Every time someone publishes a new article, posts a video, or goes viral with their pandemic opinions suggesting there is a global Covid conspiracy or attacking the accepted medical narrative, we’re forced to dig out evidence to the contrary or point out flaws in their arguments. To make life easier for everyone, we’ve collected all the misinformation, misconceptions, bare-faced lies, and wild conspiracies in one place. Bookmark and feel free to use this to spread real evidence-based science.
We’ll kick off with the simple stuff and then move onto the more complex topics. There a lot of my often sad and questionable humor interspersed in this article. It isn’t there to make light of the situation, rather see it as an attempt to stave off the madness of having to repeatedly write these articles in the first place. We all need to lighten up a little and learn to think critically for ourselves and let’s be honest, some of this is side-splittingly funny. For the purposes of this article, the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid is shortened to CoV-2. This is how you contract a virus.
A final thought on the context before you dive in. ALL the responses below are based on our personal exposure and experiences to and with the pandemic over the last 14 months. We have personal contact with medical professionals engaged in the field with research and critical patient care. Our concern is for the patient’s safety and wellbeing and where doubt exists on something, we are candid about it.
On the much-maligned subject of PCR testing
This tends to always feel like people clutching at straws. Also, the lack of understanding among the public regarding this topic is staggering. It allows for their manipulation by less than honorable agents.
1. PCR testing doesn’t prove you have Covid
Fact: Wow, astonishing. That’s actually correct and aside from stating the obvious we’re not sure why this statement has been latched onto. PCR testing is a screening tool used to look for genetic material that belongs to the virus. You can have this material and be either asymptomatic (no Covid) or you may have just have caught the virus and be on the fence (you may or may not develop Covid) or you may be recovering from Covid or possibly successfully have beaten the virus thanks to your immune system. So to recap, PCR is not to detect Covid. That’s just a silly statement as we all know Covid is a disease that’s caused by a coronavirus.
2. PCR tests don’t work properly
Fallacy: They do. Here’s an article that will explain exactly how well they work and what they’re really good at doing. Detecting genetic material. Detractors point to a statement by Kerry Mullis, the inventor of the PCR test shortly before his death where he was quoted as saying the tests aren’t good for detecting disease. Again, this is factual but completely misinterpreted and corrupted by Covid doubters. The tests should be used to screen for viruses and other materials that can cause or lead to disease. Exactly the way we use PCR to screen for the CoV-2 virus to confirm someone has Covid rather than a bad case of influenza. The tests also provide invaluable information about the spread of a virus in the general population. We can assess how dangerous, how viral, and how deadly a virus is from data collected from testing. Without this data, we’re guessing.
3. PCR tests are unreliable
Fallacy: They are very accurate, more so than many other screening tools and it’s why we use them. It is possible to mess up the results by contaminating samples or not following the manufacturer’s instructions for individual tests but this is human error and statistically insignificant in large samples or at the scale we’re dealing with now. Again, refer to this article.
4. Why are we testing healthy people? It’s a waste of time and money
Fallacy. A great question spoiled by a flawed conclusion based on a lack of proper public-facing education. Here’s why we test extensively. Write it down, memorize it, tell a friend. We need the data to protect the public. It’s that simple. Unless we can figure out how quickly a virus is spreading through a population, how many people are becoming ill, and how many are dying we can’t protect ourselves.
This data shows the infectiousness of a virus, how transmissible it is, how dangerous, and who it is affecting. It also means we can with reasonable accuracy suggest how deadly the virus is and whether you need to buy Twinkies and hide under your bed, or if you can mask up and move about in relative safety. Rapid and widespread testing is critical to understanding, managing, and containing viral outbreaks. If the pandemic has shown us anything about managing global viral outbreaks it is about how important the availability of accurate data is in managing unknowns. Testing provides this. So the next time someone tries to trash testing, you can explain this to them.
There is another benefit to testing that isn’t discussed in much detail but is of more importance. Research. Millions of samples help to turn up data that we may otherwise miss. Volume helps to establish patterns that researchers can look into or exploit for developing treatments. It can also alert us to new potential risks from a virus as it evolves. Without broad sampling, research is seriously hampered, and along with it, our understanding of what we are dealing with. HIV and SARS-CoV-2 are perfect examples of what large data sets can allow researchers to accomplish.
