GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Seventeen months into the pandemic, myths and misinformation about COVID-19 are popping up again.
WFMY News 2 is dedicated to separating facts from fear - speaking directly with infectious disease physician Dr. Cynthia Snider with Cone Health, to debunk bogus claims.
Claim 1: "The vaccine is more dangerous than COVID-19."
Dr. Snider said the short answer is no.
"The vaccine has been around for over a year, and those myths of impacting you long-term are unfounded...I think that people first and foremost need to understand that when there is a public health emergency. There is always this drive to find a vaccine, and also provide any treatments that we know that can help the impact and they expedite that.
"I want to make sure that people understand we’ve had about 180 million people in the US alone that have had the vaccine and the safety profile is there."
Claim 2: "The vaccine isn't effective."
Dr. Snider says it's a misconception she's heard quite a bit. Even with rare breakthrough cases, she says the vaccine is still doing its job: preventing hospitalization and severe disease.
"The vaccines - they still have that great effectiveness for severe disease in 90% against the Delta variant, and probably in like the 50 or 60% for mild or asymptomatic disease, but that still tells us that the vaccine is working."
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Claim 3: "Mutations, like the delta variant, are weaker than the original virus."
Dr. Snider said it's the opposite. Unvaccinated people are getting hit harder with the virus.
"The folks were being hospitalized - they are being hospitalized because their oxygen levels are dropping low, or they need supplemental oxygen, they’re having bouts of pneumonia, and they would probably benefit from some of the antiviral therapy, or the monoclonal antibody therapy that we have.
"We are seeing people progress pretty quickly to the point where they may need to be intubated. We feel this is a much more severe than type that we saw last year. We are seeing younger folks who are requiring to be intubated and who need extra life support, and also we have had deaths and people who are younger."
Claim 4: "Masks are harmful to children."
Dr. Snider said health experts know that masks help.
"Especially with respiratory illnesses. Last year not only did we not see as much infection in kids with COVID, but also less respiratory illnesses like RSV and flu. As long as it is worn properly and kids are washing their hands - and this applies to adults - it works very well."
