Slanted Science

America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings about a recent upswing in the numbers of fake products being marketed as cures for, or preventative measures against, the H1N1 virus (responsible for what has become known as Swine Flu).
Generally marketed over the internet, the very best thing these products can be is useless. The worst they can be, of course, is lethal.

The FDA has taken an extremely aggressive – almost unprecedented – stance against the scamsters behind these products, threatening legal action against the websites selling them.

The “cures” and “preventatives” in question, by the way, include such creations as The Photon Genie (a machine delivering energy waves), SwineFluGone (a supposedly antiviral spray containing silver), fake Tamiflu tablets (which are actually just tylenol and talc), and Clorox Wipes (supposedly disinfectant tissues which…wait, what?

But Clorox is a huge multinational brand, not a bunch of swindlers looking to make a quick buck off the public fear of disease and some people’s ignorance of basic scientific concepts. How could they be involved in this?

Well, as part of a $million ad campaign, Clorox (and Kleenex and Dial) have produced a video which some say infers that their antibacterial products are of some benefit in preventing the spread of flu (a virus). According to the Associated Press, the FDA is “reviewing the campaign”.

Anyway, the upshot is this: the H1N1 vaccine is the only specific countermeasure you can take against this disease. Frequent and thorough handwashing are great adjuncts. If you’re unfortunate enough to catch it, shortening of, and relief from, flu symptoms will not be achieved by photon machines, copper bangles or tablets made from distilled and dehydrated pixie piss.

Even Fox News are going big on this story, and they aren’t known for their opposition to the promotion of baseless, potentially damaging information which exploits the inherent gullibility of undereducated minds.

Listen to these wise words from John Santa (busy time coming up for him in a couple of months…) of the Consumer Reports Health Rating Center:

“Any product that is claiming to diagnose, to treat or cure the H1N1 virus – unless it’s an FDA-approved vaccine, or Tamiflu, or Rolenza – is a fraudulent product and they are making a fraudulent claim. It’s as simple as that.”

Don’t Hold Your Breath, But This May Lead To: well, with a bit of luck, the FDA taking a keener interest in all the charlatans selling garbage like acai berries, vitamin J distillates and goblin-pube lucky charms.