Complaint
This article set out the latest medical thinking on the Covid virus. A reader complained it was inaccurate because in the first published version it suggested only people with lung conditions might benefit from antiviral drugs. The complainant also objected to what they claimed was the article鈥檚 underplaying of the continued impact of Covid for those most vulnerable to it. The ECU considered whether it met the standards for accuracy set out in the 麻豆社 Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
The article aimed to look at current data, scientific evidence and expert views, and examine how the impact of the disease had been changing over time. It was clear to readers from the headline 鈥淚s it just a winter bug now?鈥 that the aim was to answer a question. The answer was summarised in the following sentence:
But there is plenty of evidence to suggest the virus is on its way to becoming just another respiratory bug to contend with, alongside flu and others maybe lesser known, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinorvirus and adenovirus.
In the ECU鈥檚 view the evidence provided for this appeared to be well-sourced and the article was accurate at the time of writing.
On the point about antiviral drugs, it appears an interviewee mis-spoke and, despite pre-publication checks being carried out, the error was not spotted until the interviewee later contacted the 麻豆社 directly. The text was then changed from 鈥淭he only situation where it [ie Covid testing] is useful is if you are vulnerable with a lung condition and would benefit from antivirals鈥 to 鈥淭he only situation where it is useful is if you are vulnerable with a condition that would benefit from antivirals鈥, which the ECU considered sufficient to resolve the issue.
Resolved