As coronavirus continues to make the news, a host of untruths has surrounded the topic. Can you address some of these myths and conspiracy theories?
It is a myth regarding COVID-19 that
Exposing yourself to the sun or to temperatures higher than 25C degrees DOES NOT prevent the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
You can catch COVID-19, no matter how sunny or hot the weather is. Countries with hot weather have reported cases of COVID-19. To protect yourself, make sure you clean your hands frequently and thoroughly and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.
Hello, here I'm mentioning some of the untrue things which are existing in some minds of different communities.
1. One of the mind shaking misconception about to fight Covid 19 is "drinking alcohol can prevent the infection of corona virus" which is absolutely not true. As some of the people thought that; "by performing sanitising criteria with the alcohol (ethanol) containing sanitizer it kills the virus, therefore we can have it in our body in the form of alcohol"; which is absolutely wrong. As we know that ethanol present in the alcohol doesn't work in the metabolic pathway in a way as it works extrinsically. It is generally gets utilized instantly and produces zero energy in the body, only produces heat after its utilisation.
2. Temperature can halt covid 19: It's somewhere partially true. As some study suggests that the temperature difference may cause virus to reduce it's infection or so called reproducibility rate. One research suggests the capability of virus to sustain itself in miscellaneous temperatures like, above 26℃-virus can remain activated for up to 2 hours, 72℃- virus can remain activated for 30 minutes. Therefore, according to those studies we can analyse that virus can infect you if you are having direct exposure to normal moderate temperature or above that but at the same time if temperature has done it's job for that particular time period, then the possibility to halt reproducibility of virus occurs.
Disinfectants can treat COVID-19 patients. It’s wrong and most people know why it’s wrong.
Article Use of product labels to investigate the treatment of Covid-...
It has been suggested that ingestion of disinfectants may be beneficial to treat patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. DO NOT DO THIS. IT IS HARMFUL TO HUMAN HEALTH.
The above article may be of interest and provide some light relief.
Myth: SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is a laboratory engineered virus.
Article No credible evidence supporting claims of the laboratory eng...
Article Product of natural evolution (SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2); d...
Myth: 5G causes COVID-19.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/bu-5dc011521.php
Myth: Smoking provides protection against COVID-19.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41533-021-00223-1
Dear @Mahmoud Ahmed Ebada Some interesting myths and facts can be accessed at:
https://www.avert.org/coronavirus/covid-19-myths-and-facts
https://www.webmd.com/lung/ss/slideshow-covid-myths
Best regards, AKC
Another similar myth spread on popular social networks related to the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) coronavirus pandemic is the question of linking citizens' vaccination programs with the increase in the scale of surveillance of citizens by certain international companies, etc.
Best regards,
Dariusz Prokopowicz
Myth: Pets can spread COVID-19.
Article Companion animals likely do not spread COVID-19 but may get ...
Myth: Drinking alcohol reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection.
https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/alcohol-use/news/news/2020/04/alcohol-does-not-protect-against-covid-19-access-should-be-restricted-during-lockdown
Dr. Briand, Director of Dept of Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness, WHO states that the following are myth not fact
- Myth: Sunny and hot weather, Alcohol, Consuming Garlic, Hand dryers, Hot peppers, 5G Mobile networks, Bleach all this prevent Covid-19.
- Myth: Mosquitoes bites and Pets spread covid-19 virus.
- Please refer the following link for more information. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters#
STAY SAFE and HEALTHY.
Myth: Kids can't catch the COVID-19.
Article Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of pediatric SA...
Article Epidemiological Characteristics of 2143 Pediatric Patients W...
Myth: The virus is just a mutated form of the common cold
No, it's not. Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that includes many different diseases. SARS-CoV-2 does share similarities with other coronaviruses, four of which can cause the common cold. All five viruses have spiky projections on their surfaces and utilize so-called spike proteins to infect host cells. However, the four cold coronaviruses — named 229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1 — all utilize humans as their primary hosts. SARS-CoV-2 shares about 90% of its genetic material with coronaviruses that infect bats, which suggests that the virus originated in bats and later hopped to humans.
Evidence suggests that the virus passed through an intermediate animal before infecting humans. Similarly, the SARS virus jumped from bats to civets (small, nocturnal mammals) on its way into people, whereas MERS infected camels before spreading to humans. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/coronavirus-myths.html
Myth: The virus was probably made in a lab
No evidence suggests that the virus is man-made. SARS-CoV-2 closely resembles two other coronaviruses that have triggered outbreaks in recent decades, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and all three viruses seem to have originated in bats. In short, the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 fall in line with what we know about other naturally occurring coronaviruses that made the jump from animals to people.
