Search Results for coronavirus

COVID-19 vaccine candidates are rigorously tested for safety during clinical trials, unlike thalidomide; misleading to equate the two

In spite of the expedited development timeline, COVID-19 vaccine candidates remain subjected to the same level of safety standards as any other vaccine, and must demonstrate clinical efficacy and safety before being approved for use. Thus far, COVID-19 vaccine frontrunners, such as those by Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca/Oxford, have demonstrated a high level of safety during clinical trials.

No evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause more severe disease; antibody-dependent enhancement has not been observed in clinical trials

Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) occurs when antibodies are unable to neutralize a virus’ infectivity, but instead enhance a virus’ ability to infect cells. Although ADE has been observed in humans with the dengue vaccine and a vaccine candidate for the respiratory syncytial virus, the evidence from COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials so far have not shown more severe disease occurring in vaccinated participants. People who have been given the COVID-19 vaccine will still be closely monitored to completely rule out the possibility of ADE.

Face masks, handwashing, and vaccination do not weaken the immune system, and are effective measures to reduce the spread of infectious diseases

Public health measures such as vaccination, wearing face masks, or frequent handwashing do not reduce the ability of a person’s immune system to fight infections. On the contrary, these measures mitigate the spread of pathogens in the community and protect individuals from infectious diseases, including COVID-19. A balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and reduced stress levels can also help maintain a healthy immune system.

Danish face mask study did not show that masks were ineffective at reducing spread of COVID-19; study was underpowered and results were inconclusive

Public health authorities like the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended the general public to use face masks primarily to protect other people from the mask wearer in the event that the wearer is infected (source control), rather than to protect the wearer from becoming infected (prevention). Several scientific studies have shown that wearing a mask helps to reduce the release of infectious droplets and aerosols into the air, thereby reducing the spread of COVID-19 from infected people.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as lockdowns and wearing face masks, are effective measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission, contrary to claims in viral video

Scientific evidence indicates that lockdowns are an effective measure to reduce the spread and burden of COVID-19. However, lockdowns should not be used as a primary control measure, as they can also cause profound negative effects on a community due to disruptions in healthcare and supply chains. Testing, contact tracing, and isolation of positive cases are public health strategies that can help prevent and identify community outbreaks. Combined with widespread use of face masks, such measures can help reduce disease transmission and avoid further lockdowns.

Pfizer is part of Operation Warp Speed, a partnership to produce and distribute a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, but it developed a vaccine without direct funding from the partnership

Developing a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is a difficult process, owing in part to the novelty of the virus. Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership in the U.S. that was launched in order to financially foster the delivery of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer is participating in Operation Warp Speed to produce and distribute a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine once it has proved to be efficient and is authorized by the FDA, which will happen in late November 2020 at the earliest. However, contrary to other companies, Pfizer conducted the research and development of its vaccine candidate using its own funding, therefore this part of the process was independent of Operation Warp Speed.

Claim that high PCR test sensitivity inflates COVID-19 cases wrongly conflates the issue of contagiousness with the presence of infection

PCR tests to detect viral diseases that have a high level of sensitivity can produce a positive result even if a person only harbors trace amounts of virus or non-infectious virus, like in recovering patients. Hence a positive test result from a PCR test without additional information about viral load cannot be used to determine whether an infected person should self-isolate or their contacts should be traced. Although a positive test alone does not provide information about whether the person is contagious, it can confirm whether the person is infected and is useful for monitoring the spread of the virus. It is therefore appropriate to count a person with a positive result as a COVID-19 case.

Wearing face masks helps reduce the spread of COVID-19, but it only confers partial protection and should be combined with additional public health measures

A growing body of scientific evidence supports the use of face masks to reduce the transmission of viral respiratory infections like COVID-19. However, face masks only confer partial protection and should be combined with other public health measures, such as physical distancing and proper hand hygiene. Due to the use of a wide variety of face masks, more research is needed to assess the efficacy of different types of masks and mask material in various community settings, such as public spaces, schools, or workplaces.