Books
by Dr. Joe Sam Robinson

REALITY: The severity of COVID-19 varies dramatically between individuals. For some, particularly those who are asymptomatic, the disease causes little discomfort and is easily shrugged off. For others, especially the immunocompromised and elderly, the disease can be fatal. Most experience a myriad of symptoms with differing degrees of severity. Greater disease severity is generally associated with old age, comorbidities such as obesity and heart disease, and immune system weakness, but even the young and seemingly healthy have been struck down.
Further adding to the unknown risks of COVID-19 are the long-term effects of infection. Some who catch the disease suffer from so-called “Long Covid” and endure symptoms for months, including neurological and cardio-pulmonary complications. Even those who successfully cast off the disease are discovering an increased risk of cardio-pulmonary complications, most notably blood clots and cardiomyopathy – a thinning of the heart’s walls that negatively affects blood flow and this vital organ’s ability to function properly. Even if the actual disease may be no worse than the Flu, the long-term effects of COVID-19 appear to be far more insidious.

REALITY: COVID-19 vaccines cannot transmit the disease. No live coronavirus is used in viral vector shots, and mRNA vaccines only contain blueprints for your body to produce the spike protein and learn to react to it. Vaccines do provoke an immune response, which can lead to experiencing some symptoms of Covid, but they do not transmit the actual disease.

It is occasionally pointed out that a correlation exists between receiving the vaccine and getting infected with the disease. This correlation results from a survivorship bias – vaccinated people are less likely to suffer severe COVID-19 and even symptomatic infection itself and are thus still alive to get counted. Those who have received the jab are much more likely to engage in pre-pandemic social behaviors, increasing their risk for and rate of infection, but are much less likely to suffer serious health consequences. They are also more likely to get tested for COVID-19 than unvaccinated people, which also introduces some self-selection that skews some statistical data. Thus, we could perhaps see more vaccinated people testing positive for the virus compared to their unvaccinated peers, who may not be willing, or alive, to test at all.

REALITY: While the mRNA vaccine technology is novel, it is the result of years of research and development by both private companies and the federal government. The technology was already being used as a potential solution for vaccinating against rare diseases like Ebola, and it simply needed the scale and resources of a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic to reach its potential. Operation Warp Speed, a series of public-private partnerships between vaccine makers and the U.S. government, provided a level of financial support akin to the Manhattan Project and helped rapidly bring disparate research into marketable, effective products.

Many were shocked at how quickly the mRNA vaccines passed through their trials, believing that this was a sign of rushed development and a lack of due diligence. However, the trials for mRNA vaccines did not need to be nearly as long as traditional vaccine trials. The widespread prevalence of Covid permitted the adoption of a testing approach that followed tens of thousands of people for a few months – long enough for any potential side effects to appear, and scientists did not need to wait years for a large enough sample size to determine efficacy. mRNA vaccines have been proven safe, effective, and a major boon for global public health.

REALITY: Masking is a low-cost, effective tactic to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and decrease the likelihood of personal infection. Different types of facial coverings have different levels of effectiveness (with more specialized and better-filtered types offering greater protection), but masking, in general, has repeatedly been shown to help prevent infection. In addition to vaccination, people are still recommended to wear masks in crowded, indoor areas to minimize the risk of spreading the disease.

REALITY: There is no evidence of vaccines affecting fertility. Given that pregnant women are more likely to experience complications from Covid, it is highly recommended that individuals who are currently pregnant or wish to become so get vaccinated. As the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reported, “Pregnant individuals and those planning to become pregnant should feel confident in choosing vaccination to protect themselves, their infants, their families, and their communities.”