Search Results for coronavirus

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.

Study on SARS-CoV-2 antibodies levels following infection don’t prove that recovered patients are protected from reinfection

Both SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination lead the body to produce antibodies that provide immunity to COVID-19. Data indicate that SARS-CoV-2 antibodies may last up to 20 months following infection. However, no data is available to determine what levels of antibodies are correlated with protection from reinfection. The main drawback of infection-induced immunity is that SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to severe disease and even death, whereas vaccines are safer and effective and can also enhance infection-induced immunity.Thus, they remain the strategy of choice.

The COVID-19 vaccines don’t weaken the immune system and are unrelated to the HIV VB variant

The COVID-19 vaccines train your immune system to recognize and fight SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. There is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines weaken or destroy people’s immune systems, causing an AIDS-like syndrome. On the contrary, the vaccines protect people from severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. There is no connection between the COVID-19 vaccines and the HIV VB variant; this variant is estimated to have emerged in the late 1990s, decades before the COVID-19 vaccines became available.

Claims that a “Johns Hopkins study” showed lockdowns are ineffective at reducing COVID-19 mortality are based on a working paper with questionable methods

A lockdown is a non-pharmaceutical intervention that is typically defined as a measure that requires people to stay at home and avoid activity outside the home involving public contact. A lockdown can comprise different restrictions, ranging from stay-at-home orders to business closures. The type of restrictions implemented and severity of a lockdown can differ greatly between countries. Published scientific studies found that lockdowns are effective at reducing COVID-19 spread and mortality.

Majority of ten countries listed in viral chain message haven’t dropped all COVID-19 restriction measures and aren’t considering COVID-19 as a seasonal flu, despite claims

A handful of countries, particularly those with high vaccination rates, announced the removal of some COVID-19 measures or are studying how and when to do so. But contrary to claims in a Facebook post, the majority of the ten countries cited in that post didn’t remove all COVID-19 measures nor have they transitioned to considering COVID-19 an endemic disease, like the flu. Moreover, most of those countries never made COVID-19 vaccination compulsory and only require proof of vaccination for certain events and spaces.

The COVID-19 vaccines protect people from severe COVID-19 and don’t weaken the immune system

The COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19. Over the course of several months, however, their effectiveness reduces. This has prompted booster dose programs in many countries to provide longer-lasting protection. The vaccines do not weaken the immune system, as evidenced by the significantly higher rates of hospitalization due to COVID-19 among unvaccinated people.

COVID-19 deaths in people with pre-existing health conditions are still caused by COVID-19, contrary to claim by Jimmy Dore

To date, COVID-19 has killed more than 5 million people worldwide and accounts for more than 866,000 deaths in the U.S. Certain pre-existing health conditions, like asthma, diabetes, and Down syndrome, increase a person’s risk of severe COVID-19 and death. As such, it isn’t surprising for the majority of COVID-19 deaths to be associated with a pre-existing health condition. However, this doesn’t mean that most COVID-19 deaths aren’t actually caused by COVID-19. People with pre-existing health conditions listed as COVID-19 deaths wouldn’t have died if they hadn’t gotten COVID-19.

Robert Malone made multiple misleading or unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19 and vaccines on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast

The highly contagious Omicron variant has led to record numbers of COVID-19 cases worldwide. Although COVID-19 vaccines are much less effective at preventing infection by this variant compared to previous ones, they remain effective against severe illness and death. Current data indicates that a booster dose enhances this protection. Safety data shows that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines far outweigh their known and potential risks.

There is no evidence that dietary supplements containing zinc and a zinc ionophore, such as the one promoted by Vladimir Zelenko, are effective against COVID-19

The combination of zinc and a zinc ionophore has been promoted as a way to treat COVID-19, including by family physician Vladimir Zelenko who is selling a dietary supplement called Z-Stack. However, while a 2010 paper found that the combination of zinc and a zinc ionophore can limit coronavirus replication in cells in a lab, there is no evidence that this combination works in humans. Zelenko also claims that vitamin D3 can boost immunity. But while some studies have detected an association between low levels of vitamin D and a higher risk of catching COVID-19 and/or worse COVID-19 outcomes, there is no evidence that taking vitamin D supplements boosts immunity.