This video, first published on 11 May 2020, features an interview between Dave Cullen, also known as Computing Forever on YouTube, and Dolores Cahill, a professor at University College Dublin who specializes in proteomics and also the chairperson of the political group the Irish Freedom Party. Lasting about an hour, the video rehashes previously-debunked misinformation … Continued
Preliminary studies have estimated a wide range of values for the IFR of COVID-19, ranging from 0.2 to 1.6%, which supports the claim that it is more lethal than the flu, which has an IFR of about 0.04%. However, it is difficult to accurately assess IFR in the middle of an outbreak of a previously unstudied disease, due to its unfamiliar clinical features, underestimation of infections, overloaded healthcare facilities, and the lack of effective treatments. Therefore, accurate estimates must wait for the completion of extensive studies worldwide.
This video is the first in a series of vignettes preceding a movie titled “Plandemic”. First published on 5 May 2020, it quickly went viral on Facebook, with more than 2.2 million views on the platform to date. Produced by Mikki Willis, it features an interview with Judy Mikovits, former research director of the Whittemore … Continued
Developing or repurposing drugs is a long, stepwise process with a low chance of success. In vitro studies are the first step in that process. Given the high rate of failure, it is impossible to conclude from positive in vitro studies that a drug will be efficient at treating a living person. The 2005 study cited in these articles was actually a Canada-funded study, which revealed an effect of chloroquine on SARS-CoV-1 infection in cell cultures. Contrary to what the articles suggest, the study was not conducted or funded by the NIH. Although SARS-CoV-1 shares some similarities with the current SARS-CoV-2, an in vitro study of the former does not provide sufficient evidence to conclude that it will effectively treat COVID-19.
The doctors wrongly used the number of COVID-19 positive cases in ER patients to extrapolate the prevalence rate of COVID-19 in the population. This caused sampling bias that overestimates the number of infections in the general population and consequently underestimates the COVID-19 mortality rate. Their claim that sheltering in place would lead to a weaker immune system due to less contact with microorganisms is also inaccurate, as even home environments are already seeded with trillions of microbes.
Clinical trials adhere to strict rules of design and execution. While abiding by these rules calls for lengthier or more complex trials, these rules are necessary to produce reliable results that can be used to conclusively identify effective therapies. Among the important rules of the scientific method, control groups are essential in order to provide an objective reference point. Contrary to numerous sensationalized headlines, many recent studies on the effects of hydroxychloroquine used alone or in combination with other drugs to treat COVID-19 have been inconclusive due to flawed study design.
Preliminary studies showing a disproportionately low percentage of smokers among COVID-19 patients have led to suggestions that smoking protects against COVID-19. However, these studies have not demonstrated a causal association between smoking and a reduced risk of either SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 disease severity. Much more research is needed before any causal association can be established. Furthermore, the established science indicates that smoking increases the risk of developing respiratory infections and complications in general.
The first volunteer for a U.K. COVID-19 vaccine trial Elisa Granato is not dead. This false claim has been widely spread by anti-vaccine groups, likely in an attempt to promote the idea that vaccines are dangerous.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019, many hypotheses have been advanced to explain where the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) actually came from. Initial reports pointed to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, China, as the source of infection, however later studies called this into question. Given the uncertainty, many have suggested that … Continued
Scientists have not determined the ideal pH environment for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, the cells of the tissues that SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets, including the lungs and intestines, maintain a very tightly controlled pH both inside and out in order to maintain cellular metabolism and proper enzyme activity. Altering pH in cells and tissues beyond a very narrow range would likely result in death.
