Jul 172020
 

The world is dealing with an unprecedented health crisis caused by a new virus. With new insights in the way COVID19 spreads, in the way the virus behaves and in the way to deal with the pandemic every day, it is now more important than ever to safeguard the information we share is accurate and fact-based. We have to inoculate ourselves against the fake news and misinformation that infect our newsfeeds and timelines at this crucial moment by fact-checking.

For the duration of the pandemic, I will try to give you an overview of the main issues in CoronaCheck, an Australian email newsletter with the latest from around the world concerning the coronavirus, but now appear only once a week.*


Melbourne, Australia, has seen a surge in new cases in the past couple of weeks which have led to lockdowns of public-housing flats, a tightening of restrictions in the rest of the city and for the first time in Australia the advice to people to wear face masks when in public. Time for Australian fact-checkers to have a good look at the use of masks to control the spread of the virus.

DO MASKS WORK?

“Studies have recently shown that, even when factoring in imperfections and human error, wearing face masks can reduce transmission of coronavirus by around 60 per cent,” reads a press release outlining the new and unprecedented advice.

Independent Senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie cited a different figure when speaking on the Today Show. “Should we be wearing face masks? They’re supposed to be 70 per cent reliable,” she said.

And speaking on 3AW, Tony Blakely, an epidemiologist and public health medicine specialist at the University of Melbourne, said masks reduced the risk of coronavirus transmission by “about 80 per cent”.

So what’s the correct figure? Well, all three close enough.

A systematic review, commissioned by the World Health Organisation and published in The Lancet last month, looked at a large number of observational studies to study the extent to which physical distancing, face masks and eye protection prevent the spread of COVID-19. The review found masks reduced the risk of spread by 67 per cent, while a close-fitting protective device such as an N95 respiratory mask reduced it by more than 95 per cent.

“The N95 respirators are much better but the surgical masks and even a 12-layered cloth mask does give you good protection as well,” said Raina MacIntyre MacIntrye, infectious diseases expert and head of the biosecurity research program at the Kirby Institute when she spoke to the ABC’s Health Report. She added before adding that masks protected with equal effect people in the community as well as in a healthcare setting.

However, speaking to Fact-check, Professor Blakely said there was a possibility his suggested figure of “about 80 per cent” protection was an overestimate, given the nature of the Lancet’s review. It looked at observational studies rather than randomised trials which would take into account the potential for correlated confounders, such as the fact that people who wore health masks were possibly more health-conscious than those who don’t.

Yet, Professor Blakely noted that an 85 per cent reduction is too large an effect to be purely due to correlated confounders.” According to him, mask-wearing was likely to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread by between 50 per cent and 80 per cent, which he said would have enough of an effect to “make a sizeable difference”.

Some experts, however, have questioned the Lancet review, cautioning against treating masks as a “magic ingredient”.

Paul Glasziou, the director of the Institute for Evidenced-Based Care at Bond University, told The Age he thinks the Lancet study is seriously flawed, again because “It’s all based on observational evidence. And they did not adjust for the confounding.“

Professor Glasziou also warned that masks could create a false sense of security, and were not the “magic ingredient” that was going to stop the pandemic, a notion echoed by Professor MacIntyre. “The bottom line is no intervention gives you 100 per cent protection. You have to use them in combination to reduce the risk and, until the time that we can vaccinate people, you really have to use these interventions in combination.”

 

MASKS FACT & FICTION

There’s a lot of disinformation about masks about that needs to be debunked

To start with, those small strips of metal in some face masks that can be moulded to the shape of the wearer’s nose are not 5G antennas, as reported by Reuters. Too bad, masks won’t stream your Netflix any faster.

Reuters also debunked a claim circulating on social media that two-tone surgical masks should be worn coloured side facing out if you are sick and white side facing out if you are healthy. That’s incorrect. The coloured side, usually blue, should always face out.

If people believe that bunk, then there are a lot of sick people out there who shouldn’t be out there at all but isolating themselves.

Meanwhile, Lead Stories looked into a video purporting to show a test that found wearing a mask causes oxygen levels to drop into a so-called “danger zone”.

As the fact-checkers point out, when the sensor used in the test is put under people’s faces while breathing out, it will naturally detect lower oxygen levels. That’s because the air we breathe in is about 21 per cent oxygen, while the air we breathe out is 16 per cent oxygen. Further, the manufacturer of the gadget seen in the video told Lead Stories that the test was flawed and that the sensor had been used incorrectly.

Finally, claims that New York hospitals were reporting thousands of lung infections caused by the use of face masks are false, according to PolitiFact. “New York hospitals didn’t report this, PolitiFact said. “There’s no evidence wearing a face mask properly causes fungal lung infections.”

 

FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.

Coronavirus cases continue to surge in the US as the country opens back up to get life, and especially the economy, back to some sort of normal. Schools, however, have remained shut and, with the start of the new school year drawing closer, the debate over whether they should open as planned has become heated.

President Donald Trump is on the side of reopening and is threatening to cut federal funding to schools in states where governors choose to keep them closed.

But fact-checkers at CNN found that Mr Trump is unable to cut unilaterally federal funding to schools, though he could restrict recent pandemic relief funding and refuse to sign future legislation for grants and bailouts.

Meanwhile, despite claims to the contrary, Mr Trump’s Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, never said that “only 0.02 per cent of children” were likely to die if schools were reopened, according to USA Today, Snopes and Lead Stories. “Our analysis of DeVos’ public appearances found no evidence to show she made the comment,” fact-checkers at Snopes noted.

Also, the Associated Press’s fact-check team called out the Trump administration for repeatedly assuring the public that schools are safe and that children do not spread the virus, despite there being no certainty behind either statement.

