Former Houston Methodist doctor still licensed after using social media to spread COVID-19 misinform

[TexasTowelie]

Former Houston Methodist doctor still licensed after using social media to spread COVID-19 misinformation


A former Houston Methodist doctor previously suspended for spreading COVID-19 misinformation online is still a licensed physician in the state of Texas despite continuing to promote false claims about vaccines and the virus on her social media.

Mary Talley Bowden, an ear, nose and throat specialist who runs a private practice in River Oaks, resigned in November from Houston Methodist shortly after the hospital revoked her privileges for "spreading dangerous misinformation" and sharing "harmful" personal and political opinions about the coronavirus vaccine and treatments.

Months later, Bowden has not ceased such posts. She still tweets in support of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as a treatment for the coronavirus, despite warnings from public health officials advising people not to take it. In November, Bowden's attorney Steve Mitby told the Washington Post that his client has treated more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients and is "not anti-vaccine." On Monday, however, she tweeted "I can think of no medically valid reason for anyone to get the vaccine now," later celebrating the fact that Twitter had not suspended her account for sharing such information.

Bowden has also used her platform to mock and call out local officials, like Texas state Rep. Gene Wu. On Monday in response to County Judge Lina Hidalgo raising the COVID-19 threat level to "Red" in response to increased hospitalizations in the area due to the Omicron-variant, Bowden blamed vaccinated individuals for the surge. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows unvaccinated individuals are more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than those who are vaccinated.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Mary-Talley-Bowden-Houston-Methodist-vaccine-16775583.php

[Midnight Writer]

1. Doctors police themselves.