Masks Ahoy
This is my pet hate. Where to start on this one. There is so much rubbish that circulates about the futility of wearing a mask, the health risks if you wear a mask and the issues of personal freedom. Let’s deal with the most obvious and hopefully, somewhere along the line, the penny will drop if it hasn’t already. I apologize in advance for the tone in some of the answers, but seriously??? I’ll try and keep this portion brief.
1. Why should I wear a mask. There is no reason.
Fallacy: There are a million reasons. Here’s possibly the simplest explanation of all when it comes to this topic. When you sneeze, do you cover your nose and mouth with your hand and turn away from people? Simple yes or no answer. If you answered no then you’re probably one of the idiots wandering about without a mask. Yes, I know I shouldn’t, but your inability to comprehend basic hygiene is probably a combination of ignorance, arrogance, and inbreeding. This simple gesture designed to contain the sneeze is an acknowledgment that the fluids you’re about to spray around liberally from your nasal passages carry the potential for disease and death. We’ve been doing this out of respect and concern for our fellow citizens for centuries.
The simple gesture of turning away and raising your hand is one of the most telling things about you. Indirectly, you’re saying to the people around you, “I care about you bro, so I ain’t sharing”.
The mask does more to protect others than it does to protect you. Fact. It’s that hand, permanently in front of your nose and mouth to catch coughs and sneezes. If everyone wears one, then they also serve to protect you. They aren’t foolproof but they have a huge impact on the virus’s ability to become airborne and spread itself.
I always see doctors and nurses as the perfect proof of this. Many have been engaged with Covid patients for over a year. Although there have been a lot of positive cases of Covid, many medical professionals have not contracted the virus, despite it being so infectious. The reason. Masks and hygiene. The two go hand in hand.
2. N95 masks can’t stop the virus particles
True: but then we aren’t asking them to do this, are we? The virus is insanely small, small enough to pass through a normal N95 mask. However, on their own, CoV-2 particles are stranded. No legs, no wings, and no cellphone to order a Grab. They need to latch onto something to move around and airborne particles of moisture sprayed out of your mouth or nose offer the perfect ride. Luckily the N95 can cope with these small droplets and can easily capture them, preventing their passenger access to your gaping mouth or inhaling nostril. It isn’t perfect I’ll admit, but it is 100% more effective than no mask.
As the mask can trap the virus in these particles it is advisable to change your mask quite frequently and never reuse an N95 or similar type of material mask unless you have access to a sterilization unit. Washing can also compromise the mask’s fibers.
Don’t take off your mask and stuff it in your pocket. Immediately dispose of it on removal and wash your hands. Again, seriously, this is basic hygiene 101.
3. Masks being mandated infringe on my civil liberties
Fallacy: If you have so little concern for your fellow citizens that you refuse to place a small cloth square over your face when you’re in public, for the duration of the pandemic, then really, there’s nowhere to go with this other than to say if you do enjoy any civil liberties, they’re hugely underserved and definitely not as a result of any actions you’ve taken. Seat belts are mandated and in some states so are crash helmets. Are you also protesting these and while we’re at it, what about the requirement to wear clothes in public? Ridiculous, and clearly an infringement on your right to expose yourself.
Wearing a mask, seatbelt, or crash helmet is for your protection more than anything else. There is no real evidence to suggest the mask poses any hazard to your health, so like the crash helmet and the seatbelt, use them. Yes, they’re hot, yes they’re uncomfortable, and yes, they fog up your glasses, but they work. Science says so and data supports it.
4. Medical masks are dangerous and cause CO2 intoxication or oxygen deficiency
Fallacy: Considering the people and groups propagating this nonsense, perhaps we should print a disclaimer on the masks. Dangerous if consumed! You should not wear a mask while exercising, performing demanding physical labor, or engaging in carnal acts (unless of course, you paid extra for the mask). That’s simply common sense. Your oxygen demands increase exponentially and you need unrestricted access to air. This claim is also easily disproven by observing medical staff in an operating theater. You don’t see them collapsing or gasping for air, do you, despite attending procedures that last for hours. Clearly, under normal conditions, masks are uncomfortable but very safe.
