Misinformation

COVID-19 PANDEMIC MISINFORMATION:
Plus a short history of the pandemic.

One of the effects of living in the Internet Age is the existence of a huge amount of misinformation out there that spreads rapidly and wantonly. Misinformation is produced not only for nefarious purposes like political manipulation. It is also fostered by international groups dedicated to publishing false narratives. One computer specialist who is a good friend has described the Internet for years as being a cesspool. It is important to understand that it is up to the individual user to determine the quality of information found on the Internet and whether it should be trusted.

Misinformation becomes more than exasperating when it affects health. False information is a particular hazard in the covid pandemic where misleading recommendations can literally cost lives.

One example of how confusion and manipulation ends up reigning:

A prominent national figure claimed late in 2022 that public health officials lied to the American public when they told them they would not get covid if they got vaccinated. This is misleading.
Early in the pandemic, some might have insisted that you won't get infected if you get vaccinated, but not recently. Saying these were lies is a manipulative effort to frame national public health efforts negatively.
A classic misinterpretation of scientific reasoning happens over and over and over. Research recommendations are taken out of context and out of time. What was true a year ago may no longer be true. That does not mean at all that the recommendations made a year ago were wrong. It means more has been discovered that changes the recommendations. Critics will site this as evidence of lying, manipulation or incompetence. It is nothing of the sort. It is how science works. Science is a moving target, especially with covid where conditions and variants are changing constantly with research trying to catch up.
One of the reasons this confusing line of thought has been so potent is probably because the covid vaccines provided less protection against Omicron infection than had been the case with earlier variants. (See the study quoted below.) Many fully vaccinated people contracted Omicron covid. However, in spite of this unsavory development, the vaccines provided and continue to provide protection against hospitalization and death. That incredibly important feature is not even hinted at in that prominent figure's 2022 statement.
Loss of trust in the public health system is a primary result of communications like this 2022 declaration.

Beware of scientific findings being taken out of context. Do your own research using trusted resources.

Unfortunately, response to the pandemic has become political: In general, more Republicans than Democrats refuse vaccination and/or reject following covid protocols. From the National Bureau of Economic Research in September, 2022: "Political affiliation has emerged as a potential risk factor for COVID-19, amid evidence that Republican-leaning counties have had higher COVID-19 death rates than Democrat- leaning counties and evidence of a link between political party affiliation and vaccination views." This study found that counties in Florida and Ohio which were predominantly Republican had a 76% higher death rate than Democrat counties.

Beginning with the Delta surge (which is about 6 months after the vaccine rollout), the pandemic took on a more political tone. One example: the governor of Florida removed all covid protocols in May, 2021. Deaths from covid soared over the summer as the Delta variant surged. Close to 10,000 deaths per month were reported during July and August, many of which were said to be preventable according to analysis from the University of South Florida's College of Public Health.

Links to the studies referenced are at the end of this article.

Reliable Pandemic Information:

The recommended covid vaccinations:
The initial 2 doses,
The third booster (fall 2021),
The fourth and current booster (fall 2022).

Click for a description of the the latest booster, a bivalent vaccine.

Covid vaccines save lives: According to a mathematical modeling study published by the Lancet Infectious Diseases in June, 2022, it is estimated that covid vaccines have saved 20 million lives worldwide.
Comparing vaccine effectiveness between the Delta and Omicron variants from a Canadian study reported in September, 2022: "The estimated effectiveness of 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine was high against symptomatic Delta infection and severe outcomes and was lower against symptomatic Omicron infection. After a third dose, estimated vaccine effectiveness against Omicron was 61% for symptomatic infection and 95% for severe outcomes."
The most effective covid prevention techniques proven to reduce incidence of the disease include wearing a mask, socially distancing and washing hands plus getting vaccinated and boosted.
As of the end of October, 2022, only 8.5% of Americans had received the latest covid booster.

The most compelling reason to get vaccinated:

You will notice that the death rate for people over 50 who are unvaccinated has declined significantly in the last half of 2022. It was still however 20 times the death rate for those who have received the recommended number of vaccinations, the 2 part primary vaccination plus 2 boosters.

Common COVID-19 Myths:

Here are a some mistaken beliefs about covid from the CDC website:

The ingredients in the covid vaccines are dangerous: False. Nearly all the vaccine ingredients are also found in many foods: fats, sugars and salts.
Covid vaccine can give you covid: False. None of the US authorized covid vaccines contain live virus.
The natural immunity gotten from being sick with covid is better than the immunity gotten from vaccination: False. Getting a covid vaccination is a safer and more dependable way to build immunity.
Covid vaccines cause variants: False. They do not cause new variants to develop. In fact they can help prevent new variants from emerging.
Covid vaccines contain microchips: False.
Receiving a covid vaccination can make you magnetic: False.
Covid vaccines can alter a person's DNA: False.
Covid vaccines will affect fertility: False.

The last 4 are conspiracy theories that have among others proliferated on the Internet causing confusion and suspicion. The loss of trust in the public health system of the United States is a major result, a very dangerous development in regard to any future epidemics that may require coordinated public action.

History of the COVID-19 Pandemic:

These charts reflect data only through February, 2022. Deaths from covid have continued to decline throughout 2022 with cases rising once again in the winter.

Major events of the covid pandemic in the United States:

The pandemic began in January, 2020.
Vaccinations became available one year later.
The first wave of covid hit New York and New Jersey the hardest.
In the summer of 2020, Florida, Texas, California and Arizona were heavily affected.
The worse of the pandemic came in the winter of 2020, just as the vaccines rolled out.
The summer of 2021 saw the Delta surge take off.
Omicron took over in the winter of 2021 and through 2022.
The first part of the pandemic affected primarily Eastern urban areas. Delta resulted in a reverse of that trend with rural areas more affected.

Resources:

Excess (Pandemic) Death Rates for Republicans and Democrats
How Deadly is Florida's Delta Surge?
The Lancet: Global impact of the first year of COVID-19 vaccination
Estimated Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines Against Delta/Omicron
Effectiveness of public health measures in reducing COVID-19 incidence
COVID-19 Weekly Death Rate by Vaccination Status (US>age 50)
CDC: Myths and Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines

Our World in Data: Excellent source for data on
COVID-19 vaccinations, cases, excess mortality and more.