Search Results for covid-19

COVID-19 vaccine candidates show high efficacy and a safe profile in clinical trials, contrary to claims in viral video

COVID-19 vaccine candidates must pass the same safety standards as any other candidate to demonstrate their efficacy and safety before approval and public use. However, the pandemic situation has removed many of the usual handicaps that such trials face, including funding, recruitment, or bureaucratic red tape, which resulted in faster completion of safety tests. Phase 3 trial’s data from tens of thousands of participants show that COVID-19 vaccine candidates efficiently prevent the infection and are generally safe.

There is no risk of infertility from COVID-19 vaccines due to cross-reactivity with placenta proteins, as SARS-CoV-2 and placenta proteins are different

Frontrunner COVID-19 vaccines have been found safe during Phase III clinical trials enrolling dozens of thousands of patients. Claims of vaccine induced infertility due to the presence of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in them are illogical as we would then see a peak of infertility among COVID-19 patients or during winter when many people get infected by other, benign, coronaviruses. The viral proteins contained in the vaccines are different from the proteins present in our body.

Dozens of clinical trials ongoing to investigate whether vitamin D prevents COVID-19; no firm evidence yet

Several studies reported lower levels of vitamin D in COVID-19 patients. However, it remains unclear whether low vitamin D levels increase the risk of infection and severe outcomes, is a consequence of the disease, or is simply more common in patients who are already in ill health. Several of the studies that found an association between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 infection or severity did not account for confounding factors such as ethnicity, body mass index, or underlying health condition, which are known risk factors for the disease. Further research is needed to determine whether vitamin D might play a role in the prevention of and treatment of COVID-19.

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.

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.

Although fetal-derived cells are used to grow viruses for some COVID-19 vaccines, the cells are not part of the vaccines

Some vaccines require the production of viruses, which can only replicate with the help of living host cells. While certain viruses for vaccines, such as some COVID-19 vaccine candidates, are produced using human fetal-derived cells, these cells and most of their genetic material are removed during the purification process and are therefore not present in the vaccine. Any residual DNA is also broken down into fragments during the purification process, which are harmless and do not affect our DNA.

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.