I think you have that in mind when you think of Dr. Zelenko.
Actually, I am basing my assessment of him on modern day charlatans. Many of them have MD degrees, which means that they have the knowledge to speak of the subject they are scamming with a high level of expertise. But, rather than speak matter-of-factly to the science, they go off on conspiracies--about big pharma and about the medical establishment, while claiming that they have THE cure to whatever disease the patient is suffering. They effect a high level of empathy (which I do not think they feel), so as to attract a particular type of person.
Charlatans are extremely common in the field of cancer, but can pop up in any discipline of medicine. One particularly notorious charlatan routinely advertises his quackery in airplane magazines, and even links to a paper that he (somehow) got published as proof that he has THE cure to cancer that somehow thousands of medical researchers and physicians have missed.
1) The medicine men DO NOT tell us the formula behind their medicine. They simply ask you to trust that it works based on their stories.
Actually, they do tell about their medicine. They publish everything about their craft, from data on drug efficacy to the type of suture that causes the least scarring, in the medical journals which are available to everyone. (Some are behind paywalls but you can still read the abstracts.)
So one thing I look for immediately when someone claims to have a miracle cure is the medical literature. Is there evidence that the claimed cure actually works? Does the person making the claims have a solid research background? Or is it something that anyone could have heard about, and the charlatan picked up on it and started touting it. I think that is the case with Zelenko. As far as I can tell, he was an ordinary practicing family medicine doctor who may simply have gotten in over his head on this one, and has fallen into the charlatan mindset as a result.
RE: But, rather than speak matter-of-factly to the science, they go off on conspiracies—about big pharma and about the medical establishment, while claiming that they have THE cure to whatever disease the patient is suffering.
OK, I’ve asked you this several times — DID YOU LISTEN TO HIS INTERVIEWS? In his lengthy interview with Mayor Rudy Giuliani in his podcast, Zelenko went to great lengths to explain how Hydroxychloroquine acts as an ionophore for Zinc to work to prevent the replication of the virus on the lungs.
And this isn’t even his original discovery, Italian journals have published the same science that he presented for the lay person to understand. This is the same explanation made by Italian researcher, Annalisa Chiusolo :
also here:
https://internetprotocol.co/hype-news/2020/04/30/covid19-explanation-hcq-works/
Secondly, Zelenko NEVER said he had the cure — as in it will ALWAYS work. He only based his report on his observation -— that his patients, given the cocktail EARLY in the course of the disease, avoided hospitalization. However, he did clarify that SOME still went to the hospital anyway ( less than 5 by his count ).
That charlatans are very common does not mean that THIS PARTICULAR person is a charlatan. Not when his work has been REPLICATED by many other doctors here in the USA and around the world. I would even say that he is REPLICATING what other doctors did,since he never claimed that his work was his own discovery. So nope, I disagree,this is not the work of a charlatan. It does not meet the profile.
RE: anyone could have heard about, and the charlatan picked up on it and started touting it. I think that is the case with Zelenko. As far as I can tell, he was an ordinary practicing family medicine doctor who may simply have gotten in over his head on this one, and has fallen into the charlatan mindset as a result.
I think your assessment about him is totally wrong. Based on the work of other doctors, based on the many anecdotal evidences out there,based on the already existing studies ( some of which I posted to you ), based on his own statements that he is only replicating what others have already been doing successfully, the man SINCERELY believes that this cocktail works BASED ON OBSERVATION and is simply sharing his observations to HELP OTHERS.
I don’t see him making money out of this, and I see OPPOSITION, ATTACKS ( like yours ) from many sources, many from the media. He does not need the aggravation, but he still carries on valiantly. He should be THANKED for his efforts, not unfairly attacked.