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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

CGGCGG: The latest new-old wrinkle in the COVID-19 “lab leak” conspiracy theory

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal published an editorial claiming that the sequence CGGCGG in SARS-CoV-2 means that the coronavirus must be engineered. It’s utter nonsense.

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Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture

The “lab leak” hypothesis is becoming a conspiracy theory

Scientists have generally concluded that evidence points to a natural origin for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, as a far more likely explanation for the pandemic than a laboratory origin. Recently, there has been a lot of media chatter about the “lab leak” hypothesis. Is there new evidence? Nope. The “lab leak” hypothesis is fast becoming a conspiracy theory.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

Del Bigtree could have died because he refused transfusion from donors vaccinated against COVID-19

Del Bigtree almost bled to death from hemorrhoids, but still refused transfusion from donors vaccinated against COVID-19. Instead, he flew to Cancun to get “unvaccinated blood” at a quack cancer clinic. This sort of disinformation can kill. In Bigtree’s case, it almost did.

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Anti-Semitism Antivaccine nonsense History Holocaust Holocaust denial Medicine

Holocaust misappropriation by antivaxxers: A form of Holocaust denial

Antivaxxers have long misappropriated symbols of the Holocaust, such as the Yellow Star of David, to liken their “persecution” to the real persecution of the Jews by the Nazis. This misappropriation of the Holocaust is arguably a form of Holocaust denial.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

Antivaxxers and the “deadly” SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Antivaxxers are citing three papers to support their claim that spike protein produced by COVID-19 vaccines is dangerous. Unsurprisingly and as usual, they’re misinterpreting the studies and misrepresenting their significance. COVID-19 vaccines are, in fact, very safe.