The mystery of the missing virus
This is my all-time favorite. The depth of ignorance required to make the statement below is staggering.
We haven’t isolated the CoV2 virus yet
Fallacy: People spreading this gem claim that we only have a computer-based model of the virus and haven’t managed to actually isolate the real virus. This will come as very upsetting news to Wan Beom Park and his colleagues, who clearly thought they managed to do it back in February of 2020. Sorry Wan, but your paper entitled Virus Isolation from the First Patient with SARS-CoV-2 in Koreamust obviously be a mistake. Our public ‘experts’ say so.
I won’t bore you with an extensive list of the other laboratories that have isolated the virus, but rather pose a few simple questions to this group of non-believers to hopefully allow them to self-implode in a puff of logic-induced smoke.
Question one. You are aware, are you not, that the CoV-2 virus can be ordered by laboratories for the purposes of evaluation and experimentation? What do you think the CDC has been shipping to laboratories for over a year now? Two weeks after receiving their first sample of the virus in January of 2020, the CDC was able, over a period of two weeks, to generate enough SARS-CoV-2 (grown in cell culture) to distribute to medical and scientific researchers. You can read about their isolation of the CoV2 virus here.
Second question. How would be able to produce a vaccine that uses part of the virus’s RNA coding to simulate the spike protein on the virus, unless you had the actual virus to analyze? Hmmm? Guesses tend not to work too well in the field of molecular biology.
Third and final question. Accusing the world of intentionally releasing the virus on an unwitting public and then claiming we don’t actually have it are two opinions that are directly at odds with each other. You cannot have it both ways, can you? Decide which line of bullshit you want to pursue and stick to that, you cannot have both.
Covid-19 is caused by a bacterial infection
Fallacy: It’s easy to understand how folk can get this one mixed up. The CoV-2 virus is what causes the disease we call Covid-19. The disease is a result of the virus attacking our system, in particular, our lungs and other vital organs. Bacteria can then play a role as secondary infections may occur in the lungs and elsewhere, These can be treated with antibiotics as the infections are bacterial, but the antibiotics don’t impact the CoV-2 virus. Viruses are immune to antibiotics, which only work on bacterial infections. Certain viruses can be treated with very specific antiviral drugs that have been designed to target specific attributes in a chosen virus. HIV retrovirals are an excellent example.
On the topic of thermal scanners
You know the feeling right, every shop you stop at scans you. The entrance to the mall scans you and even your hairdresser scans you. There is no escape from handheld, wall-mounted, or checkout-style temp scanners and I am actually surprised no one has suggested yet we’re going to get tumors on our foreheads from all the scanning. Watch this space.
1. Scanners cannot pick up a CoV-2 infection
Yes and no. It’s a little bit of both here. While it’s true that the scanners cannot directly detect the virus, it is also true they can detect subtle changes in body temperature which may indicate an infection you are not aware of. That infection isn’t just an indicator of a viral infection though. It’s a warning sign that your body is engaged in a battle with something and that you should consider getting your butt to a doctor. Our bodies operate within a very limited temperature range, 36.5°C to 37°C, and these scanners are pretty good at picking up even a degree difference.
It’s worth mentioning that not having an elevated temperature shouldn’t be seen as an all-clear for a possible CoV-2 infection. Elevated temperature is not always present during an active infection, particularly in asymptomatic individuals. The scanning protocol is a temporary inconvenience for your protection. Get scanned and enjoy your shopping. Soon, scanners too will be a distant memory.
On the delicate topic of vaccines
This is probably the hot potato at the moment. It’s current and everyone is talking about the covid vaccines. One day they’re all declared safe, the next day it’s a maybe, Astra Zenica might cause clots, Johnson & Johnson may have issues, the mRNA vaccines will turn you into mutants, China’s vaccine may only be 3% effective and the list goes on. We’re going to work on the following assumptions here and then address the typical doubts individually.
