COVID-19 Fact or Fiction?
February 17, 2021
by Jeffrey Barrows, DO, MA (Bioethics)
A growing proliferation of blog posts, podcasts and online videos presenting confusing information regarding COVID-19 has increased over recent months. Many of these controversies are propagated by physicians speaking to large church audiences. In this blog post, I will address the most common disputes. (I will also continue to update the information on a regular basis at www.cmda.org/coronavirus.)
Fact
The use of hydroxychloroquine, alone or with azithromycin, did not improve the clinical status of patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 at 15 days compared to standard care in a randomized, prospective, controlled trial.[1]
Fact
As of February 11, 2021, the NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel found that there was insufficient good quality evidence to recommend either for or against the use of Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19.[2]
Fiction
The SARS-CoV-2 virus was developed as a bioweapon.
Fact
Dr. Francis Collins, the co-discoverer of the human genome, has concluded that the SARS-CoV-2 virus developed naturally.[3]
Fiction
Wearing a mask is ineffective in preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Fact
A review of multiple studies confirms the effectiveness of wearing a mask to reduce the SARS-CoV-2 virus’ community spread.[4]
Fiction
People who have supposedly died from COVID-19 were near the end of their lives and would have died anyway.
Fact
As of February 22, 2021, more than 500,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.[5] The number of Americans who died in World War II was 418,000.[6] The number of deaths from COVID-19 in 2020 dropped the average life expectancy in the United States by one year, from 78.8 years to 77.8 years.[7]
Fiction
The mRNA vaccine platform has never been used in a vaccine before COVID-19 and has never been tested in humans.
Fact
Previous mRNA vaccines have been developed for Rabies,[8] Influenza,[9] Cytomegalovirus,[10] and Zika virus,[11] each undergoing Phase 1 studies in humans.
Fiction
All of the COVID-19 vaccines are still at an experimental stage and have not been approved as a vaccine.
Fact
Two vaccines (Moderna’s and Pfizer’s mRNA vaccines) have been through all three phases of human trials, with each vaccine enrolling more than 30,000 participants. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) of the FDA has done an extensive and rigorous review of both vaccines.[12] The FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for each vaccine.[13]
Fiction
There are no independently published animal studies on the mRNA vaccines that address the problem of enhanced immunopathology seen with SARS-CoV-1.
Fact
A study on the successful and safe use of the Moderna mRNA vaccine in mice showing lack of enhanced immunopathology with the mRNA vaccine was published in Nature.[14]
Fiction
The COVID-19 vaccines will attack a similar protein found in the placenta.
Fact
The placental protein syncitin-1 is different and distinct from the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. During trials with the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, 23 women became pregnant, and only one woman suffered a pregnancy loss. She did not receive the actual vaccine but was in the placebo group.[15]
Fact
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has proven to be safe in over 21,000 participants age 16 and older in their Phase 3 trial, showing 95 percent efficacy in preventing disease from SARS-CoV-2.[16]
Fact
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has proven to be safe in over 15,000 participants age 18 and older in their Phase 3 trial, showing 94.1 percent efficacy in preventing disease from SARS-CoV-2.[17]
Fiction
The mortality rate for COVID-19 in Africa is lower than the rest of the world.
Fact
The COVID-19 case fatality rate in Africa has risen sharply to 2.5 percent because of increased COVID testing. This is higher than the global case fatality rate of 2.2 percent. A total of 21 countries on the continent have a case fatality rate above 3 percent.[18]
Fiction
The mRNA vaccines will change human DNA.
Fact
The mRNA contained in the vaccines never enters the nucleus of the cell where DNA is located.[19],[20]
Fiction
The mRNA from the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines will go equally to every cell in the body.
Fact
The biodistribution of the mRNA vaccines is similar to previous vaccines, with the highest concentration occurring within the muscle where the injection is given, followed by the lymphatic drainage system of that muscle. Only trace amounts of the vaccine are found at distant locations.[21]
Fact
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made the following recommendations on vaccine priorities based on supporting evidence regarding risk of severe disease:[22]
- Phase 1a: The vaccine will be offered first to frontline healthcare professionals and residents of long-term facilities.
- Phase 1b: The vaccine will be offered to persons aged ≥75 years and frontline essential workers who are non-healthcare.
- Phase 1c: The vaccine will be offered to persons aged 65 to 74 years, and persons aged 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions as well as essential workers not included in Phase 1b.
- Phase 2: The vaccine will be offered to all other persons aged ≥16 years not already recommended for vaccination in previous phases.
[1] Cavalcanti, A.B., Campieri F.G., Rosa, R.G., et. al. Hydroxychloroquine with or without Azithromycin in Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19. (2020). NEJM. 383:2041-52. Available for download at: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2019014
[2] NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines. Ivermectin. (2021). Available at: https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/antiviral-therapy/ivermectin/
[3] Collins, F. Genomic Study Points to Natural Origin of COVID-19. (2020). NIH Directors Blog. Available at: https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2020/03/26/genomic-research-points-to-natural-origin-of-covid-19/.
