No, the mRNA vaccines for COVID aren’t going to change your DNA.
The simplest explanation is that there’s a wall around your DNA that the vaccine mRNA can’t cross. ♀️ Even if it could, the mRNA doesn’t stick around for very long.
Want to learn more about why mRNA doesn’t change your DNA? Keep swiping!
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Fact: the mRNA vaccines for COVID can’t change your DNA.
Why? We’re glad you asked! Check out our thread to learn how to debunk the claim that the COVID mRNA vaccines change your DNA. #ScienceUpFirst
Confused about breakthrough infections? When we look at infection numbers, it’s important to consider the base rate information. But what does that mean?
Swipe through to learn how the base rate fallacy affects how we understand COVID-19!
Still have questions? Let us know!
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One car, two car, green car, blue car!
Can you solve this problem? Most people can’t. Check out this thread to learn why! (And what the real answer is )#ScienceUpFirst
The fourth wave might be stressful, but here are 3 reasons to be optimistic:
1. We’ve learned so much! Through collaboration, innovation and with more resources, scientists have made huge gains (1). We now know so much more about protecting ourselves from this virus.
2. Vaccines! A year ago vaccines seemed far away. Now we have multiple safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death – even against the Delta variant (2). 66.81%¹ of people across Canada are now fully vaccinated (3)!
3. Layers of protection! Masking, handwashing, social distancing, avoiding indoor and crowded places and improving ventilation – we know these public health measures help keep us safe. The Delta variant is more contagious so layering protection this fall and winter is a good call!
We are not at square one BUT we need to remain vigilant, keep getting folks vaccinated, and following good public health practices.
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Delta is scary, and talk about a fourth wave is stressful. But we aren’t back at square one!
We’ve done this before, & we have tools we can use to protect ourselves. Vaccination, masking, and layering public health measures can help keep us safe this fall. #ScienceUpFirstpic.twitter.com/Pvvs6rqzxd
— ScienceUpFirst | LaScienceD’abord (@ScienceUpFirst) September 9, 2021
Wondering why vaccine dosage doesn’t change for people of different sizes? Or why Pfizer and Moderna have different amounts of mRNA? This post answers some of your big questions about how vaccine dosage works!
All of the current COVID-19 vaccines have undergone dose-finding studies in their clinical development. This ensures that the vaccine doses are safe and effective. Swipe to learn more!
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Wondering why vaccine dosage doesn’t change for people of different sizes? Or why Pfizer and Moderna have different amounts of mRNA?
This thread answers some of your big questions about how vaccine dosage works!#ScienceUpFirst
What’s a pirate’s favourite number in epidemiology? ☠️ Arrrrrr 0! (Sorry, couldn’t help it!)
R0 (pronounced R-nought) measures how contagious an infectious agent – such as a virus – is. A bigger R0 means more people infected, and a faster spread of the virus.
Swipe through to learn more about R0 and the spread of COVID. Yes, the post has math, but we promise it’s worth it!
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What’s a pirate’s favourite number in epidemiology? Arrrrrr 0! ☠️ (Sorry, couldn’t help it!)
Check out this thread to learn about R0 and how it helps us understand the spread of a virus.#TakeScience#ScienceUpFirst
It’s normal to be worried about our kiddos heading to the classroom. That is why we’ve put together a panel of physicians, infectious disease experts, and psychologists to help answer your big questions about vaccines, variants, mental wellbeing and classroom safety!
Join us at our #TakeScience Town Hall Tues Aug 31 at 8PM EDT:
“Delta Plus” refers to a bunch of different subvariants of the original Delta variant (1).”Delta Plus” is not an official term but rather one coined in the news (2).
“Plus” might give the impression that this is a more powerful variant. But there is no evidence as of now that they are any more dangerous than the original Delta (2). These subvariants have mutations to the coronavirus spike protein. Scientists have actually seen some of these mutations before, in the Beta variant (3). This had some worried, because these mutations helped Beta dodge certain antibodies (4). We’re still learning more, but early data found vaccines still offer good protection from serious illness (5). Monitoring for new variants and their impact is ongoing.
Wondering why it’s “Delta Plus” instead of it’s own letter? The World Health Organization uses the Greek alphabet for variants of concern or interest (6). If one of those variants starts to spread more easily, increases disease severity, or escapes vaccines, then it might receive a letter (7). Delta Plus variants aren’t that genetically distinct from Delta. If you think of all the different types of SARS-CoV-2 as a tree, Delta would be a big branch and the “Plus” variants would be stems branching off of it (2). —
Good news! COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials for kids under 12 are currently underway. To achieve optimal dosing, trial groups are divided into three: ages 5 to 11, 2 to 5, and 6 months to 2 years (1).