- The FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval for three vaccines in the US. Pfizer/Biotech. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. This means that all three vaccines have passed the safety requirements for Stage 3 trials. They cannot be fully approved yet as they haven’t proven themselves over a period of time, a requirement for final approval that takes anywhere from 3–5 years with most vaccines to ensure complete public safety.
- Short term we know they’re safe and that’s why they’ve been approved for EUA use. We don’t have the time now to hang about and wait out the three to five years while people are dying and these vaccines have the potential to stop that. Ergo, we are vaccinating now with EUA vaccines. Totally logical, given almost no short-term risk.
- We cannot engage at this point in speculation with regards to possible long-term consequences. This is an unknown, for everyone. What we do however know is that saving a life now and dealing with any (we hope there are none) subsequent consequences later, is a no-brainer. We are going to vaccinate and have been doing exactly this since December of 2020.
1. The mRNA vaccines are going to change my DNA
Fallacy. The basic answer is that in almost all cases RNA viruses, and that’s what the mRNA vaccine is based on, a viral RNA segment from the CoV-2 virus – the spike protein on the outside of the virus, to be completely accurate – cannot access our DNA. The process involved here is hugely complex and difficult to understand. I’ve just address new research on this topic and you can find the full article here. It includes an expansive but hopefully simple enough explanation of the processes at play and the rules regulating traffic from our DNA to RNA.
While it is true that some retroviruses can enter our DNA, retroviruses are a limited family of viruses that includes the HIV virus. The coronavirus is an RNA virus and incapable of a similar feat under normal conditions. The RNA used by the mRNA vaccines is synthetic and replicates a portion of the natural virus’s RNA. This teaches our cells to be prepared and on the lookout for the real thing and the reason they’ve chosen the spike protein is that this is how the CoV-2 virus gains access to our cells.
2. I got vaccinated. Party time.
Fallacy: No, no, and no. Being vaccinated doesn’t mean you cannot transmit the virus to others (act as a vector). It also doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods. Not immediately. It takes between ten and fourteen days to develop those immune cells you’ll need to stave off serious illness. Get sick in between, and you’re in for a rough ride. One of my BeingWell colleagues came down with Covid two days after being vaccinated. Contact tracing proved an exposure the morning of vaccination. What followed was nearly three weeks of hell for him as he fought off Covid and the effects of the virus. He now struggles with Long Covid symptoms.
We also don’t have conclusive evidence yet that you aren’t still a vector for variants. You may be able to spread these variants, even after you’ve developed your vaccine immunity and these may even make you ill, despite the vaccination. This is a fluid situation and vaccine formulations will change over time to address these variants and offer broader protection, but keep in mind, the virus continually mutates. It never loses this ability. So in short, keep your mask on, keep social distancing and act as though you haven’t been vaccinated. At least for now and let’s do our best to flatten curves that are once again going up in the wrong direction.
3. Natural immunity is far better, I’ll take my chances with the virus
50/50: This needs to be qualified. If you’re perfectly healthy, then this is your choice. It may be that naturally acquired immunity through exposure to the virus will produce a more resilient immune response than a medically introduced virus via a vaccine, but the inverse may also be true. We don’t have enough data yet to make a convincing case for either claim. That aside, there are a few things to consider here. I’ll list them below and you can make your own choice.
- If you suffer from anything on this list then you want to get the vaccine ASAP. People with various risk factors for developing serious Covid need to be vaccinated.
- The vaccines prevent you from developing serious Covid, in fact, some are almost 100% effective at this. That’s a guaranteed get-out-of-jail card if you’re obese, diabetic, or suffer from one or more of the conditions highlighted in the referred article.
- Covid can and does kill children on occasion and perfectly healthy young and middle-aged (30 to 40-year-old) adults with no apparent underlying health conditions. To see the effects of the B.1.1.7 variant on a closed community, follow this link.
- Although the science is still out on this, there may be benefits to being vaccinated after you’ve had a natural infection. We’ll get back to you on this as we’re looking at current and emerging research. The current data seems to suggest double the bang for your buck if you opt for the vaccine on top of your naturally acquired immunity.
