This week, we’re asking questions about surgisphere data, and how it might have got into such high impact journals, we’re also talking about the protests around the world about structural racism - and how they intersect with the covid pandemic.

(1.39) Helen and Carl talk about the data underlying the newly retracted papers on hydroxychloroquine and ace-inhibitors or ARBs and covid.

(7.45) Fiona Godlee, the BMJ’s editor in chief, comes onto the pod to talk about retractions, and why they’re often called for, an rarely done.

(25.10) We talk about the protests, and Carl gives us his opinion on the risk of covid transmission during them (spoiler; he thinks it’s low)

(37.40) Sonia Saxena, professor of primary care at Imperial College London gives her verdict on the Public Health England report into this disproportionate effect of covid on ethnic minorities in the UK, and pushes back against it being a biological instead of a sociological determination.

Reading list:

Sonia’s analysis into transforming the health system for the UK’s multiethnic population https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m268

 News Analysis - Covid-19: PHE review has failed ethnic minorities, leaders tell BMJ
https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2264

The PHE report into the disparate risk of covid to ethnic minorities
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomes