Thread by @GidMK

There are a lot of myths floating around about coronavirus, so I thought I'd collect some of them and the reasons why they're wrong in a thread 🧵 #COVID19

MYTH 1: Most coronavirus infections are asymptomatic/very mild

This seems to be accepted knowledge, with most newspapers quoting 86% as the likely number of asymptomatic cases

It's simply not the case!

The best evidence suggests that 60-80% of people are undiagnosed, but this does not necessarily mean asymptomatic

There are a variety of reasons that people may be undiagnosed!

The undiagnosed figure is more about figuring out the 'true' number of infections, it doesn't really tell you how many people have a coronavirus infection with no/few symptoms at all

MYTH 2: There are proven COVID-19 treatments

This one is pretty easy to debunk, for the simple reason that there are virtually no completed trials on any treatment for coronavirus

The one trial that has been published so far, which used a very promising combination of drugs, was largely null (although potentially still positive)

And, despite what certain presidents may be tweeting, chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine are still mostly theoretically useful drugs, we really don't know if they will work for coronavirus

MYTH 3: Coronavirus will go away in less than a month

There are so many versions of this myth, and I think it's because we desperately want to believe it to be true

I'm sorry. It just isn't

Even if the pandemic slows down significantly in the next 4 weeks, the likelihood that things will go back to any semblance of normal in anything less than months is very low

Even in China, which is reopening to some extent, there are still restrictions on numerous activities

People are still terrified

MYTH 4: The government is 'closing the economy'

This is a pernicious and frustrating myth

The economy will close itself as soon as infections run rampant

It is easy to ignore 500 cases, in a city of millions

It is less easy to ignore 500,000

If the government doesn't shut down cities, they will shut themselves down when the number of cases climbs

Can you imagine going out of your house if there are people sick everywhere?

The fact of the matter is that a serious pandemic will shut down shops and close businesses just as fast as government action, but with far more deaths

MYTH 5: you will get coronavirus from delivered goods

Coronavirus can indeed survive on surfaces, but delivery is probably the safest way to get goods right now (fewest people in contact)

Just remember to wash your hands!

MYTH 6: IV vitamins will cure the disease

This one I've now seen at least 5 times, floating around Whatsapp chains and emails

It is simply not true at all

IV Vitamins are a contentious subject, in that there is no reason to believe that they will work for most disease but are still sold by quacks everywhere as a miracle cure

Anyway, don't take IV vitamin C it won't cure/prevent coronavirus

MYTH 7: Herd immunity is a prevention strategy

This one is just so absurd. Herd immunity without a vaccine requires most people to be infected to come into effect

BY DEFINITION this means it isn't anything to do with prevention/mitigation