14 COVID myths—and the facts

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: As experts learn more about the novel coronavirus, news and information changes. For the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From the start of the coronavirus outbreak, COVID misinformation has spread along with the new virus. With social media and digital news readily available, getting accurate information is easier than ever. Unfortunately, false information is just as easily transmitted. It’s hard to know what to do and how worried you should be—especially since those guidelines are ever-changing. 

14 COVID myths debunked

These are some of the most common COVID myths (and COVID vaccine myths) circulating, and the coronavirus facts that you need to fight the spread of disinformation.

COVID myth #1: COVID-19 is the same as the flu

While some of the symptoms are similar between COVID-19 and the flu (sore throat, coughing, fever), they are different respiratory viruses with different characteristics and treatments. COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. The flu is caused by the influenza virus. Both conditions can have serious complications and be fatal, but the mortality rate of COVID is much higher (possibly 10 times higher than the flu).

COVID myth #2: There’s no point in trying to slow the spread of COVID-19 

Chances are you have heard (or said), “Everyone’s going to get COVID eventually, so why bother?” Or maybe, “Now that there’s a vaccine, we don’t need to worry.”  Some even say, “Now that others are vaccinated, I do not need to vaccinate myself.”

While the vaccine does reduce the likelihood of severe complications, and new coronavirus variants like Omicron spread quickly, there are still good reasons to take measures to slow the spread. They include:

• Avoiding overwhelming hospitals: If more people get moderate or severe COVID at once, more hospital resources will be needed. This puts a strain on everyone in the healthcare system. This increases healthcare professionals experiencing burnout and increases the people who help us getting COVID themselves and needing to isolate (and not work). If the hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID patients, others who need care (awaiting surgeries, chemotherapy, advanced imaging) will receive delayed care. 
• Protecting others: Wearing an N95 mask and isolating is necessary if you have COVID, but what if you have it and don’t know it? It is possible to have, and spread, COVID without having symptoms. Maintaining measures (such as mask wearing and handwashing) can help protect others, especially those who are at risk.
• Preventing complications: Some people who catch COVID can have effects that last weeks, months, or longer, even if their initial symptoms are mild. The best way to avoid long-term effects from COVID is not to get it at all.

As lockdowns are lifted and mandates are removed, COVID-19 is still considered a public health emergency and it’s still worth it to use measures to slow the spread and minimize human transmission, such as wearing a mask indoors and sneezing or coughing into your elbow.

COVID myth #3: Face masks can’t protect you from coronavirus

Wearing a mask helps prevent people with COVID from spreading it to others and it also protects you from catching it. Different masks offer different levels of protection:

• Loosely woven cloth products: Least protection
• Layered finely woven products: More protection
• Well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s: Good protection
• Well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators, including N95s: Highest level of protection

The CDC recommends wearing the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently. More information on types of masks can be found on the CDC website. While the level of protection matters, any mask is better than no mask.

COVID myth #4: COVID-19 only affects seniors or immunocompromised people

Risks for serious complications from COVID are higher in seniors and those who are immunocompromised, but they can happen to anyone. COVID-19 has caused serious illness and fatalities in younger and middle-aged adults who were otherwise healthy. While children typically have milder symptoms, some children, even those without previous health problems, can have serious cases or have lingering symptoms.

COVID myth #5: COVID-19 always has a short recovery period

The road to recovery is not the same for everyone. People who have mild cases of COVID-19 typically recover in about two weeks, but severe cases may take up to six weeks or longer. “There is a large spectrum in terms of COVID recovery,” says Vicken Zeitjian, MD, an internist in San Antonio, Texas. “I have seen patients go through COVID asymptomatic while others have long-COVID symptoms for up to six months to a year.”

Complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) cause damage to the lungs and other organs, weight and strength loss, or other factors that extend recovery time. Some people, including those who have a mild initial case, can experience lasting symptoms called long-COVID. It is estimated that 13 million Americans have long-COVID. Symptoms of long-COVID include:

• Overall feeling of being unwell
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Mild headaches
• Trouble concentrating/brain fog
• Cognitive problems
• Muscle pain/body aches
• Rapid heartbeat
• Intermittent fever
• Insomnia
• Depression or anxiety

Because COVID-19 has only been around for a relatively short period of time, it isn’t known how long these lingering symptoms can last.

COVID myth #6: Antibiotics can prevent or treat COVID-19

Antibiotics are not used for COVID except to treat secondary infections such as bacterial pneumonia. “COVID is a virus, so antibiotics like azithromycin or doxycycline—which are intended to treat bacteria—are not effective in treating any viral infections,” Dr. Zeitjian says. There are preventive medications and treatments for COVID-19 such as Paxlovid, Evusheld, and molnupiravir.

COVID myth #7: Once you’ve had COVID-19, you can’t get it again

It is possible to contract COVID again if you have already had it, especially if you are not vaccinated. People who are unvaccinated are 2.34 times more likely to get COVID again than those who are fully vaccinated. Health professionals agree: getting vaccinated is important, whether or not you have already had COVID.

COVID myth #8: If your rapid test is negative, you’re in the clear

Self-tests, home tests, over-the-counter tests, etc. provide quick results and are a helpful tool in fighting the spread of COVID, but they come with precautions. A positive result on a self-test is highly reliable. If you test positive on a self-test, isolate yourself for five days. Even if you have no symptoms, take measures to protect others.

