The COVID-19 pandemic led to more deaths in the U.S. than usual in 2020. Excess death measures how many more deaths occurred over a period of time compared to the same time period in previous years. More than 490,000 excess deaths have occurred in the U.S. so far compared to previous years.
Authorized COVID-19 vaccines stimulate COVID-19 immunity in vaccinated individuals and significantly reduce the number of symptomatic COVID-19 cases. Preliminary data indicate that the COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use may also reduce the risk of person-to-person transmission of the virus that causes the disease, however, the degree of this effect has not been determined by scientific studies yet. Therefore health authorities recommend that vaccinated people still wear masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
No vaccine can receive Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unless clinical trials demonstrate that it is safe and can prevent the disease in vaccinated individuals. Data from Phase 3 trials and continued monitoring of vaccinated individuals show that the COVID-19 vaccines approved by the FDA have a high level of efficacy and are generally safe. This evidence indicates that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines in preventing the disease largely outweigh potential risks, such as allergic reactions in a small number of people who have previous histories of allergies.
Face masks help reduce the spread of COVID-19. They are safe to wear for most people, although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention don’t recommend wearing masks for children younger than two years old and those who have trouble breathing. The claim that wearing a mask contributes to cancer development is unsupported by scientific evidence.
Infection Fatality Rates measure how many infected people die from a disease. The majority of scientific papers report an Infection Fatality Rate of 0.68% for COVID-19, meaning that 68 people will die from COVID-19 out of 10,000 people who are infected. The fatality from COVID-19 is noticeably higher than that of the flu, which has an Infection Fatality Rate of 0.1% in the U.S.
Vaccines provide benefits even if there is a treatment available and if the survival rate of a disease is high. Unlike treatments, vaccines prevent a disease, thereby averting the risks associated with the disease. Furthermore, vaccines help to build herd immunity in a population, thereby protecting vulnerable individuals from severe disease and death. Randomized clinical trials showed that hydroxychloroquine provides no meaningful benefit for hospitalized COVID-19 patients and doesn’t prevent COVID-19.
No scientific evidence demonstrates that hydroxychloroquine is useful for preventing or treating COVID-19, despite social media posts and articles claiming otherwise. Large, randomized, controlled clinical trials in several countries found that hydroxychloroquine doesn’t produce any benefits in terms of mortality rate or clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Due to the lack of benefits and risk of heart rhythm problems, public health authorities recommend against using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients outside of clinical trials.
Vaccination stimulates the development of immunological memory and protects individuals from infectious diseases in the same way that natural infection does. However, vaccination is safer than natural infection because it doesn’t expose the person to the risks associated with the disease. COVID-19 poses serious health risks to infected individuals that can lead to potential long-term health effects or death. Therefore, COVID-19 vaccines are an important tool to minimize complications from the disease.
The COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration were thoroughly reviewed for safety and efficacy before approval. Like any medicine or medical procedure, vaccines can also cause side effects in some vaccinated individuals. Some of the common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines are pain at the injection site, fever, headache, and fatigue. However, these side effects are mild and short-lived compared to the risks associated with natural infection, such as long-term effects of COVID-19 and death.
The COVID-19 PCR test detects the presence of the genetic material of the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. The test is highly sensitive, meaning that it can detect very small amounts of the virus, which can occur during early or late stages of infection. The test is also highly specific for the virus, meaning that it doesn’t detect the presence of other viruses, such as other members of the coronavirus family which cause the common cold. Although no test with a 100% accuracy rate exists, given the PCR test’s high sensitivity and specificity, most positive PCR test results are true positives.
