Search Results for covid-19

Misleading claims linking the spread of Omicron variant to vaccinated people rely on partial data and are unsubstantiated

The new Omicron variant identified in Botswana and South Africa contains more mutations than any previous variant. However, the circumstances that led this variant to accumulate so many mutations and their effect on contagiousness, vaccine effectiveness, and disease severity remain unknown. Researchers worldwide are trying to answer these questions to evaluate how much of a threat the new variant actually poses.

Pathogens can evolve to be more virulent over time, contrary to nutritionist’s claim

Virulence is broadly defined as the ability of a disease-causing microorganism (pathogen) to damage a host. Pathogens don’t always evolve to become less dangerous. There are instances where pathogens retain their virulence over time, or even become more virulent. Predicting the evolutionary path of a pathogen is complex and depends not only on its lethality and transmissibility, but also other factors, such as its incubation period and the level of preexisting immunity in a population.

Claim that French study showed long COVID doesn’t exist misinterprets the study and fails to account for its limitations

Persistent symptoms of illness despite recovery from an initial infection have been documented by scientists following various bacterial and viral infections, such as in the case of myalgic encephalitis (ME), more commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Long COVID, which bears some similarities to ME, is a poorly understood condition in which COVID-19 survivors continue to experience symptoms of illness weeks to months after recovering from the initial infection. These symptoms include fatigue, difficulty breathing, and difficulty thinking clearly, and can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.

Article by The Exposé failed to account for caveats listed in U.K. vaccine surveillance reports; falsely claims fully vaccinated people have weakened immunity

Vaccine effectiveness measures the proportionate reduction in the risk of an outcome, such as infection, symptomatic disease, and hospitalization. The COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated a high level of effectiveness in reducing disease, hospitalization, and death. As such, vaccinated people are much less likely to fall ill and develop severe disease compared to unvaccinated people.

Infection-induced immunity versus vaccine-induced immunity: Weighing the benefits and risks

Introduction Multiple articles and social media posts have debated the strength of infection-induced immunity​​—commonly referred to as natural immunity—compared to vaccination when it comes to the best protection against COVID-19. Public health authorities like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended that previously infected people get vaccinated. But scientific studies have … Continued

Social media post claiming that fully vaccinated people are “filling up” morgues and hospitals is based on flawed reasoning; unvaccinated people are actually over ten times more likely to die

Booster shots aim to bolster waning COVID-19 immunity over time. Although U.S. public health authorities are considering a change in the definition of “fully vaccinated”, no change to this definition was made as of 25 October 2021. But even without booster shots, fully vaccinated people are still 11 times less likely to die from the disease compared to unvaccinated individuals. Records of COVID-19 deaths in September and October 2021 from several states indicate that fully vaccinated people only account for about 20% of the COVID-19 deaths.

Prenatal ultrasound is generally safe when performed by trained personnel and used only when medically necessary; its benefits outweigh the risks

Prenatal ultrasound is an important and routine part of prenatal care. It can help physicians detect congenital problems early and enable timely medical treatment where possible. All medical procedures come with a level of risk. While ultrasound can produce biological effects when used at a high intensity and for prolonged periods, when the procedure is performed by trained personnel and used only when medically necessary, ultrasound is generally safe and not associated with adverse effects. In such cases, its benefits outweigh its risks.

Several laboratories in Spain have cultured and isolated the virus SARS-CoV-2; the claim that the virus doesn’t exist is false

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, has been isolated and sequenced on multiple occasions in multiple countries. These procedures are performed in Biosafety Level 3 laboratories. The Spanish Ministry of Health doesn’t have such facilities, as was indicated in response to a request for information in September 2021, but there are several such facilities in Spain that perform culture and isolation of SARS-CoV-2.

Incorrect vaccine administration is a potential cause of post-vaccine adverse effects, but more research is still needed to confirm or reject this hypothesis

Like many other vaccines, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are recommended to be administered via the intramuscular route, in the deltoid muscle of the shoulder. Some studies posit that accidental IV vaccine administration could explain post-vaccine myocarditis and blood clots, which are rare adverse effects associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. But there isn’t enough information at the moment to establish the exact cause. The studies offer promising findings that scientists will follow up on and the knowledge gained from this research will help make COVID-19 vaccines even safer.