Comment on “Analysis of hospital traffic and search engine data in Wuhan China indicates early disease activity in the Fall of 2019" by Nsoesie et al.

Abstract

In a recent manuscript, Nsoesie et al. analysed vehicle counts in hospital parking lots and internet search trends, and suggested that the COVID-19 outbreak might have started in Wuhan, China as early as August 2019. This claim received widespread media coverage despite the lack of validation from peers. This review serves as a pre-publication evaluation of the study. We identify several problems and even questionable research practices in the manuscript, including but not limited to: inappropriate and insufficient data, misuse and misinterpretation of statistical methods, and cherrypicking internet search terms. We also reflect on scientific publishing in a time of public emergency.