The Crazies
Suggestions so ridiculous you’re tempted to ignore them, but that would be a mistake. For every crazy idea out there, there are thousands of eager fingers and phones, just waiting to amplify the madness. The more obscure, the more outrageous, the better.
1. 5G will give you Covid
Fallacy: This is one of those ideas that have no basis in science or common sense. You understand surely that 5G uses a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that allows it to transmit data very effectively through a network of repeating stations. Data is not a physical thing. I can assure you of the following. 5G is not capable of teleportation. The virus is a physical particle, too small for us to see, but still subject to gravity and all the other wonderful forces that control physical objects on planet Earth. Sneeze it out and will gradually descend to the floor.
We haven’t figured out yet how to teleport physical objects from one location and place them in another location, let alone target your nostril. 5G isn’t capable of using its intangible medium to move a physical virus into your schnoz. Sorry, just ain’t happening, not by any crazy mechanism you try and dream up. To be infected with CoV-2, you need the actual physical virus and this needs to enter your body through either your mouth or nose. Lastly, have you wondered how it is that countries without 5G also mysteriously seem to have the virus spreading?
2. Bleach, ethanol, methanol, and other crazy home concoctions will protect you against covid
Fallacy: Until I saw reports on CNN of people that had actually consumed bleach, encouraged by then-incumbent President (term used loosely) Trump, I would have bet my last dollar that no one in the world would actually follow idiotic advice like this. I’ve come to learn over the last year that there are levels of stupid I couldn’t have imagined, ranging from errant quacks to people who have no idea of how to look after themselves and rely (very unfortunately) on the opinions of charlatans and con artists.
Let’s clear this up once and for all. There are no defenses against CoV-2. NONE!! The only way you can guarantee evading the virus is to lock yourself up in a sterile vacuum, clearly not a practical long-term solution. Vaccines only prevent us from developing serious disease (Covid) from the Cov-2 virus. Even as amazing as these tools are, they cannot stop a virus from entering our bodies.
There is no drug or treatment, product, drain cleaner, pesticide, bleach, or alcohol on the planet that can stop your body from being infected. If you cross paths with the virus it can infect you. Garlic, colloidal silver, and pepper may ward off the Cowens and your wife but won’t stop the CoV-2 virus. Gargling with salt and snorting spotted Panamanian anteater urine¹ harvested under a full moon won’t stop it either, even if you order today for the free bottle of desiccated lizard testicle extract. Nothing! Got the idea yet? You’re being conned, wasting your money, and in many cases, actually putting your health at risk.
The best way to help yourself out is to ensure your immune system is in tip-top shape and practice a few common-sense habits to help it stay that way.
- Try and eat a well-balanced and healthy diet, get regular exercise, stay happy and ensure you’re smiling and laughing. Depression and anxiety prey heavily on your immune system. Watch a comedy on the telly and stop stressing.
- Obesity is a huge contributor to serious Covid, try and reduce your weight if at all possible. Even losing five to ten pounds can make a huge difference to your general health. Again the best route is a proper diet and exercise. If you’re restricted try Yoga or Taichi via Youtube. Be patient and stick to it. There are no quick fixes and companies that offer you any are the same people who’ll sell you the bleach.
- Vitamins are for the most part an equally large waste of money and I’m including Vitamin C in this. You may as well flush your cash down the toilet as this is where most vitamins end up. We think Zinc and Vitamin D may be efficacious, but make sure you keep to the recommended dosages and buy a regular product from a well know and reputable brand. More, in medicine, is usually dangerous, not better, Vitamins are no exception. Your doctor will be happy to discuss any vitamin supplementation you may require. Rather spend the cash you waste on vitamins and supplements on buying fresh food, if you can get it. Bake, boil, steam, BBQ, air fry, and avoid frying or cooking in oil.
