The point is that here's a lot of evidence from before the alleged confounding factor even showed up, so that means there's something there. For example, from

The point is that here's a lot of evidence from before the alleged confounding factor even showed up, so that means there's something there. For example, from Sep 2020. https://www.science.org/content/article/evidence-builds-covid-19-can-damage-heart-doctors-are-racing-understand-it https://www.science.org/content/article/evidence-builds-covi... Several more articles and studies from March and April 2020 if one cares to look them up. So yes, it was definitely responding to their claim.