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Uncertainty and Misinformation

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How is it possible that my friends are social distancing and yet have colds??

Infection and Spread Uncertainty and Misinformation

A: The interventions we use to reduce COVID-19 transmission–such as wearing masks, improving ventilation, and keeping physical distance from other people–don’t target the common cold as well. Unlike the virus that causes COVID-19, which is transmitted through sharing air with infected people, most of the many viruses that cause the common cold–called rhinoviruses–love to hang Read more…

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A

Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Staying Safe Uncertainty and Misinformation Videos

Drs. Lindsey Leininger and Malia Jones take your thorny COVID questions in this Live Q&A! If you have a question, submit it at our website! www.dearpandemic.org. This week we discuss: ➡️ Intro…with TV show rec’s! (0:00 – 3:00) Related link ➡️ The latest on quarantine timelines (3:35 – 8:40) Related link ➡️ Handling conspiracy theories Read more…

I heard that mouthwash kills the coronavirus! How often should I gargle?

Uncertainty and Misinformation

A. TL,DR: Mouthwash won’t prevent or cure COVID-19. Consistent with several prior studies, a recent laboratory-based study out of Cardiff University found that over-the-counter mouthwash (with active ingredient cetylpyridinium chloride [CPC]) will inactivate 90-99% of the coronavirus after a mere 30 seconds. Sounds exciting! …but don’t get your hopes up. The clinical relevance of mouthwash Read more…

Jo-Mom’s Pumpkin Pie

Uncertainty and Misinformation

On Saturday’s live Q&A, Malia said she would share her mom’s “pumpkin” pie recipe–which has a secret ingredient. Well, here it is! The secret is that there’s no pumpkin at all–the recipe uses fresh butternut squash instead. You’ll never know it’s not a pumpkin pie except that it’s the best-tasting pumpkin pie you’ve ever made. Read more…

I heard somewhere that doctors and hospitals are falsely claiming deaths are due to COVID-19 and incorrectly increasing the case counts. Is that true?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation

A: No. There is no evidence that healthcare professionals are inflating the numbers of COVID-19 cases. Understanding the role of death certificates and how they are completed can help you get to the bottom of it. There has been increased circulation of a false claim that clinicians and hospitals are inflating the number of COVID-19 Read more…

Election season is in full swing, and the news is getting even more hectic!! How do I make sure my sources are accurate?!

Staying Safe Uncertainty and Misinformation

A: The COVID “infodemic” has made it harder than ever to cut through the noise, and election season absolutely adds to this challenge. The good news is that Lindsey’s Laws for news diligence that we’ve been using here at Dear Pandemic to fight misinformation can ALSO apply to the political news cycle! As we laid Read more…

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A

Infection and Spread School Staying Safe Uncertainty and Misinformation Videos

https://www.facebook.com/thosenerdygirls/videos/380034256456524 Dr. Lindsey Leininger and Dr. Malia Jones answer your COVID questions! This week we tackle: ☑️ Reinfection (2:25 – 7:45) ☑️ Psychology of risky behavior (7:55 – 13:06) ☑️ Election-day poll volunteering (13:19 – 17:45) ☑️ Are schools superspreaders? (18:00 – 25:55) ☑️ It’s OK to donate blood! (26:03 – 27:30) Big thanks to Read more…

I recently saw an article stating SARS-CoV-2 was made in a lab.

Uncertainty and Misinformation

Q: How do I evaluate the quality of this claim and support good science? A: This extraordinary claim requires some serious evaluation to prevent the spread of misinformation. Curiosity and scientific skepticism are quite healthy, though the new pre-print article violates many foundational principles of scientific inquiry. Lindsay’s Laws of Infodemiology provide a useful guide Read more…

Did the Sturgis bike rally really cause 266,796 new COVID-19 cases?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread Uncertainty and Misinformation

A: Extremely unlikely. (but that doesn’t mean it didn’t increase transmission…) The Nerdy Girls want to give you straight talk about the data whether or not it comports with our pre-existing views (like the general idea that mass gatherings are *not* a good idea during the pandemic). Trust in science relies on having high standards Read more…