I think this is kind of the tip of the iceberg, a general reflection on biomedical research and academics. Not that this is how most researchers act, but in the sense that it's not unusual for the field as a whole to encounter this. I mean, if this happens in the Lancet and with the WHO with something with worldwide significant consequences, what do people think is happening with stuff with less scrutiny?

It also is a twist on all the calls for the importance of rigorous peer-reviewed studies, as if the preprint flood is just an example of why we need traditional academic structures. Here's a case where we needed the traditional academic structure and it failed miserably, even when prestigious institutions.

The irony is that this is being caught, but outside the confines of the traditional peer review. That is, there is peer review, but in the general public of scientists. So which is better? It seems like open publication and transparency is key, more so than the traditional structures per se.