
Home > Facemasks in the Era of COVID-19: A Health Hypothesis
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