Design a Study: A popular TV talk show host brings out a physician affiliated with a highly reputable medical school. This physician reports that in his practice he encountered 3 patients with COVID that while not life threatening, had been ongoing for several months. He treated them with metronidazole, a very effective drug used to treat parasitic infections (i.e. infections from parasites). Low and behold, all 3 of those patients got better over the next month. Metronidazole has also been associated with severe gastrointestinal side effects, and also can be very dangerous if taken with alcohol. There are also possible severe permanent side effects, though these are rare. Following the physician's appearance, a couple of other news networks report this news, and it also gets amplified on social media. As a result, there is a run on metronidazole leading to a nationwide shortage.

1. In one to two paragraphs, give your thoughts on the report from this well-credentialed physician.
2. A close friend has been ill for months with COVID, but appears to be stable. Would you recommend that they metronidazole?
3. Design a study to test metronidazole. You have 40 patients with COVID to work with. This does not have to be a long answer. One or two paragraphs is just fine. However, be sure to apply some of the key principles in study design discussed in lecture.