3. COVID-19 doesn’t actually exist
Fallacy. Do I really have to do this? Yes, thanks to individuals like David Icke (from the moon is hollow fame, no really, Google it) and InfoWars’ Alex Jones we do have to. The story goes like this. COVID-19 doesn’t actually exist but is a plot by the globalist elite to take away our freedoms. Anti-lockdown protests across several states in the US have been fuelled by Icke and Jones’s idiotic rhetoric and because believers increasingly refuse to observe social distancing measures, they are directly helping to spread the epidemic further in their localities. In case you haven’t made the connection, these are the same individuals refusing to wear masks.
There is only one way to reply to this. When, once, in the history of humanity, have we all been able to work in unison? Every country pursuing the same agenda? Go on, have a think, I’ll wait. When you’re done you might also spare a thought for the nearly 3 million who’ve died from a nonexistent disease. which brings us on nicely to the next craziness.
4. COVID death rates are inflated
Fallacy: The one individual, most notably responsible for getting this misinformation ball rolling is Dr. Annie Bukacek. Her speech, in April of 2020 warning that COVID death certificates are being manipulated has been viewed more than a million times on YouTube. Bukacek appears in a white lab coat and with a stethoscope around her neck, making her look like an authoritative medical source. Dig a little deeper, however, as Rolling Stone magazine did, and it turns out she’s a far-right anti-vaccination and anti-abortion activist, previously noted for bringing tiny plastic fetuses into the Montana state legislature.
Her insistence that COVID death rates are inflated has, of course, no basis in fact. More likely the current death toll is a serious under-count. To further clarify the issue, the Centers for Disease Control has published information about excess deaths associated with COVID-19.
If anything, it is in a country’s interest, particularly for its government and appointed leaders, to try and underreport deaths. Again, think logically. Want to be seen as the hero who controlled the Covid outbreak or the loser who let it get away with spiraling deaths? Good luck getting re-elected. Mexico is an excellent example, having recently acknowledged under-reporting nearly 120 000 Covid-19 deaths.
5. The virus was made in a laboratory in Wuhan
Fallacy: Most of this has to do with the anti-Chinese sentiment that was encouraged under a Trump-led Republican government. When your President resorts to petty tactics like calling CoV-2 “the China virus” it doesn’t take long for other clowns to sign up for the circus. In fairness, China tried to blame the virus on visiting American troops, probably in response to American tactics.
Politics aside, let’s look at the science. The SARS virus (SARS-CoV) and the subsequent MERS virus are both known to have animal reservoirs, notably Himalayan palm civetsin the case of SARS and dromedary camels (one hump please) for MERS. SARS-CoV-like viruses have been isolated from several bat species, predominately horseshoe bats (genus Rhinolophus). These viruses are zoonotic (animal to human origins) and there is no reason to assume SARS-CoV-2 is any different. It shares the majority of its genome with the SARS and MERS viruses. It is a coronavirus and its origins will, in time, be discovered. For now, this issue simply serves as a distraction from more important issues.
As an aside, lack of general knowledge can seriously impact our understanding of things. Almost every season’s new influenza strains emerge first in Asia and spread to the West. This historical process follows global seasonal weather patterns and actually affords the west an opportunity to rush out the current season’s influenza vaccines. Asia provides us with a heads up for what’s coming and, if anything, we should be grateful for the window they afford us, rather than trying to assign racially-based blame on countries that are in many ways more functional than the US.
6. The vaccines are inserting tracking devices into our bodies.
True: You can check this by walking naked in front of a monitor or flat-screen television with the frequency set to 1200Mhtz. You’ll notice the sudden interference on the screen every time you pass in front of the television. You can increase the acidity of your body to activate the nanotech. Drinking a glass of water diluted with a spoon of vinegar will help achieve full particle activation and we advise wearing rubber-soled shoes. Full instructions can be found here.
Okay, we (or rather I) have had my fun. This is in fact complete and utter rubbish. We aren’t even close to possessing this kind of tech and while we can place medical devices inside a person for examination purposes these devices have a limited lifespan of a few hours at best and are not individually identifying. Also, what is the point to being able to track everyone unless you can identify who is who? That would mean individualized tech for each person. Sorry, but you’ve got an extremely overinflated idea of your value to big brother. Get a grip.
Footnotes
- No Spotted Panamanian Anteaters were harmed during the completion of this article.
