Search Results for coronavirus

Claim that the antiviral drug remdesivir is killing people is baseless

The antiviral drug remdesivir was approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of COVID-19 in October 2020. Approval came after randomized clinical trials found that remdesivir decreased the recovery time of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. These same trials also found that remdesivir did not increase the risk of death in study participants who received remdesivir compared to those who received the placebo. Claims that remdesivir is lethal are baseless.

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are safe; they don’t alter our DNA and aren’t subjected to federal regulation on bioweapons

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines don’t meet the U.S. FDA criteria to be considered a form of gene therapy, as the vaccines don’t modify the genes of the vaccinated person. Furthermore, mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 don’t contain chimeric viruses nor produce chimeric organisms. COVID-19 vaccines aren’t subjected to federal regulation on biological agents and don’t turn the human organism into a bioweapons factory.

Study brings new, but not conclusive, evidence on the comparative effectiveness of infection-induced and vaccine-induced immunity

Both infection and vaccination against COVID-19 provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, thanks in part to specific antibodies able to neutralize the virus’ infectivity. Data indicates that vaccination offers more consistent protection at a lower risk than infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend vaccination for all, including recovered patients. New data by Rössner et al. suggests that Omicron infection is unlikely to generate potent protection against other variants, although more data are required to assess the relative effectiveness of infection-induced and vaccination-induced immunity.

CDC’s COVID Data Tracker revised COVID-19 deaths downward, but more reliable mortality data still indicate that COVID-19 is a major cause of death in the U.S.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed more than 70,000 deaths from its COVID Data Tracker, including 416 pediatric deaths. According to the CDC, this correction was required due to an algorithm error that mistakenly included deaths not due to COVID-19. That said, the downward revision of COVID-19 deaths in the COVID Data Tracker isn’t evidence that COVID-19 is less deadly than initially thought. On the contrary, the more reliable mortality data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, which uses death certificate data, reports a COVID-19 death toll that exceeds that of the COVID Data Tracker.

Fox News article listing alleged mistakes in COVID-19 public health response mixes accurate information with unsubstantiated claims

The evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 made policymaking extremely challenging at the early stages of the pandemic. As scientists made discoveries and acquired new knowledge, public health policies changed accordingly. Contrary to the article’s claim that public health officials followed “medical dogma”, they adapted policies, and even reversed them when needed, based on our evolving knowledge about the virus. This is precisely how the scientific method is applied and is in fact the opposite of dogma. When scientists realize that the evidence doesn’t support their initial hypothesis, they acknowledge this and incorporate that new evidence into our understanding of the world. Gathering evidence, however, takes time, which is why policies also take time to catch up.

Assessing the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on mortality: a story of confounding factors and their role in COVID-19 misinformation

Introduction COVID-19 vaccines have been instrumental in our fight against the pandemic and our return to a normal life, thanks to their ability to reduce the number of cases, hospitalizations, and mortality. Their effectiveness against severe COVID-19 and death was proven in randomized controlled trials (RCT) that involved tens of thousands of people[1,2]. While RCTs … Continued

Short identical gene sequence in SARS-CoV-2 and a gene sequence patented by Moderna can be found in other organisms; not evidence that virus was engineered

The claim is based on the observation that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and a genetic sequence patented by the pharmaceutical company Moderna share a 19-nucleotide long sequence. However, contrary to the beliefs of some, this sequence isn’t unique nor is it a feature specific to manmade sequences. It can be found in other living things, showing that the sequence occurs naturally. The presence of a short, identical gene sequence isn’t evidence that the virus was engineered.

CDC’s updated developmental milestone checklists don’t mean that standards for children’s development are lowered; they signal a change in the surveillance strategy

In February 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its developmental milestone checklists. The new checklists aim to improve the early detection of autism and developmental delays. This strategy would allow families and physicians to better identify those children who can benefit from early intervention programs, which in many cases, can help them to catch up to their peers.

Alleged spikes in medical conditions among the military after COVID-19 vaccine rollout are based on faulty data due to a database glitch

COVID-19 vaccines are proven to be very safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Although certain COVID-19 vaccines are associated with a slightly increased risk of blood clotting or heart inflammation, COVID-19 itself is associated with a higher rate of these and other conditions. Overall, scientific evidence indicates that the benefits of vaccines largely outweigh their risks.