Search Results for covid-19

Videos use gas sensors to misleadingly claim that wearing a face mask causes oxygen deficiency

Cloth face coverings and face masks are generally safe. Except in the case of unusual environments such as confined or closed spaces, using face coverings or face masks is very unlikely to place someone at risk of oxygen deficiency. The gas sensors used in these videos are not intended for measuring rapid changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels that occur with breathing, hence the measurements shown in the videos do not accurately reflect oxygen and carbon dioxide levels of inhaled air. The pores in cloth coverings and face masks are large enough to permit gas molecules like oxygen and carbon dioxide to flow freely.

Contrary to popular claim on social media, RNA vaccines do not alter our DNA

Previous studies have demonstrated that RNA vaccines are generally safe. Studies examining the potential integration of nucleic acid vaccines into DNA have shown that RNA from a vaccine does not alter DNA. RNA from a vaccine is also very unlikely to cause autoimmunity, as RNA is very short-lived, being quickly degraded by cells after it has been used to make a protein, hence RNA does not persist long enough to cause autoimmune disorders, which are chronic in nature. In fact, some nucleic acid vaccines are being developed to treat autoimmune diseases.

OSHA recommends using cloth face coverings at the workplace, contrary to claim by Peggy Hall

OSHA encourages workers to use face masks or cloth face coverings at work, in accordance with recommendations by the U.S. CDC for reducing community transmission of COVID-19. At the moment, the use of face masks or coverings are not mandated by OSHA, but left at the employer’s discretion. Cloth face coverings are generally safe to use and do not lead to oxygen deficiency, since gas molecules like oxygen and carbon dioxide are much smaller than the pores in fabric, and pass through the covering easily. By blocking much larger respiratory droplets, which transmit the virus, face masks and coverings help to protect others in the community and limit COVID-19 spread.

Brussels halted 5G rollout in 2019 to study its radiation emissions, not because any negative health effects had been demonstrated

5G technology uses non-ionizing radiation similar to current wireless technologies like 4G or Wi-Fi. In 2019, Brussels halted the deployment of 5G antennas in the city in order to have time to study whether the technology conforms to its radiation emissions standards. Scientific research investigating the potential risks of such radiation to human health has not provided convincing evidence of negative health effects. Though more research is needed, current data indicate that the use of 5G is safe when radiation levels are kept within established limits

Facebook posts spread unsupported anonymous claim that face mask use caused a lung infection in a healthy teenager

A highly viral anonymous message circulating on Facebook makes numerous claims about face mask safety that have previously been shown to be unsupported by scientific evidence. Face mask filters are large enough to allow gas molecules such as carbon dioxide and oxygen to pass through freely, hence wearing a face mask is extremely unlikely to lead to hypercapnia. There is no scientific basis for the claim that breathing in one’s exhaled bacteria leads to infection.

Hand-held UV lights sold online to kill microbes are effective only in specific conditions and can be unsafe when used improperly

UV light is extensively used to decontaminate and sterilize water, air, and inanimate surfaces. Efficient decontamination of a surface by UV light depends on technical conditions such as optimal wavelength and irradiance, and appropriate exposure time and distance. In addition, UV light, including short wavelength UV-C, is hazardous to humans due to its mutagenic effects and ability to burn the skin. Due to these risks, UV light is safest and most effectively used under well-controlled conditions and cannot be recommended for decontamination in a home setting.

Mortality in the U.S. noticeably increased during the first months of 2020 compared to previous years

A comparison of the number of deaths from all causes in the U.S. during the first 17 weeks of 2020 reveals a higher mortality than for the same period in any of the previous five years. While the death count was comparable to previous years in the first two months of 2020, it increased rapidly in March and April. Comparisons of mortality are highly sensitive to how the data are gathered and presented, therefore any claims based on the data must always be presented in the appropriate context. Since its outbreak in the U.S., COVID-19 has claimed more lives than diabetes, suicide, or stroke.

The first SARS-CoV-2 infections in humans occurred during fall 2019, but not enough evidence exists to confirm a global spread before early 2020

Viruses accumulate mutations in their genomes as they spread from person to person. By comparing the genomes of different SARS-CoV-2 samples collected at different times in different places, and by combining these data with contact tracing data, it is possible to establish the genealogy and mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2, and thereby trace its origin and when and where it spread. Current data indicates that SARS-CoV-2 made its jump from animals to humans sometime during Fall 2019 and had already spread outside of China by January 2020.

No evidence that using a face mask helps coronavirus enter the brain, contrary to claim by Russell Blaylock

Blaylock produces no evidence for his claim that wearing a face mask increases risk of coronavirus infection of the brain. His statement that using face masks lead to serious health risks are also unsupported. While face masks and cloth face coverings do not provide 100% protection from infection, they still play an important role in reducing the risk of disease transmission by blocking infectious droplets containing the virus, which is the main mode of COVID-19 transmission.

Contrary to claims in viral social media posts, the novel coronavirus was not man-made nor patented before outbreak

Patents cited to support this claim are not related to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which was first identified as a new virus in early January 2020 after genome sequencing. Instead, these patents are for known coronavirus strains such as SARS-CoV-1. The joint pandemic simulation exercise Event 201 did not predict the COVID-19 pandemic, and the hypothetical virus it modeled does not resemble SARS-CoV-2. Genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 indicates no signs of genetic modification, and the wide scientific consensus is that the virus is of natural origin and that the outbreak began through zoonotic infection, not through a lab accident.