Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

Antivaxxers don’t want COVID-19 vaccines to “impurify” their “purity of essence”

Antivaxxers frequently make the false claim that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines “permanently alter your DNA.” These claims are really a concern about “impurifying” their “purity of essence.”

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Cancer Medicine Science Skepticism/critical thinking

No, the mRNA in the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines does not cause cancer by targeting tumor suppressor genes

The latest antivaccine propaganda claims that a 2018 research paper published by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center shows that the RNA in the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines can cause cancer by targeting tumor suppressor genes. As usual, it’s a complete misapplication of a cherry picked study grounded in a lack of understanding of molecular biology. Same as it ever was.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Cancer Medicine Quackery

COVID-19 vaccination, lymph nodes, and mammography guidelines

Reports of enlarged lymph nodes under the arm after COVID-19 vaccination have led doctors to tweak mammography guidelines. Antivaxxers, unsurprisingly, have tried to weaponize this observation to spread fear and confusion about these vaccines.

Categories
Medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

The WHO walks back its statement that asymptomatic COVID-19 transmission is “very rare”

Yesterday, the World Health Organization walked back its statement that asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 is “very rare.” This was after COVID-19 deniers had had a field day using that statement to attack social distancing, contact tracing, and mask wearing. It was a science communication disaster.

Categories
Clinical trials Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

The latest COVID-19 quackery: Intravenous bleach

Just when I thought I’d seen it all, I discover that there are quacks in Ecuador treating COVID-19 with bleach—intravenous bleach.