Earlier this week the medical world was rocked by the hypothesis of virologist Dr. Jurgen Rissland that whisky can protect against COVID-19 (cc: @NobelPrize)

As with many claims made in healthcare these days, this postulate requires vigorous efforts at validation

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It would be totally irresponsible to apply this practice at the population level without first conducting a clinical trial.

So #medtwitter went to work

Presenting: WICkED (Whisky agaInst Coronavirus Exposure in Doctors) [acronym credit: @BenWestphalen]

2/
Phase I requires brave volunteers willing to establish the dose-limiting toxicity.

Let McConaughey show you how it's done ...

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This is the way ...

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And then, bingo! DLT

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Now on to phase II. I'm an Islay stan but I think it's important to recognize that some people prefer non-peaty malts and they shouldn't be punished for being wrong, so I've built cross-over into the schema. It was only ethical:

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And finally, the all-important phIII, where we'll put the peat to the test vs. hydroxychloroquine.

As @VPrasadMDMPH notes there is no excuse for avoiding a hard endpoint during a crisis like this so the primary outcome will be OS (Overall Sobriety).

Sláinte, my friends!

end/
(Well, not quite. Adding the obvious disclaimer that this is not an endorsement of alcohol abuse, nor does it reflect the views of my very respectable employer or its IRB. Please drink responsibly, and for heaven's sake don't waste the 'uisge-beatha'; this Scotsman would weep.)
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