Pressure builds against doctors peddling false virus claims

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH
Associated Press

Medical regulators are under increasing pressure to act against American doctors who spread COVID-19 misinformation. A small but vocal group of physicians in communities around the country have decried the coronavirus as a hoax, promoted unproven treatments and pushed bogus claims about the vaccine, including that the shots magnetize the human body. Organizations that advocate for public health are calling on regulators to take a harder line by disciplining the doctors, including potentially revoking their licenses. At least a dozen regulatory boards in states such as Oregon, Rhode Island, Maine and Texas have recently issued sanctions. But many of the most prolific promoters of COVID-19 falsehoods still have unblemished medical licenses.