The RootsToSky.com/Covid Misinformation Files

What science says about vitamins and supplements for the coronavirus

Fans of the pro-Trump conspiracy theory are clogging anti-trafficking hotlines, infiltrating Facebook groups and raising false fears about child exploitation.

President Trump has refused to concede the election while alleging widespread voter fraud, without evidence, and mounting legal challenges in several states. Here's what to know about these claims and the latest on lawsuits challenging election results.

Vitamin pills will be posted to 5,000 UK residents to see if they help boost immunity.

The high-profile retractions of two COVID-19 studies stunned the scientific community earlier this year and prompted calls for reviews of how science is conducted, published, and acted upon. The warning signs had been there all along.

CNN —Once again, misleading comparisons between the flu and Covid-19 caught widespread attention across the internet.“Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” President …

If the authorities can’t satisfy the public’s desire to know more, others will fill the void with misinformation.

Now, more than ever, there is a stronger urgency to prioritize mental health treatment among Black people, writes Isabelle Dena.

If you’re not using any of your PTO, we need to talk. Here are some good excuses to call out of work and how to ask for time off, depending on your situation.

Donald Trump's embrace of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug unproven in treating COVID-19, has directly contradicted guidance of top agencies and officials.

Conspiracy theories, which explain events or a set of circumstances as the result of secret plot by usually powerful and malevolent groups, are quite common. Research has provided some understanding about why people are drawn to conspiracy theories and what makes some people more likely to believe than others.

You’ve heard of Talkspace and Calm, but are they worth it? We dig into the best mental health apps for stress, anxiety, and anything else on your mind.

A new report from Mental Health America points to alarming increases in depression, anxiety, psychosis, and suicidality since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s a WEIRD truth.

On November 13, 1919, a couple of hundred protesters gathered on the steps of City Hall to air their discontent with the city's compulsory vaccinatio…

In the universe of false online information, Mr. Floyd remains alive and George Soros is to blame for the protests.

Experts and r/ChangeMyView subreddit moderators offer 10 tips to debunk conspiracy theories convincingly.

While the latest research suggests that antibodies against Covid-19 could be lost in just three months, a new hope has appeared on the horizon: the enigmatic T cell.

According to Yu Yanhong, 91.5% of COVID-19 patients in China have been treated with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoctions.

Chinese herbal medicine is proven effective for COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Racism is driving me and other Black physician leaders out of organized psychiatry, just as it has pushed Black physician leaders out of academic medicine.

The US was in the midst of a mental health crisis even before the pandemic. As we fight COVID-19, we also need to fight the mental health crisis.

Objective To estimate the infection fatality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from data of seroprevalence studies. Methods Population studies with sample size of at least 500 and published as peer-reviewed papers or preprints as of June 7, 2020 were retrieved from PubMed, preprint servers, and communications with experts. Studies on blood donors were included, but studies on healthcare workers were excluded. The studies were assessed for design features and seroprevalence estimates. Infection fatality rate was estimated from each study dividing the number of COVID-19 deaths at a relevant time point by the number of estimated people infected in each relevant region. Correction was also attempted accounting for the types of antibodies assessed. Results 23 studies were identified with usable data to enter into calculations. Seroprevalence estimates ranged from 0.1% to 47%. Infection fatality rates ranged from 0.02% to 0.86% (median 0.26%) and corrected values ranged from 0.02% to 0.78% (median 0.25%). Among people <70 years old, infection fatality rates ranged from 0.00% to 0.26% with median of 0.05% (corrected, 0.00-0.23% with median of 0.04%). Most studies were done in pandemic epicenters and the few studies done in locations with more modest death burden also suggested lower infection fatality rates. Conclusions The infection fatality rate of COVID-19 can vary substantially across different locations and this may reflect differences in population age structure and case-mix of infected and deceased patients as well as multiple other factors. Estimates of infection fatality rates inferred from seroprevalence studies tend to be much lower than original speculations made in the early days of the pandemic. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement METRICS has been supported by a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Data from literature; no IRB required All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes All data are included in the manuscript

The pathogen is proving a familiar adage: The dose makes the poison.

A compassionate ear on the end of the phone reminds me of a dynamic tool for transformation.