1. 5G and the COVID 19 pandemic

-Ashwin

Recently, there were many incidents in the United Kingdom - mobs of frustrated conspiracists vandalised 77 5G cell phone towers within a month (April to May 2020). They didn't just stop at that, though. Engineers who were installing 5G transmission equipment were assaulted, verbally abused, and even spat at.

This grim situation arose out of what research suggests was one of the fastest spreading rumors on social media - the myth that the COVID-19 virus can spread through radiation coming from 5G communication establishments. Another myth linking 5G and COVID 19 - Electromagnetic fields(EMFs) emanating from 5G signals could compromise our immune systems, thus making us susceptible to the virus.

Rumors that radiation from Electromagnetic fields(EMFs) from cellular networks, in general, can have adverse effects on a person’s mental health and give rise to ailments such as cancer, heart disease, etc., have been circulating in the media ever since 2G came to the fore. Arguments against 5G are no different. However, research has dismissed any link between cellular signals(including 5G) and cancer or any other adverse physical effect for that matter.

There is no confirmed evidence for it to be true, as far as the link between 5G and the COVID-19 pandemic is concerned. As mentioned by the World Health Organisation and proven by a large swathe of research, the SARS-COV-2 virus spreads through physical means, i.e. mainly through droplet infection and person-to-person contact. Moreover, many countries don’t have 5G cellular networks yet have a high number of COVID-19 cases. The rumor was said to have been started by a general practitioner from Belgium. This rumor has spread like wildfire via the internet, only to be fuelled further by 5G skeptics around the world. A report by Media International Australia, mentions that such suggestions merely served as self-fulfilling prophecies for conspiracy theorists who were against 5G internet being introduced. This has given rise to protests in many places across the world and even mob violence, which has led to nothing but disruption of technological and economic progress in places affected by incidents related to such myths.

So, it is important that we fact check everything instead of believing blindly in the content we consume from social media - especially that about the pandemic. This would go a long way in helping us get through it as unscathed as we can.

References

1. Vandalism of 5G hardware in the UK | cnet
2. Conspiracy theories | NCBI
3. Rumor spread

2. Mythbusters: COVID-19 Treatment and Prevention

-Anuprita

As the pandemic continues, misinformation continues to circulate about ways to treat COVID-19 or prevent infection. Here’s a short summary of what’s nothing more than a myth, and what’s actually effective.

• Clinical trials confirm that hydroxychloroquine does not prevent illness or death from COVID-19.
• Vitamin and Mineral Supplements cannot cure COVID-19; they merely contribute to a well-functioning immune system and promote health and nutritional well-being
• Dexamethasone is NOT a treatment for all COVID patients. It provided no improvement for patients with mild symptoms. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid used for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. For some COVID-19 patients on ventilators, a daily 6 mg dose of dexamethasone for 10 days improved their health.
• Antibiotics do NOT work against COVID. COVID is caused by a virus, not by bacteria. Antibiotics are only recommended if a COVID patient develops a bacterial infection as a complication
• Drinking methanol, ethanol, and bleach does not prevent or cure COVID-19. In fact, they can be fatal if ingested as they are poisons. These substances can however be used to disinfect surfaces as a preventive measure.
• Rinsing your nose with saline or eating garlic does not prevent COVID-19. There is no concrete evidence supporting this, despite the minor microbial properties of garlic. Saline-rinse helps with common cold but has not been proven to prevent respiratory infections.
• Vaccines against pneumonia, such as the pneumococcal vaccine, and the flu shot don't provide protection against the COVID-19 virus.
• There is only one FDA-approved drug for the treatment of COVID-19. The antiviral drug Remdesivir (a.k.a Veklury) may be prescribed to adults and children of age 12 and above
• Researchers study the use of a type of immune-based therapy called convalescent plasma. The FDA has granted emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma therapy to treat COVID-19. Blood donated by recovered COVID patients has antibodies to the virus. This blood can be processed and the extracted plasma and antibodies can be given to COVID patients to boost their ability to fight the virus.

References

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Mythbusters | WHO

COVID-19 (coronavirus) drugs: Are there any that work? | Mayoclinic

Debunking COVID-19 (coronavirus) myths | Mayoclinic

3. MYTH: You don’t need to get the vaccine if you have already recovered from COVID

- Rahul

This is not necessarily true. Recovering from COVID-19 may offer some protection, known as natural immunity, but the exact duration of this immunity is not yet known. While evidence suggests that re-infection of the virus is uncommon in the initial few months, with time, the chance of contracting the virus again increases. This explains the several cases of re-infection seen globally.