A study published March 17 in the journal Nature Medicine also provided strong evidence against the "engineered in a lab" idea. The study found that a key part of SARS-CoV-2, known as the spike protein, would almost certainly have emerged in nature and not as a lab creation, Live Science previously reported. What's more, if scientists were trying to use computer models to engineer a deadly virus based on the original SARS virus, they likely would not have chosen the mutations that actually appear in SARS-CoV-2. That's because computer simulations show that mutations in SARS-CoV-2 don't seem to work very well at helping the virus bind to human cells, Live Science previously reported. But it turns out, nature is smarter than scientists, and the novel coronavirus found a way to mutate that was better — and completely different— from anything scientists could have predicted or created, the study found.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/coronavirus-myths.html
Myth: Pets can spread the new coronavirus
Although pets may contract COVID-19 in rare cases, there is no evidence they can spread it to people.
There have been a few reports of cats and dogs that became infected with COVID-19 after contact with their sick owner. For example, in April, two pet cats in New York tested positive for COVID-19, and the owner of one of these cats was confirmed to have COVID-19 before the cat showed symptoms, Live Science previously reported.
Even if pets do occasionally become infected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there is no evidence that they are playing a significant role in the spread of the virus. And so far, there have been no confirmed reports of people contracting the disease from pets.
Just in case, the CDC recommends that people with COVID-19 have someone else walk and care for their companion animals while they are sick. And people should always wash their hands after snuggling with animals anyway, as companion pets can spread other diseases to people, according to the CDC. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/coronavirus-myths.html
Myth: We can achieve herd immunity by letting the virus spread through the population.
Fact: Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune. There are some significant problems with relying on community infection to create herd immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19. First, it isn't yet clear if infection with the COVID-19 virus makes a person immune to future infection. If it does not create immunity, herd immunity will not work.
Even if COVID-19 infection creates long-lasting immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, a large number of people would have to become infected to reach the herd immunity threshold. Experts estimate that 70% of the population in the U.S. — more than 200 million people — would have to recover from COVID-19 to halt the epidemic. This amount of infection also could lead to serious, and potentially long-term, complications and millions of deaths. If many people become sick with COVID-19 at once, the health care system could quickly become overwhelmed.
Myth: Ginger can treat a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
https://www.nationalacademies.org/based-on-science/covid-ginger
Mahmoud A. Ebada
The virus will die off when temperatures rise
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/coronavirus-myths-explored
1) Many myths are like layman myths but the scientific community level myth is that the variants of the virus are more infectious.
2) Natural infection is superior than the vaccination, but the vaccination is still required for the naturally infected people though it just tries to mimic the infection.
Myth: Adding pepper to soup or other meals prevent or cure COVID-19.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FACT-_Adding_pepper_to_your_soup_or_other_meals_DOES_NOT_prevent_or_cure_COVID-19.svg
Hi Mahmoud A. Ebada . There are 14 coronavirus myths busted by science. See the details in the following link:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/coronavirus-myths.html
Also, see the following link:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
Moreover, check the link:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/coronavirus-myths-explored
Check the link : https://www.healthyfood.com/advice/9-myths-about-coronavirus-busted-by-science/
Myth: COVID-19 vaccines can affect the fertility of women or men.
https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/372/bmj.n509.full.pdf
I had 2 doses of Biontech vaccine. As a side effect, I only had pain in the arm that I had vaccinated on the first night and the second day. After the 3rd day I had no problems. We became 2 doses of Biontech as a family, and we all experienced the same situation. There is no problem now. Thank you to the scientists who found the vaccine. In addition, I would like to thank our state for administering this vaccine to us free of charge.
Please also have a look at this link.
https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0195-6701%2821%2900007-4
Before the first lockdown, on official airwaves, the minister of solidarity and health and gov spokemen in this country claimed that wearing masks was useless against transmitting the COVID-19 because of all kind of excuses: such as you need expertise to wear them properly.
"An evidence review of face masks against COVID-19"*
Why was it still necessary to prove that this claim was scientifically wrong back in March 2020?
Where there no previous research done on this topic before?
What were the real motives behind this official fake news/propaganda?
*https://www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2014564118
Myth: Taking two shots of the vaccine will protect you from catching the virus!
Fact: The two shots are not enough. You still need the preventive measures of masks, hygiene, avoiding hand-shaking...etc.
It is also a fact that people in the medical community are also a source of such myths
For details please have a look at this JAMA news commentary:
Article When Physicians Spread Unscientific Information About COVID-19