From masks being referred to as “useless” to Ivermectin being the so-called “ultimate cure”, COVID-19 misinformation has spread like wildfire since mid-March of 2020.
We have all seen or heard different and bizarre theories about the virus, but it’s really more simple than what anti-COVID-19-believers say. Whatever the health officials have said so far is somewhat straight-forward and easy to understand, and it’s mind-boggling to think that some of the current misinformation being shared around the media is actually believable by many.
There is an ongoing myth that masks aren’t effective and don’t help stop the spread of COVID. This myth, of course, has been debunked numerous times by the CDC and the FDA. “ Upwards of 80% blockage has been achieved in human experiments that have measured blocking of all respiratory droplets” (cdc.gov).
There has also been a confusion just of how masks work. Regular masks that you probably wear to school or work protect others from receiving COVID-19 from you, even if you don’t think you’re sick. The masks that can protect people and yourself are called N95 masks, which block both big and small droplets.
The second largest piece of misinformation is that COVID is no worse or life-threatening than the regular flu. In fact, one strain of COVID (SARS-CoV-2) killed 336.8 thousand people in the United States between February 26 and December 31, 2020. The deadliest strain of the flu (H5N1) claimed the lives of 456 people between January of 2003 and September 6, 2021. Yes, that is a 53% death rate, but COVID is found to be far more contagious.
The most recent (and quite possibly the most dangerous) bit of misinformation is the thought that Ivermectin, in its horse or cow dose, is the ultimate cure for COVID. “Ivermectin is effectively a ‘miracle drug’ against COVID-19” says Dr. Pierre Kory, a physician and co-creator of the myth. Some more popular believers in this myth are Milo Yiannopolous and Joe Rogan.
The truth about this so-called “miracle drug” is that it hasn’t been tested for COVID- especially on human subjects- although it’s been rumored it could work in a much, much lower dose. It’s only use on humans so far is for parasite removal and people who have tried it themselves and were then hospitalized for having seizures, dizziness, nausea, coma, hypotension, hives, vomiting, and in other cases: death.
If we all trust the actual experts, such as the CDC who provides constant information regarding COVID updates, we will escape this pandemic with reliable medicine and treatment. It worked for the Spanish Flu, it worked for Swine Flu, and it can work for COVID.