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COVID-19 PCR tests are highly sensitive and specific for the virus SARS-CoV-2; the majority of positive results are true positives; there is no evidence that budesonide or HCQ are useful as COVID-19 treatments

Models that predicted COVID-19 would cause 2.2 million deaths in the U.S. were based on the assumption that no measures were taken to prevent the spread of the disease. The reason why the projected figure differed significantly from real-world outcomes is because the assumption in the model didn’t hold true in real life, as measures were taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 PCR tests are highly specific and sensitive for the virus’ genetic material, and evidence indicates that, by and large, most positive results are true positives. Neither budesonide nor hydroxychloroquine have been approved for treating the disease, as their usefulness has not been proven.

COVID-19 vaccines are safer than the risk of COVID-19 infection for people of all ages

COVID-19 caused millions of infections and over 3.5 million deaths worldwide. Most children and young adults who get infected only experience mild symptoms of the disease. However, a small proportion of people younger than 24 can still develop severe COVID-19 and die. Even those that survive the disease can suffer from persistent health problems after recovery. Despite the high survival rate among young people, COVID-19 vaccines can help protect them from risks associated with the disease. In parallel, COVID-19 vaccination can help reduce the spread of the virus, especially among vulnerable people who aren’t able to take the vaccine for medical reasons.

CDC mask recommendations changed as more people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated; masks are effective at reducing virus transmission and are especially important when the majority of the population is unvaccinated

The CDC’s mask guidelines changed throughout the pandemic as researchers collected more information about both the virus SARS-CoV-2 and the effectiveness of vaccines. The CDC’s recent guidelines, which stated that vaccinated individuals can forgo masks in any setting, were informed by newly discovered scientific evidence related to vaccine effectiveness and as the number of fully vaccinated individuals in the U.S. increased.

PCR tests on vaccinated and unvaccinated people are evaluated using the same criteria; the CDC didn’t change criteria for detecting infection in vaccinated people, as alleged in OffGuardian article

Clinical trials in tens of thousands of people, as well as data from ongoing vaccination campaigns, demonstrated that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing severe disease and death. COVID-19 is a reportable condition, meaning that by law, every positive test must be reported, regardless of a person’s vaccination status. COVID-19 PCR tests are also performed using the same criteria and methodology regardless of a person’s vaccination status. However, only samples with sufficient genetic material, which can be identified at lower Ct values, are sent on for further testing by genomic sequencing. Genomic sequencing is used to determine the virus’ lineage and identify variants.

No data available to suggest a link between India’s reduction of COVID-19 cases and the use of ivermectin

India experienced a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in May 2021. However, no data is available to support the claim that this is causally associated with the recommendation to use ivermectin. The slow down of the disease spreading began before India released official recommendations to use that drug. In spite of several clinical studies, no reliable evidence is available to suggest that hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin are effective against COVID-19. At the moment, international health agencies and scientific societies discourage using these drugs to treat COVID-19, except in clinical trials designed to assess their efficacy.

U.S. CDC director didn’t state that COVID-19 deaths were over-counted; her statements about deaths among vaccine breakthrough cases were misinterpreted

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle Walensky declared in May 2021 that hospitals are reporting cases of COVID-19 infections in people who have been fully vaccinated, which are known as breakthrough cases. Some of these cases resulted in deaths, which may have been due to COVID-19 or other causes, like heart attack. Only cases in which COVID-19 was the immediate cause of death or did initiate the chain of events leading to the death are counted as deaths by COVID-19, according to CDC guidelines.

COVID-19 vaccines don’t contain magnetic ingredients; dose volume is too small to contain any device able to hold a magnet through the skin

Lists of the ingredients in all COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are publicly available. None of the COVID-19 vaccines contain metals or any other ingredient that could cause magnetism in vaccinated people, contrary to claims on social media posts. The ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines are mainly lipids, salts, and sugars, and the active ingredient (mRNA or adenovirus) that allows the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19 to be produced in the body for generating immunity.

COVID-19 vaccines were tested in animals and clinical trials before receiving authorization; vaccinated people aren’t dying at a higher rate than unvaccinated people

COVID-19 vaccines underwent preclinical testing in animals and clinical trials in tens of thousands of people, which established their safety and efficacy. Such testing is also a prerequisite for receiving emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. While deaths have occurred among vaccinated people, it is important to remember that more than 157 million people in the U.S. have been vaccinated, and that the rate of deaths among vaccinated people isn’t higher than that of unvaccinated people. This indicates that COVID-19 vaccines aren’t the cause of these deaths.

Misinterpretation of VAERS database leads Tucker Carlson to wrongly suggests that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to higher mortality on Fox News

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated the deaths that occurred among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine and found that the vaccines didn’t cause these deaths. The VAERS database helps health authorities to monitor the safety of vaccines. However, it is important to remember that the database contains unverified information and can’t be used on its own to suggest a causal link between vaccination and death. It is mandatory for healthcare providers to report any death occurring among COVID-19 vaccine recipients, which may be why more deaths are being reported among those who received a COVID-19 vaccine as compared to other vaccines.

Evidence shows that lockdowns implemented to tackle the spread of COVID-19 have saved lives, contrary to claims in the New York Post

Lockdowns have saved lives by reducing the physical interactions between infected and uninfected people, which in turn reduces transmission and the number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2. While lockdowns have affected the economy and income, temporary restrictions may help economic recovery by reducing the spread of disease. In addition, letting the virus spread without restrictions would also harm the economy.