Tag: COVID-19

Winning the COVID Marathon

The most important difference between the COVID-19 pandemic and all previous pandemics is the power of our science. We should acknowledge and maximize that.

/ June 3, 2020

A Rare and Mysterious Inflammatory Syndrome in Children is Linked to COVID-19

A mysterious inflammatory condition, likely caused by COVID-19, is affecting a small number of children. We don't know much about it yet, but we are certain to see additional cases and to learn more about why this is happening. Still, it's not time to panic.

/ May 29, 2020

An incomplete list of COVID-19 quackery

Possibly the only thing spreading faster than COVID-19 is the pseudoscience about COVID-19.

/ May 28, 2020
coronavirus

Antivaxxers launch a preemptive disinformation war against a COVID-19 vaccine that doesn’t yet exist

We don't yet have a vaccine against COVID-19, but that hasn't stopped the antivaccine movement from launching a preemptive disinformation war on social media against it. Unfortunately, as a recent study demonstrates, on Facebook at least, they have been so successful that it is possible that antivaccine messaging will surpass pro-vaccine messaging on FB within a decade.

/ May 25, 2020

NewsGuard identifies social media “super-spreaders” of COVID-19 misinformation

NewsGuard has identified "super-spreaders" of COVID-19 misinformation on Facebook and Twitter, including Dr. Joseph Mercola, the NVIC, Rush Limbaugh, and Ty Bollinger.

/ May 21, 2020

COVID-19 Testing

Currently available tests for COVID-19 are imperfect but useful if used properly, with rapidly evolving research on new tests underway.

/ May 20, 2020

Medical conspiracy theories and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned almost innumerable conspiracy theories, and conspiracists like the antivaccine movement have joined forces with COVID-19 conspiracy theorists. To combat the proliferation of pseudoscience rooted in conspiracy theories, it is useful to step back and examine the nature of conspiracy theories, including ones that are not medical, even ones like QAnon. Critical thinking is the key to inoculating...

/ May 18, 2020
cigarette smoking ashtray

Smoking and COVID

Does smoking worsen COVID infections? Or is it protective? As more evidence emerges, the smoke is starting to clear.

/ May 14, 2020

Do Masks Work?

Let's review the evidence for the effectiveness of wearing face masks during a pandemic (reprinted from NeuroLogica).

/ May 13, 2020
Plandemic and Judy Mikovits

Plandemic: Judy Mikovits and the mother of all COVID-19 conspiracy theories (some final thoughts)

Last Friday, I deconstructed Plandemic, a misinformation conspiracyfest of a video that went viral last week. It turns out that Judy Mikovits, the disgraced scientist featured in the video has even more conspiracy theories and misinformation up her sleeve.

/ May 11, 2020