We have all seen it. Those pesky posts appearing on our Instagram and Facebook timelines filled with supposed facts and hidden truths behind COVID-19 and the vaccine. But some of these posts are very convincing. So much so that you hear them being repeated by your best friend, mother, and neighbor. How do you separate fact from an act? Here are our top five COVID-19 myths, Debunked!
#1 The COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility.
There has been no scientific evidence for the vaccine causing infertility. In fact, during the Pfizer vaccine trials, there was an equal number of women from those who received the vaccine and those given a placebo who became pregnant. There was one loss of pregnancy BUT it was from a woman in the placebo group. There has been no link between infertility and the vaccine in human nor animal trials. Pregnant women are actually encouraged to get the COVID vaccine as contracting COVID during pregnancy increases risk of hospitalisation for treatment and preterm labor.
#2 You do not need to be vaccinated if you already had COVID
Although research conducted in La Jolla institute of Immunology showed that immunity following covid recovery lasted upwards of 8 months, it was not applicable to all people and began to decline for some after the 6 month mark. In other words, there is not yet a way to predict exactly how long post-COVID immunity lasts. It may make a second COVID contraction have less serious symptoms but does not fully protect from contraction of the virus. It is best to be vaccinated no matter prior history with the virus.
#3 if you get contract COVID, you WILL die
We associate COVID symptoms with coughing and difficulty breathing, but for many these symptoms can reach extremes. That does not necessarily mean that testing positive for COVID is a countdown to death. There are a multitude of factors that must be taken into consideration to assess the risk of death for an affected person. Many deaths are a result of COVID in combination with factors such as old age and underlying conditions. Genetics play a major role in mortality as some have better functioning immune systems than others. Contracting COVID is not a death sentence, but may cause complications with preexisting conditions.
#4 COVID is the same as the common cold
Many symptoms are shared between coronavirus and the common cold. This may cause them to be confused as one another, but COVId-19 is not the same as the common cold. COVID-19 is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 while the common cold is caused by a series of viruses with the most common being rhinoviruses. The common cold is incurable but treatment is available such as over-the-counter medicine. COVID-19 can be cured and has a series of vaccines such as the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines in existence to allow people to gain immunity.
#5 The COVID vaccine changes your DNA
The COVID vaccine DOES NOT alter DNA. Instead, the mRNA within the vaccine teaches the body how to make a harmless “spike” protein similar to that found on the COVID virus. Once the mRNAdelivers instructions and the protein is made, it is destroyed. Your body then shifts focus to the spike protein made and begins to build an immune response to the protein as it recognizes it as an intruder. Think of it as an intruder drill in school. We don’t allow an intruder to actually go into the school for us to learn what to do in that circumstance. Instead, we re-create a scenario having us practice the proper way to hide and how to react when things such as the fire alarm goes off. We prepare ourselves for the real thing without actually having to go through it. This is how the mRNA vaccine works. Instead of having to be given a weakened version of the COVID-19 virus, we are given instructions on how to find it before coming into contact with it.
