Search Results for coronavirus

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.

A rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths starting in September 2020 contradicts the claim by Michael Yeadon that “the pandemic is fundamentally over in the U.K.”

Several European countries, including the U.K., experienced a resurgence in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths starting in September and October 2020. Although scientific studies found that some people who never had COVID-19 have a certain type of immune cell (memory T cell) that can recognize SARS-CoV-2, the implications for immunity are still unknown. More studies are needed to ascertain the role of memory T cells in immunity to COVID-19. A person’s antiviral immune response is comprised of several components, including antibodies, which can bind to certain proteins on the surface of the virus and prevent it from infecting cells. One of the key goals of COVID-19 vaccines is to stimulate the production of antibodies that prevent infection.

There is no evidence supporting the claim that preexisting T cell immunity reduces COVID-19 mortality and infection rate; such cross-reactive T cells predate the pandemic

After a peak in April 2020, the daily infection rate, ratio of positive cases, and daily death rate from COVID-19 decreased in several countries in Europe and the U.S. However, those indicators increased again in September to October 2020, indicating a resurgence of the pandemic. Recent data indicate that some people have preexisting white blood cells that are able to recognize SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. However, it is currently unclear whether these cells affect a person’s susceptibility to the virus. Current data also suggests that the number of infected people in Sweden is far below the threshold for herd immunity.

The number of COVID-19 deaths over the entire pandemic is higher in the U.S. than Europe, even when controlling for population size

Europe saw a resurgence in the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths in September and October 2020. This marks the start of the second wave of COVID-19, which is surpassing numbers reported in the U.S, according to multiple mainstream media outlets. However, individual European countries have had fewer total COVID-19 infections and deaths compared to the U.S. over the course of the entire pandemic. When differences in population sizes are accounted for, the U.S. has more COVID-19 deaths per million people than all of Europe.

Claim that mouthwash could reduce the spread of COVID-19 has not yet been confirmed by clinical trials in humans

Studies showing that oral rinses can inactivate certain coronaviruses in a laboratory setting may not apply to humans. There is currently no scientific evidence demonstrating that these products can reduce person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. Clinical trials demonstrating that oral rinses can effectively reduce the level of infectious virus in the mouth have not yet been completed. Therefore, people should continue to practice effective measures for reducing COVID-19 spread, such as physical distancing, good hand hygiene, and the use of face masks.

The percentage of excess deaths in the U.S. not directly caused by COVID-19 ranges from 14% to 33%; it remains unclear how lockdowns influenced excess mortality

Mortality in the U.S. in 2020 exceeded the expected number of deaths by about 300,000 deaths. Excess deaths are determined by comparing the observed number of deaths to an expected number of deaths derived from statistical models. Scientific studies report that 14.5 to 33% of excess deaths are not directly attributed to COVID-19, depending on how the expected number of deaths is calculated. While it is likely that the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences are indirectly responsible for these non-COVID-19 excess deaths, it is difficult to conclude that measures taken to limit the spread of the virus, such as lockdowns, are responsible due to a lack of data at this point in time.

Fewer flu cases observed in the start of this flu season, but Donald Trump Jr.’s tweet suggesting data manipulation is unsupported and cites inaccurate figures

It is premature to make conclusions about the number of flu deaths for the current flu season, as the season just began and flu deaths do not peak until later in the season. There is no evidence supporting the claim that any observed reduction in the number of flu deaths this season is the result of data manipulation. Instead, the lower level of flu activity observed this season is likely due, in part, to public health measures implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Masks are effective at reducing COVID-19 primary transmission through respiratory droplets; the CDC acknowledges airborne transmission via aerosols can also occur

Current epidemiological data indicates that COVID-19 primarily spreads through respiratory droplets that are released when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks. Growing evidence suggests that smaller aerosol particles may also play a role in the transmission of COVID-19. Wearing face masks and cloth face coverings are effective measures for reducing the spread of COVID-19 because they reduce the transmission of large respiratory droplets. In contrast, some aerosol particles may leak through the fabric pores and around the mask. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, wearing face masks must be combined with other transmission control measures, such as physical distancing, good hand hygiene, and avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated spaces.