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COVID-19: Facts V.S. Myths

COVID-19: Facts V.S. Myth

 

From the beginning of the global pandemic in late 2019 to today, it has become essential to be knowledgeable about the COVID-19 disease. Staying informed and being able to recognize facts versus myths is important as it shapes future decision-making in health concerning virus transmissions, preventive measures, and vaccine effectiveness. Also, it is important to be aware of the death toll numbers caused by COVID-19 to increase the understanding of the disease in the public eye. With a massive flow of information floating around the media daily, it is sometimes hard to tell whether it is true or false. However, it is easier to trust media sources when presented with evidence through research rather than random claims seen in the media to separate information from facts or myths. 

What is COVID-19?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 is a disease resulting from the virus called SARS-CoV-2, causing issues within the respiratory systems ranging from mild to severe illness (CDC, 2023). 

Learning Transmissions as Preventive Measures

Presently, COVID-19 still poses a danger to society. Understanding how COVID-19 can be transmitted can provide useful information for future preventive measures. Although there is misinformation surrounding how the disease is transmitted it is important to note that these misconceptions do not provide any evidence and should not be trusted. According to the World Health Organization (2021), current evidence suggests that this is how COVID-19 is transmitted: 

  • A person infected with COVID-19 can spread the virus from their mouth and nose through small liquid particles/droplets through coughing, sneezing, speaking, and breathing. 
  • Poorly ventilated areas and crowded indoor settings due to droplets ability to stay suspended in the air for longer periods of time. 
  • When touching contaminated surfaces or objects and a person touches their nose, mouth, or eyes. 
  • As a preventive measure, learn to avoid places such as crowded places, close-contact places, and cramped spaces.   

 

Effectiveness of Vaccination

Even now, there is still misinformation revolving around the media concerning the COVID-19 vaccines. Being informed about the vaccine educates the people to make practical decisions about their livelihood based on what they know to be true and false. As per the CDC, (2023) there are 5 important information the public should know regarding the COVID-19 vaccine: 

  • The purpose of the vaccine is to save lives and prevent hospitalization. The vaccine has saved more than 200,000 lives and prevented over 1.5 million hospitalizations up to date. 
  • Evidence supports that vaccines are effective and shows strong immune response which brings greater protection against illnesses, hospitalization, and death. 
  • Side effects of the vaccine are only mild to moderate. 
  • Talking to a healthcare provider gives valuable information to learn more about COVID-19 vaccination instead of believing non conclusive scientific findings and inaccurate information. 
  • Every 6 months, it is recommended to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine based on scientific evidence. It is important to note that the vaccine is a good preventive measure to avoid potentially serious conditions. 

Misinformation Around COIVD-19

Throughout the years, the media has portrayed a significant amount of false information concerning COVID-19 whether it was how it was transmitted, vaccine effectiveness, and even death toll numbers. Below are media clips representing misinformation about the COVID-19 in general.  

Fox News host, Tucker Carlson, claims that COVID-19 vaccines killed over 3,000 people between late December 2020 and April 23, 2021. However, the data is a misrepresentation of the death toll numbers and provides evidence of how some people who received the vaccine died due to other causes of death. Furthermore, in the article Real-World Effectiveness of MRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in The Elderly During the Delta and Omicron Variants: Systematic Review authors Harvey Palalay, Riddhi Vyas, and Barbara Tafuto (2023) argues the statement claimed by Tucker Carlson and suggest that approved vaccines provide consistent and high protective effectiveness as a preventive measure against COVID-19 based on their scientific research. 

The video suggests that if a patient is considered positive for COVID-19, but dies due to other conditions, and is tallied as a COVID-19 death. Moreover, the article Mortality: A Comprehensive Look at The COVID-19 Death Toll written by Lone Simonsen and Cecile Viboud, it looks deeper into analyzing this issue. According to the research outcome of Simonsen and Viboud (2021), the findings suggest that the death toll of COVID-19 that is posted globally is inaccurate as there are other conditions to consider such as health factors and poor economic state. 

Keeping Informed

It is important to always be updated and stay informed especially when it comes to COVID-19. Understanding and being able to the difference between factual and fictional information represented in the media can influence the decisions of today. With the accessibility of media, it has become easy to be misinformed with false data which can lead to unwanted sickness and potential harm such as contracting the COVID-19 disease. On the other hand, the media also provides useful information to increase awareness of the public, but it is important to note to only trust media sources if it provides enough evidence through conducted research. 

 

 

References 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, October 13). 5 Things You Should Know About Covid-19 Vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/whats-new/5-things-you-should-know.html 

Palalay, H., Vyas, R., & Tafuto, B. (2023). Real-world effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in the elderly during the Delta and Omicron variants: Systematic review. World Journal of Meta-Analysis, 11(5), 167–180. https://doi.org/10.13105/wjma.v11.i5.167 

Simonsen, L., & Viboud, C. (2021). Morality: A Comprehensive Look at the Covid-19 Pandemic Death Toll. eLife, 10. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.71974 

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Coronavirus Disease (covid-19): How is it Transmitted?. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-how-is-it-transmitted#:~:text=Current%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20the,%2C%20speak%2C%20sing%20or%20breathe. 

YouTube. (2020). 5 Common COVID-19 Myths, Busted. YouTube. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbHdISprjxY . 

YouTube. (2021). Fact-checking Misrepresentation of Vaccine Safety Data. YouTube. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s_6ml7Htb4&t=81s. 

YouTube. (2020). Total Misrepresentation of Covid Deaths. YouTube. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic3dOFMYGn0.