Both Pfizer (2) and Moderna (3) are currently running clinical trials. Both recently expanded the size of their clinical trials (4). Expanding the trial size means better detection of possible rare side effects. This includes heart inflammation problems like myocarditis and pericarditis.
Results from 5 – 11 year old clinical trials might be ready as early as September (4). Health Canada will only authorize a vaccine once they have all necessary evidence. This includes that the vaccine is safe, works, meets manufacturing standards, and that the benefits outweigh the risks (5).
SARS-CoV-2 is much less likely to cause serious illness in children than in adults (6). But some kids still become very ill and can develop long COVID (7). The highly contagious Delta variant may mean we see an increase of cases in children (8).
While we wait for the results of the trials, there are things we can do. Increasing community vaccination rates among those 12+, wearing masks, and gathering outside can help protect kids who can’t get vaccinated yet (9).
—
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Wondering when kids under 12 can start getting the COVID-19 vaccine?
Clinical trials for Pfizer and Moderna are currently underway! Here’s what we know so far.#TakeScience#ScienceUpFirst
Heading back to college or university in the fall, but worried about what a return to campus might look like? From masking to socializing to mental health, keep swiping for tips on getting back on that grind! ☕
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Are you ready to head back to college or university?
While every campus will be different, check out this thread for some tips on how to safely return to campus and get back on that grind! ☕#TakeScience#ScienceUpFirst
A miracle cure for COVID-19 would be great right about now, but Ivermectin might not be it. High-quality science just doesn’t back up its use.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 randomized control trials found that ivermectin did not reduce mortality, length of stay in a hospital, or adverse events compared to the control (1). The researchers concluded that ivermectin is not a suitable treatment for COVID-19.
A more recent “Cochrane Review,” the gold standard for medical meta-analyses, found no evidence to support using Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (2). Researchers found that several of the completed studies are small, low-quality, and roughly a third were highly biased. There are 31 ongoing Ivermectin studies and researchers of this analysis will update their review when these results become available.
A third meta-analysis found different results (3). However the majority of the studies used in this analysis were not peer-reviewed and at least one study has been retracted (4). So, we can’t determine much from that study.
The FDA does not consider Ivermectin an antiviral drug, and does not recommend its use for treating COVID-19 (5).
Vaccination remains our best defense against COVID-19.
Science is hard. Doing well-controlled studies in a pandemic is hard. When decent studies on Ivermectin get different answers, that means any real effect is probably small. But we just don’t know yet. There are more good studies on their way by the end of 2021, so we’ll just have to wait. In the meantime, GET VACCINATED. We know that works.
Real talk: there’s been a lot of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and fertility issues. It’s scary stuff! But there is NO evidence (or reason to suspect!) that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility, or other fertility or pregnancy related issues.
Multiple studies have found that there are no unexpected pregnancy or infant outcomes related to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy (1,2). This means…
No increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth or pre-eclampsia (5)
No vaccine build-up in ovaries (6)
No change in ovary function, egg quality, or egg implantation (7,8,9)
No change in semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, or total amount of moving sperm (10)
People who are pregnant are at a higher risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 (4). There is also evidence that COVID-19 can impact menstruation (15), lower sperm count, and cause erectile dysfunction (11,12).
Vaccination is important to protect yourself and others around you. Have other questions about vaccines? Leave us a comment!
We know that COVID-19 vaccines are incredibly effective in preventing severe illness and death, even against the Delta variant (1,2,3,4)! However, it’s still important to be cautious.
The Delta variant is spreading more easily among people than the original virus strain (5,6) especially in places where vaccination rates are low (7). It is pushing places like Australia, where less than 10% of the population is fully vaccinated, back into lockdown (8).
In other words, vaccines are winning against variants. But only if we get our shots! Check out this video for more information on how vaccines protect us from variants like Delta.
Got questions about COVID-19 variants and vaccines? Drop us a comment or a DM!
Have boosters on the brain? We’re here to explain!
Boosters are additional shots given when immunity from vaccination begins to wear off. Booster shots are common, and can be helpful for several reasons:
Boosters help jog your immune system’s memory, making sure your body is in the best shape for fighting off the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Boosters can help your body defend against the virus as it mutates and changes.
We don’t know if we’ll need booster shots for COVID-19 vaccines, or how often we’ll need them, but we do know that vaccine companies are working on boosters right now, so that they’ll be safe and effective when and if we need them. By keeping an eye on antibody levels over time, breakthrough COVID cases, and emerging variants, we can stay ahead of potential future waves.