The natural immunity obtained post recovery from COVID-19 depends on the severity of infection. "All previously known coronaviruses are notorious for promoting short-lived immunity in humans. Particularly for people who have milder cases, it may be that they don't have immunity for very long", said Dr. Chris Beyrer, a professor of public health and human rights at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. This is because our body uses a relatively simple strategy to fight off milder/asymptomatic cases which does not have a lasting impact on our immune system memory.

The variant of the virus involved in the infection is an important factor as well. Natural immunity obtained from infection of a particular variant of coronavirus may protect against other variants only to a certain extent. However, vaccines can be effective against multiple variants and hence play a crucial role as the virus continues to mutate. Therefore, it is essential to get vaccinated even if you have already recovered from COVID. Doing so will protect you against variants that your pre-existing antibodies may not be able to neutralise and also keep others around you safe.

References

1. Benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine
2. I’ve already had COVID-19, do I need the vaccine | University of Utah Health
3. Do I still need to get a COVID vaccine, if I’ve had Coronavirus?
4. COVID-19 Vaccine Mythbusters | University of Utah Health

4. MYTH: It is currently possible to compare COVID vaccines

-Mansi

Different vaccines have different efficacy values. For example, Covishield and Covaxin in India have an efficacy of 70% and 78%, respectively. Based on this data, it might be tempting to consider one vaccine preferable over the other; however, this is misleading. To appreciate this, one has to understand what efficacy of a vaccine means. Efficacy measures the reduction in risk of getting infected after vaccination, given the same conditions as the study. Efficacy of 95% would mean that a vaccinated person is 95% less likely to get infected than an unvaccinated person, not that 5% of vaccinated people will get infected, or that for 5% of the vaccinated people the vaccine is ineffective. These misconceptions probably arise from the myth that a vaccinated person is completely immune to the disease, which is not the case with any of the covid vaccines.

But then a vaccine with lower efficacy means it does not reduce the risk of infection as much as the other vaccines, you may argue. However, it is not that simple. The calculation of these numbers was carried out on a very different set of people for each vaccine. They were among different age groups, across different demographics, at different times during the pandemic, and across various virus strains. For example, the clinical trials of Johnson & Johnson were carried out in South Africa, where a different mutation of virus B.1.351 was spreading. It would be inappropriate to compare this efficacy number with Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech since their clinical trials were carried out in the US, which wasn't affected by the same strain as in South Africa. Thus making a head-to-head comparison of various vaccines is not pragmatic right now. To obtain reliable results, comparing these vaccines on an equal footing will require them to undergo similar clinical trials, which will not be possible soon.

However, we know for sure that all covid vaccines are 100% effective in preventing severe infections, hospitalization, and deaths. This will help keep people alive, reduce loss of lives, and eventually bring an end to the pandemic. Therefore, the best vaccine right now is the one which you are offered.

References

1. xkcd: Immune Response

5. MYTH: The vaccines are not effective against new COVID-19 variants

-Manav

This is also not true. All viruses mutate. The emergence of different versions or variants of the virus is common due to errors (called mutations) in genetic material while replicating. Usually, these mutations either have no impact or are harmful to the virus, making them less dangerous. But evidently, some changes are advantageous to the virus and cause them to be more contagious, and more prominent. This is what happened in the case of SARS-CoV-2 variants originating from various parts of the world, forming the basis for this myth.

In general, a vaccine may or may not be as effective against a new variant, depending on the particular mutation. Fortunately, however, in the case of the Brazilian, the U.K., and South African variants, the vaccines are observed to be effective in controlling transmission. As for the new Indian variant, scientists believe that existing vaccines will help control the variant but with lesser efficacy (around 78%). The vaccine efficacy could lessen as more variants emerge over time, and this will demand changes to vaccine design to make them more effective, perhaps the way new flu shots are developed seasonally. This makes it even more important to get the population vaccinated and limit transmission as soon as possible. 

References:

1. COVID-19 Vaccine Mythbusters | University of Utah Health
2. Understanding COVID-19 Variants | University of Utah Health
3. Coronavirus | Updated data from Covaxin phase 3 trial shows 78% efficacy - The Hindu