Cochrane Library lifts embargo on zinc for colds study early after a break

The world is learning the latest evidence on whether zinc can treat the common cold about 90 minutes early today: In response to an embargo break, the Cochrane Library has lifted an embargo. From an email that went out today at 5:37 p.m. Eastern, an hour and 24 minutes before the scheduled embargo time:

The embargo on this story has been broken by a news outlet and so the embargo is lifted effective immediately.

The embargo exists to ensure that as little time as possible elapses between media coverage of a news story and the full paper being available, and to provide journalists and others in the media with time to research and write about the story ahead of the article publication. As such we take any breaks very seriously and will be investigating.

Best we can tell, it was the New Zealand Herald that broke it, with a story posted at about noon Eastern. A rep for Cochrane publisher Wiley didn’t say, but said Cochrane would discuss the issue in the morning — they’re based in the UK, so it’s already late — and figure out what actions to take.

Apologies for the interruption. You can go back to leaving comments on the ever-lengthening thread at the Aeron Howarth vs. Ed Yong post.