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NPR"It has to be a true supernatural intervention," says Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy.
A cardiologist at the Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute, Lakkireddy is the principal investigator in a clinical trial involving 1000 patients with COVID-19 infections severe enough that they require intensive care.
The four-month study, launched on May 1, will investigate "the role of remote intercessory multi-denominational prayer on clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients," according to a description provided to the National Institutes of Health. Half of the patients, randomly chosen, will receive a "universal" prayer offered in five denominational forms, via Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism. The other 500 patients will constitute the control group. All the patients will receive the standard of care prescribed by their medical providers. Lakkireddy has assembled a steering committee of medical professionals to oversee the study.
"We all believe in science, and we also believe in faith," Lakkireddy says. "If there is a supernatural power, which a lot of us believe, would that power of prayer and divine intervention change the outcomes in a concerted fashion? That was our question."
NRaleighLiberal
(60,027 posts)more than half of the country has been praying away trump for more than 3 years. no such luck.
Butterflylady
(3,554 posts)I've been thinking that for a long time.
The Magistrate
(95,258 posts)That is to the good, I expect....
"One is often told it is wrong to attack religion, because it makes men virtuous. So I am told; I have not noticed it."
totodeinhere
(13,059 posts)It could have some sort of placebo effect for some people. But please don't try to shove your religion down my throat and don't try to impose your morals on me in case I believe in socially liberal concepts such as a woman's right to choose and gay marriage.
safeinOhio
(32,737 posts)If the results show a negative results for prayer, what then?
brooklynite
(94,808 posts)Hav
(5,969 posts)I was afraid for a moment that praying would be used instead of real care.
Also, this isn't a blind study, let alone a double blind study. Not sure how personal attitude and feelings affect outcomes of virus infections and how they measure the success but there are obvious reasons why studies often don't tell you whether you got the treatment that is tested for or not.
hlthe2b
(102,448 posts)So, if a given "believer" in prayer is aware those around them are praying for them one has to believe that likely makes some difference. Just as someone who believes they are receiving effective medicine can respond, even though they are actually receiving a placebo.
SO, no. I don't think this is going to be readily "teased out" in any kind of scientific study. That said, the oath is to "first do no harm." Thus if it helps and doesn't hurt please proceed.
Voltaire2
(13,231 posts)Not enough to be significant though. Look up Templeton Foundation intercessory prayer
Here for example: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/no-prayer-prescription/
Voltaire2
(13,231 posts)The Templeton Foundation, hoping to prove that god answers prayers, instead proved that the only even remotely significant effect was a slight decrease in positive outcomes in the test group that knew they were being prayed for. Groups that didnt know were they were being prayed for were no different than groups that werent being prayed for.