Search Results for coronavirus

No, “HIV insertions” were not identified in the 2019 coronavirus, contrary to claims based on questionable bioinformatics study

The claim is based on a study which compared extremely short gene and protein sequences between the 2019 novel coronavirus and HIV, a practice likely to give false positives. The study’s authors also overlooked checking for potential similarities between 2019-nCoV and other organisms. As it turned out, similar regions could also be found in many other organisms, not just HIV, meaning that these similarities are not unique to 2019-nCoV and HIV.

“15% fatality rate” from coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection was based only on initial cases; infection fatality rate likely less than 3%

The 15% fatality rate from coronavirus (2019-nCoV) applied only to the initial cluster of 41 patients with confirmed infection and severe symptoms, as reported in The Lancet. Coronavirus infections can also produce mild symptoms, which likely went undetected. The mortality rate based on a group of more than 800 patients with laboratory-confirmed infection suggests that the fatality rate is closer to 3%.

“VAIDS” is not a real medical condition; causes of post-vaccination syndrome require more research

COVID-19 vaccines have undergone extensive testing in clinical trials to ensure their safety and efficacy. They have been shown to reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. There is no evidence that these vaccines cause any form of immunodeficiency like AIDS; on the contrary, they equip the immune system with the ability to fight off COVID-19. The biological mechanisms behind post-vaccination syndrome (PVS), a rare condition that causes chronic symptoms like excessive fatigue, insomnia, and dizziness, are currently poorly understood and require further research.

Flu vaccine reduces risk of flu-related illness and hospitalization, even though it hasn’t eradicated flu

Vaccines have contributed to historical successes in eradicating certain infectious diseases, such as smallpox and polio. But success at disease eradication depends on more than the availability of a vaccine; another important factor is the characteristics of the infectious agent itself. Eradicating the flu is challenging because it mutates readily to produce new strains, and because it can infect animals as well as humans. Nevertheless, the flu vaccine is effective at protecting people against flu-related illness and complications.

Flawed analysis of Florida Medicaid data used to promote false claim that vaccines cause autism

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly manifesting in difficulties with social communication and behavior. Research suggests the likelihood of ASD is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Numerous large-scale studies have investigated a potential association between childhood vaccination and autism, with none finding an association between the two. This absence of an association speaks against the hypothesis that childhood vaccination is causally linked to autism.