[4] Brooks, J.T. & Butler, J.C. Effectiveness of mask wearing to control community spread of SARS-CoV-2. (2021). JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1505. Available online here.
[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID Data Tracker. Available online at: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesper100klast7days
[6] The National WWII Museum. Research Starters: Worldwide Deaths in World War II. Available online at: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-worldwide-deaths-world-war
[7] Thompson, D. U.S. Life expectancy drops 1 full year due to COVID-19. (2021). WebMD News. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210218/us-life-expectancy-drops-1-full-year-due-to-covid19#1.
[8] Alberer, M., Gnad-Vogt, U., Hong, H.A., Mehr, K.T., Backert, L., Finak, G., Gottardo, R., Bica, M.A., Garofano, A., Koch, S.D., Fotin-Mleczek, M., Hoerr, I., Clemens, R., & Von Sonnenburg, F. Safety and immunogenicity of a mRNA rabies vaccine in healthy adults: an open-label, non-randomised, prospective, first-in-human phase 1 clinical trial. (2017). Lancet DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31665-3
[9] Feldman, R.A., Fugn, R., Smolenov, I., Ribeiro, A., Panther, L., Watson, M., Senn, J.J., Smith, M., Almarsson, O., Pujar, H.S., Laska, M.E., Thompson, J., Zaks, T., & Ciaramella, G. mRNA vaccines against H10N8 and H7N9 influenza viruses of pandemic potential are immunogenic and well tolerated in health adults in phase 1 randomized clinical trials. (2019). Vaccine. 37:3326-3334.
[10] Moderna Press Releases. Moderna announces additional positive phase 1 data from cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine (mRNA-1647) and first participant dosed in phase 2 study. (2020). Available online at: https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-announces-additional-positive-phase-1-data
[11] Moderna Press Releases. Moderna Highlights Opportunity of mRNA Vaccines at its first vaccines day. (2020). Available online at: https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-highlights-opportunity-mrna-vaccines-its-first-vaccines
[12] U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines Explained. (2020). Available online at: https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/emergency-use-authorization-vaccines-explained
[13] U.S. Food & Drug Administration. FDA takes additional action in fight against COVID-19 by issuing emergency use authorization for second COVID-19 Vaccine. (2020). Available online at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-additional-action-fight-against-covid-19-issuing-emergency-use-authorization-second-covid
[14] Corbett, K. S., Edwards, D.K. & Leist, S.R. et. al. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine design enabled by prototype pathogen preparedness. (2020). Nature. 586:567-571. Available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2622-0
[15] Johns Hopkins Medicine. COVID-19 Vaccines: Myth versus fact. (2021). Available online at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines-myth-versus-fact
[16] Polack, F.P., Thomas, S.J., Kitchin, N. et. al. Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. (2020). NEJM. 383(27): 2603-2615. Available online at: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577.
[17] Baden, L.R., El Shaly, H.M., Essink, B. et. al. Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. (2021). NEJM. 384(5): 403-416. Available online at: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2035389.
[18] Reuters. Africa’s COVID-19 case fatality rate surpasses global level. (2021). Available online at: https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-africa/africas-covid-19-case-fatality-rate-surpasses-global-level-idUSKBN29Q167.
[19] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines. (2020). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html.
[20] Nebraska Medicine. How mRNA Vaccines Work. (2020). Available at: https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/how-mrna-vaccines-work.
[21] Bahl, K., Senn, J.J. Yuzhadov, O., Bulychev, A., Brito, L.A., Hassett, K.J., Laska, M. E., Smith, M., Almarsson, O., Thompson, J., Ribeiro, M., Watso, M., Zaks, T., & Ciaramella, G. Preclinical and clinical demonstration of immunogenicity by mRNA vaccines against h10N8 and H7N9 influenza viruses. (2017). Molecular Therapy. 25(6): 1316-1327. Available at: https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/molecular-therapy/fulltext/S1525-0016(17)30156-9?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1525001617301569%3Fshowall%3Dtrue.
[22] Dooling, K., Marin, M., Wallace, M., McClung, N., Chamberland, M., Lee, G.M., Talbot, H.K., Romero, J.R., Bell, B.P., & Oliver, S.E. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Updated Interim Recommendation for Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine- United States, December 2020. (2021). MMWR 69(51-52):1657-1660. Available online at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm695152e2.htm?s_cid=mm695152e2_w.
Any studies on hydroxychloroquine in more serious cases?
Tremendous fact/ fiction quick tour, Dr. Barrows. Thank you for this!
The evidence concerning masks, I think, is a little more nuanced than the above might suggest.
First, the studies show reduced transmission in the case of prolonged close contact and cannot be extrapolated to dissimilar situations.
