We can observe a lot by just watching but cannot learn anything. A factual conclusion about any of our observations is possible only if we know the “Why & How” behind these observations. Science is that which incorporates knowledge for us to do reasoning in all our observations. Once we do inductive reasoning (observation-oriented reasoning) led by this Science (knowledge of laws of nature of man and universe), then there are fruitful conclusions or else it is similar to the observations made by a dog when it visits a market. It does not have any idea regarding the purpose of the visit and hence will roam here and there without any definite objective. Medical research is meant to save lives and the health of the patients by comprehending human body and the active cause mechanisms behind the morbidity and not merely do trial and error with unknown drugs and compounds. Testing new drugs by discarding the old ones because of detrimental side effects in many subjects led by observational research like what is happened in the case of the drug Remdesivir used in COVID-19 patients is a perfect example of unethical medical research led by empirical observation.
Testing a drug in modern times is that it is tested by randomized Control trials done in a  random population observing for benefits and risks and such trials are counted as the golden standard of medical research today. Laboratory serendipity based on temporary observations of some identified benefits and identified and unidentified risks are getting approval as drugs in the Western Medicine market for use in human beings to block, mask, suppress or alter disease mechanisms addressed as “Treatments”. After the patients with an infective fever worsen hour by hour and day by day because nothing is known to be done to reverse the intrinsic cause of the progress of infection in tissues and claiming to study the disease by mere observation and empirical drug administration allowing the subject to die is not research but rather crime. COVID-19 is like any other viral fever and it is not the virus but rather the fever (immune response to the virus) that is addressed as disease. An infective fever can manifest and progress in accordance to multiple interlinked cause mechanisms active in the subject responsible for the progress of infection and the true culprit here is not really the non-living particle of the virus.  Unless and until nothing is done in favor of the immune mechanisms of the subject to facilitate recovery, any time and every time, the infection can escalate to emergency. Instead of conducting a crucial study of multiple components impacting the progression of infection in the host, sharing external observations of different clinical manifestations in the patients through presentations and case reports putting blame on so believed to be a non-living thing as real culprit is not at all a desirable endeavour of a medical science. I do not consider it as progression in medical research, rather it is regression. Mere observations without attempting to understand the underlying subtle most and interlinked cause mechanisms will never improve the care of patients, no matter how much expensive technological interventions are used in observation. Research in Medicine should be an honest attempt to explore and conclude without disturbing the natural environment as much thus enabling to reach valid conclusions instead of uncertain observations.
When the patients of COVID -19 suffered from dry cough, difficult breathing, fever and fatigue, what is most important is to logically intervene upon the intrinsic cause mechanisms of infection which originally led them to the pathetic state and reverse them instantaneously by adopting precise strategies in favour of the immune mechanisms to naturally eliminate infection instead of researching on whether mechanical ventilation is better than rendering pure oxygen. It is so silly and primitive idea  and worsely unethical to leave the patient to oxygen and uncertainity by doing nothing against the active pathogenesis which led them to the state. Another silly observational study is observing blood clots in patients with moderate to severe COVID Infection. If they had clots that they never had before  the reason for the clotting is an undesirable immune response which could be either infection or immunization against infection or both. An honest research in the basic Science of immune system, infection ,and immunization will help to explore the reality and this was what is required in place of recommending  risky blood thinning drugs to all moderate to severely infected patients.
Finally the observation led  research in COVID-19 patients never led to any successful outcome in saving patients by reversal of disease or preventing illness in them and still possibility of endless mutations possible in every human being endless times open up new challenges for researchers. The more uncertainity-led treatments emerge, the more uncertainity led emergencies would also set in naturally as a consequence. Thus with the latest COVID-19 example itself, it is easy to prove that we can observe a lot by watching but can do nothing to reverse an ailment by merely watching

                                                    Dr. Remya Krishnan MD PhD( Ay)