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I have read with great concern the retraction note recently published.1 In addition to using non-scientific content and data with questionable reliability, the authors of the retracted manuscript mention in the title of the work that the COVID-19 pandemic could have come to an end. However, at the time, WHO had not yet declared the end of the pandemic, and a considerable number of COVID-19 cases continue to be registered around the world. Although COVID-19 vaccination has contributed a lot to control the situation, there remains a substantial and persistent number of severe cases and deaths in numerous countries, such as Brazil and the USA. As one of the most respected medical journals in the world, it is expected that The Lancet will not encourage the publication of any type of misinformation. Although human errors are understandable, greater attention in this regard is strongly required from the journal's editors. We are facing a potentially strong negative impact of disinformation on a global level generated by the media. In addition to the doubts and limitations surrounding the indiscriminate use of artificial intelligence, this occurrence should require more than ever a pause for reflection and restructuring of the entire scientific framework towards the strengthening of good and reliable practices in the field. Consequently, it is expected that editors will be extremely attentive and proactive to pre-emptively respond to a potential misinformation pandemic. For more on the WHO COVID-19 Dashboard see https://covid19.who.int/

As one of the most respected medical journals in the world, it is expected that The Lancet will not encourage the publication of any type of misinformation. Although human errors are understandable, greater attention in this regard is strongly required from the journal's editors. We are facing a potentially strong negative impact of disinformation on a global level generated by the media. In addition to the doubts and limitations surrounding the indiscriminate use of artificial intelligence, this occurrence should require more than ever a pause for reflection and restructuring of the entire scientific framework towards the strengthening of good and reliable practices in the field. Consequently, it is expected that editors will be extremely attentive and proactive to pre-emptively respond to a potential misinformation pandemic. For more on the WHO COVID-19 Dashboard see https://covid19.who.int/ For more on the WHO COVID-19 Dashboard see https://covid19.who.int/