Second, the effect of reducing transmission is to slow the spread, not halt it. That has some merit when health systems are temporarily stressed, but otherwise simply kicks the can down the road, so to speak.
Third, the ecological studies do not account for the nationwide surge that began in October and peaked in early January, when mask ordinances had been in place nearly everywhere.
Mask ordinances are quite a different thing. It is well documented that most transmission occurs at home or private gatherings, beyond the reach of ordinances. Because ordinances mandating public use focus on an unproven but very tiny fraction of total transmission, one can reasonably doubt their utility. There’s little or no evidence to support compulsory outdoor use, or for requiring their use by those who have recovered or been vaccinated.
This could be a lot less contentious if the focus had been on providing protective masking for the vulnerable, which certainly does work.
I’m not trusting Doctors, the CDC, and local and Federal Governments.
Raising the concern of aborted fetal derived cell lines being used to develop Vaccines in the context of the Covid-19 Vaccine roll-out implies that the two are related, however after reading your statement twice and reviewing the fact/fiction notations, I do not see that you assert it as fact. Please comment directly: are you saying that the Pfizer and/or Moderna Vaccines used aborted fetal tissue in their development of their Covid-19 vaccines?
I will have to say that I have seen a number of well designed studies showing that mask wearing in the community does not reduce transmission. So I guess it comes down to analyzing the individual studies.
Helpful…but I agree with James M. CDC is more political than scientific in regards to this pandemic and vaccines in general. Their headlines and talking points ignore what the rest of their articles say too often.
I was wondering if any science exist Souther I’m not getting the Covid vaccine after you’ve had the disease. I understand getting shots before you’ve been sick I get my flu shot every year before the season starts. But I don’t quite understand getting a chickenpox vaccine after I’ve had it so I don’t understand getting a Covid vaccine after I’ve had it is there any science house there that can answer that question. Or should I just leave the vaccines for those people who are not gonna survive as well as I did?
You can get Covid again, my sister did. The vaccine absolutely will lessen that phenomenon, and if you do get it again after the vaccine you will very likely have a mild case. Some people who have had Covid and developed LONG Covid (a real situation where patients never fully recover and experience chronic fatigue, brain fog and exhaustion ongoing for months after having Covid) are reporting their long covid symptoms lessening or resolving after being vaccinated.
What’s the reasoning behind getting vaccinated after you’ve been sick with Covid? If you have natural immunity to something like the chickenpox you don’t get the varicella vaccine. So I don’t quite understand why they’re encouraging people who’ve already recovered to get vaccinated with this seasons coronavirus vaccine. Can anyone give me any decent reason to do that? I’d rather let those who are at higher risk of severe illness be vaccinated
It’s not cut and dry. I watched a presentation today from Samaritan’s purse where the presenter, who seemed quite well-informed, said having had the disease is at least comparable to getting one of the two doses. I’ve also seen evidence that it’s equivalent. My personal opinion is that we should prioritize people who have not had it,
Yes, 500k died with covid in US and 418k in WW2 however the former are mostly elderly or those with underlying medical conditions and the latter were young and healthy and out population was about a 1/3 of present. Although Francis Collins believes that the virus was naturally occurring, there is evidence that it originated in a lab where it was being studied( not necessarily as a bio-weapon). Several scientists including a former director of the CDC have endorsed this etiology.
Based on these facts:
1. All these experimental “vaccines” were manufacturered at “warp speed”
2. Big pharma has been made immune from liability
3. More reported deaths on VAERS in past 6 months (5,000+), caused by these jabs compared to 20 years on VAERS in USA
4. All of these “vaccines” have either been tested on or have the active ingredient HEK293 (human embryonic kidney); originally from an aborted unwanted baby in 1973 Netherlands – hence unethical
5. Not “safe and effective” as people are dying from them or getting terrible side effects
6. Removal of Covid-19 “vaccines” side effects groups from Facebook where thousands of members testimonies were deleted
7. People don’t want to be guinea pigs in trials
8. No long term side effects are unknown
9. The recovery rate for COVID-19 is between 99.7 and 99.9%
10. Many don’t trust government &/or health officials, especially when medical professionals worldwide who are speaking out with concerns about the safety are being ignored or censored
It makes sense to many of us who are very concerned, to say “No” to the jab/s and to pray for the health and well-being of those “vaccinated”. Point 4 is for me, as a Christian, the most important as well as keeping myself healthy with my God given immune system to help handle any flu or COVID virus, using Vitamins C and D, zinc etc. and prayer. Too many “unknowns” with these experimental jabs.
I’m not convinced yet that COVID-19 was not developed as a bio-weapon, still agnostic on this.
Could you please address the theory that there is graphene oxide in the vaccine please ?
If it’s a fiction then it staggers me then how that interview could have been put together – is that lady lying or deluded or a disgruntled employee ?
Who would benefit from that fake news ?