In one example, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed the director of the US Centers for Disease Control had said “children are not spreading” COVID-19. AP clarified that what the director had really said was that there was no evidence that children were “driving” infections, and that experts had not yet ruled out the possibility that children could spread the virus to adults.

PolitiFact also found that a claim made by Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the coronavirus poses “virtually zero threat” to children and most teachers was mostly false. “Carlson’s language paints a black-and-white picture for children and teachers between death and full recovery,” the fact-checkers said. “Other outcomes — including hospitalisation — have occurred and are also harmful.”

 

Things that don’t cure and/or prevent COVID-19

#33: Vaccines against pneumonia
“Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus.” ⁠— World Health Organisation

 

*The facts in this article are derived from the Australian RMIT ABC Fact Check newsletters which in turn draw on their own resources and those of their colleagues within the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), of which RMIT ABC Fact Check is a member.

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  14 Responses to “COVID-19 Fact and Fiction #19”

  1. Thank you for yet more fact-checking!
    The mask issue is particularly complex – studies are based on correct use, but I’m horrified how often pictures & videos in which ‘authorities” are using masks have one or more not using the mask correctly. Not surprising that people are equally casual – touching, moving, putting their nose outside. If they’re casual about covering, are they just as casual about all the safety requirements around putting them on, removing them, sterilising used reusable ones etc? If so, mask use is often giving false illusions of safety …
    Not much one can do about that, except be rigorous oneself in the hygiene procedures before, during & after use – and call out people clearly being “casual”. (I called out a very intelligent older person the other day – he’d gone to a table to serve himself from a pot-luck supper, & had his mask dangling from one hand. I started with “I’m not sure that mask is protecting anyone worn like that!” Then pointed out that he was effectively waving it over the food … “Well, I can’t eat with it on – what do you want me to do with it?” – I suggested he stow it in a sealed bag – and failing that, at least tucked well inside his pocket … but if wearing a mask he should always have a sealable bag to stow it in!  He was really shocked at being called out! A retired university professor … )

    • It’s amazing how many appear to follow the rules but only go through the motions for appearance sake and do not give them any thought while doing so. At the end that may actually be counterproductive as you pointed out so adequately, Evelyn.

  2. Most enlightening, very informative, and an excellent post. 
    Thank you, Lona for this!! 

  3. Thanks Lona.  Your work is accurate and informative as usual. 35

    I particularly liked the Kotex mask pictures in the article.  I’d love giving criminal Fuhrer Trump* a used one! 14

    • I thought you would. I also thought you’d like the urine test, as Mitch did, but I later realized that the lettering is too small for you to read. If you get a chance to enlarge it, I think you’ll quite enjoy that too.

    • And what makes you think *Rump would not just LOVE having a used Kotex to wear?

      (I definitely can envision him sniffing bicycle seats in his younger days.)

    • I had to look up Kotex to see if they wwere still in business, it’s been so long since I heard the name (it disappeared ong before I started menopause.)  Apparently they are, but downplaying the name.  I don;t think many, if any, women are using the term as a generic any more.

  4. I had to chuckle at the “5G” antenna – even though it’s too serious to be really funny.   As construction workers and many others who spend time in dusty environments can tell yu  (if you can’t figure it out for yourself, that metal strip is a fitting device to give you a little better seal – against particles.   That’s far from perfect against viruses, but still better than nothing.

    As for Betsy DeVos – I’ve been looking at a few clips, and I’m sure she didn’t say anything about numbers or effects. The only thing she says in variations of “The schools have to be open.” To any question whatsoever. Almost robotic.

    I mentioned elsewhere on PP that lawyers in Florida are offering to draft and file wills for teachers at no charge.  If you are not in Florida, or not a teacher, or neither, you can get a similar service (also free but more DIY) thanks to Common Cause

    Thanks Lona!

  5. In CA, current case increases’ data is showing 1000 a day are children. 
    Several GOP governors have recently mandated mask use. I’ve seen experts cited as saying the target is at least 80% compliance with masks to bend the curve, reduce the spread per case.  I have seen the inference, although no claim, that this especially makes a difference for those in the two or so days before showing symptoms, a time period emerging as possibly shedding a higher amount of the virus than others, which some estimates reported are causing 40-50% of the cases.  Just saw a study indicating that another benefit of wearing a mask may be getting less virus when exposed and thus getting a milder case (which usually means won’t require one of the increasingly scarce ICU or hospital beds in the places surging).
    Thanks Lona–good info. as always.

  6. Thanks Lona, once again.  I love the pissing chart, by the way!  Especially as there are a number of people I’d love to pee on!  But, that’s a story for another time.  

  7. Excellent job. Lona. 
    Appreciate the valid information you provided. Really sad that we, (here in the U.S.), have a leader who’s heartless and doesn’t practice wearing masks or social distancing. 
    Our cases here locally in San Diego have been surging. More reason why people need to be wearing these masks.
    Thanks again, Lona

  8. And just a note on disposable surgical masks (since I’ve actually seen in done wrong):

    The colored (usually blue), fluid-repellent side goes on the OUTSIDE.

    The white, absorbent soft side goes next to your face.

    Surgical masks are most commonly made up of three layers. These are:

    1. Outer fluid-repellent layer: Typically colored blue or green, this layer repels fluid, helping to reduce the chance that viruses and bacteria from the air attach to the mask.

    2. High efficiency filter middle layer: The middle layer is what does the hard work in capturing viruses and bacteria. Any particles which get past the outside layers are filtered here.

    3. Absorbent layer: The inner layer captures and absorbs moisture, reducing the chance of any mucus or bacteria from leaving the mask when the wearer coughs or talks.

    https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/which-way-round-should-i-wear-my-surgical-face-mask/

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