A bizzare story of Croatia and COVID-19 spiced up with potentially problematic use of scientific methodology? /thread [2/2] …(1/25)

@GordanLauc supports his point by attaching an image of @ResearchGate account of a first year PhD student (me) commenting that the ratio of research items and citations indicates insignificance …(2/25)

@GordanLauc further explains that “it is OK for a student to ask a stupid question, however not too often”, obviously irritated by an attempt of some students (and a professor) to question his work. …(3/25)

In a number of unsuccessful attempts to obtain any feedback from the authors on the problematic study, @GordanLauc resorts to all kinds of tricks to avoid discussion on the methodology of his work. …(4/25)

Meanwhile, @GordanLauc ignores the warnings regarding scientific validity of his study, and continues to use mentioned manuscript as a *strong proof* of his hypothesis on “Summer and Winter COVID” in his frequent media appearances. …(5/25)

In a recent post on Facebook, @GordanLauc emphasizes his claims even more adding that a recent “big meta-analysis published few weeks ago confirmed his findings”. …(6/25)

@GordanLauc even provides a link ( https://bit.ly/2EoCwCR ) however, the link leads to a small narrative review article deriving conclusions from SARS, MERS and H1N1. …(7/25)

When asked in the comments to provide a link of the “big meta-analysis” Lauc responds with a legendary comment worthy of statistical textbooks “It looks like our opinions on what is big and what is not differ” and resorts to ad hominem accusations quickly. …(8/25)

He fails to respond to a comment that “opinions on what a meta-analysis is are quite universal”. …(9/25)

@Gordanlauc is often asked to provide raw data for the problematic study, however he readily refuses to make it available “until the study is published in a journal” as “it would be unfair to his colleagues”. …(10/25)

The real meaning of this words remains deciphered. …(11/25)

@GordanLauc is a part of the COVID-19 Scientific Council of Croatian Government @VladaRH alongside @amarkotic @draganprimorac2 @ProfIgorRudan @BrankoKolaric and others so his statements are taken as infallible truths by the public. …(12/25)

The debate on the problematic hypothesis on “Winter and Summer COVID” remains active among Croatian scientists and scientific journalists, however, the problematic study still didn’t receive a proper “second look” by experts on data quality and epidemiological methodology(13/25)

@GordanLauc even claims the results of the study are being considered in other countries planning the approach to pandemics.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5830164/coronavirus-scotland-flu-test-trace-isolate/ [the article Lauc cites] …(14/25)

Without trying to imply either existence or non-existence of the difference between clinical presentation of COVID-19 in Winter vs Summer, but concerned with this problematic study that keeps being referenced to as valid evidence with counterarguments ….(15/25)

…dismissed based on the fact that authors criticizing the work are below @GordanLauc in the scientific niche, I started this thread to include international scientific community in the discussion with the main question being: …(16/25)

Are conclusions of the manuscript https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.11.20147157v2.full.pdf+html
supported by the data? …(17/25)

An idea that scientific validity stems from eminence, rather than evidence is extremely problematic, and a lack of energy to refute potential scientific errors is nothing less than a defeat of science itself. …(18/25)

Being well aware of personal limitations and a lack of knowledge on the extremely complicated matter, and annoyed by overconfidence and wilful ignorance demonstrated by the authors…(19/25)

I hope to draw the attention of independent scientists that know much more on the complex matter being studied and with sufficient mathematical and statistical skills and knowledge to look at the study objectively and evaluate validity of the used methodological approach.(20/25)

Everybody makes mistakes, but there should be no place for wilful ignorance in science. Please RT so the thread can reach enough skilled scientists that can provide relevant and scientifically sound insights objectively! … /end of thread[2/2] (21/25)

A link to thread [2/2] https://twitter.com/JanHomolak/status/1297958592449073153?s=20