Sask. ICU doc debunks COVID-19 misinformation

SASKATOON -

Dr. Susan Shaw addressed several "strange/very wrong" COVID-19 claims on Monday.

In a Twitter thread, the intensive care unit doctor and chief medical officer for the Saskatchewan Health Authority laid out facts to address what she called misinformation and bad science.

"SK physicians, nurses, epidemiologists, have absolutely nothing to gain from any of this. We are working together to try to keep you and the people you care about safe so we can all get back to whatever new normal is possible," she said.

Those facts include:

• None of the 75 people in the province's ICUs on Monday were due to a vaccine adverse event
• More than 75 per cent of all Saskatchewan ICU beds are looking after people with COVID-19
• There are no empty hospitals in Saskatchewan
• COVID-19 PCR tests are specific for COVID-19 - a positive test can't be for any other virus
• A positive COVID-19 test is more than 99 per cent accurate
• A negative test could be a false negative (about a 30 per cent rate) due to being taken too early, not enough virus on a swab
• Delta is so dominant it is no longer of any value to check each positive test to confirm it’s Delta
• Surveillance for the next variant of concern is happening with testing of specific and random samples - and there will be a next one.
• COVID-19 is not the flu. But wearing a mask, physical distancing and getting the flu vaccine will help everyone be safer.
• Bad “science” exists and is sadly used to prey on many. Many “experts” pushing these theories personally profit from mis and disinformation campaigns
• “Just asking questions” is an established misinformation tactic. Ask yourself what is the questioner trying to gain by creating such doubt and fear.
• Bad “science” exists and many pushing this are also pushing unproven and potentially harmful products

The province reported five COVID-19 related deaths on Monday and 445 more cases.