A negative result on a self-test does not necessarily mean you don’t have COVID. If you test negative, it’s a good idea to retest in a day or two, especially if you have symptoms. Don’t rely on a negative self-test as an assurance you are COVID-free. Continue to take measures such as wearing a mask when you are around others in order to protect them and yourself.

RELATED: Do at-home COVID tests expire?

COVID myth #9: The COVID-19 vaccine isn’t effective

Getting the vaccine is not a guarantee that you won’t catch COVID, but it does decrease the chance of infection and helps prevent serious complications. “The current mRNA COVID vaccine does provide a degree of protection against both the Delta and Omicron variants,” says Javeed Siddiqui, MD, MPH, the co-founder and chief medical officer at TeleMed2U in California. “Our clinical experience has been that individuals who are fully vaccinated and subsequently get infected with these variants have had a lower intensity of symptoms and possibly a shorter duration of symptoms. In addition, fully vaccinated individuals have had a significantly decreased rate of hospitalization and a significantly decreased rate of death secondary to COVID-19 infection.”

Staying up to date with recommended boosters increases this protection against current and possible future variants. People who are vaccinated and boosted are 41 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than those who are unvaccinated. The CDC recently recommended a second mRNA booster to all people aged 50 and older and to people older than 11 with moderate to severe immunocompromised conditions.

COVID myth #10: The COVID-19 vaccine isn’t safe

The COVID-19 vaccines have been evaluated for safety and efficacy through measures such as clinical trials, authorization or approval, and tracking safety using vaccine monitoring systems. “The COVID-19 vaccine is safe for most people, including those who are pregnant and children over 5 years of age as recommended by the CDC,” Dr Zeitjian says. “Any person receiving the vaccine should weigh the risk/benefits of the vaccine based on the accumulated scientific data. Those who should not obtain the vaccine include those who developed anaphylaxis or a severe allergic reaction within four hours of a prior COVID-19 vaccine. In my opinion, MRNA vaccines are the safest, which include Pfizer and Moderna.”

Dr. Zeitjian notes that serious side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine are rare. They include:

• Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle): 1.4 cases per 100,000 vaccinations. Myocarditis is 20 times more likely in those who get infected with the virus compared to the chance of getting myocarditis from the COVID vaccine. 
• Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (blood clots as well as low platelet count): 3.8 cases per million vaccinations
• Guillain-Barre syndrome (an autoimmune disorder that affects the nerves): 9.8 cases per million vaccinations

“Benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks,” Dr. Siddiqui says. “Serious side effects that could cause long-term health problems are extremely unusual following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination.”

COVID myth #11: The COVID-19 vaccine can cause “shedding”

Vaccine shedding means any vaccine components being released or discharged in or outside of the body. Shedding can occur with vaccines containing a live (weakened version) of the virus. “The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines do not contain a live virus,” says Dr. Siddiqui. “The mRNA vaccines in particular only contain fragments of mRNA and thereby they are not capable of causing any viral shedding.”

COVID myth #12: The COVID-19 vaccine impacts fertility

The vaccine may have a slight influence on the menstrual cycle, but evidence does not show the vaccine causing disruption to fertility. “The NIH (National Institutes of Health) has indicated that women who received COVID-19 vaccines had a less than one-day increase in the length of their menstrual cycles around the time of their doses,” says Dr. Siddiqui. “The findings suggest that women may have a slightly longer menstrual cycle after COVID-19 vaccination, but the change is temporary and within the range of normal variation.” Conversely, if you get the COVID infection while pregnant, you are more likely to miscarry or have a fetal death.

COVID myth #13: The COVID-19 vaccine contains magnets or microchips

Conspiracy theories circulated that the vaccine was a government plot to insert trackers into the population at large. COVID-19 vaccines do not contain microchips, magnets, ingredients that can produce an electromagnetic field at the site of the injection, or any type of metals.

COVID myth #14: The COVID-19 vaccine can change your DNA

No, COVID-19 vaccines do not interact with your DNA in any way and cannot change it. Learn more about how vaccines work on the CDC website.

COVID-19 facts

The best antidote to COVID-19 misinformation is arming yourself with the facts:

• Coronavirus spreads through close contact with respiratory droplets and very small particles that are expelled by an infected person when they breathe, cough, or sneeze. Open air spaces and proper ventilation can help reduce the spread.
• You’re unlikely to catch COVID-19 from touching a surface, such as a doorknob or counter.
• Herd immunity (when enough people in the population are immune to a disease that those who aren’t immune are protected) is currently difficult to achieve with COVID-19 due to vaccine hesitancy and the existence of variants. But some infectious disease experts believe it is still possible if vaccine confidence and vaccination rates increase.
• The best way to not become ill from COVID is to get vaccinated and boosted.

Facts about the COVID vaccine

Help fight vaccine misinformation with these details:

• The COVID vaccine is a safe and effective way to slow the spread of COVID and greatly reduce the chances of serious complications.
• “Natural immunity” from catching COVID is not a sufficient enough protection against COVID. The vaccine is important to get whether or not you have had COVID.
• Severe allergic reactions to COVID vaccines are rare, but if you have a reaction or are allergic to a vaccine ingredient, you may still be able to get a different type of COVID vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider about your options.

Resources for coronavirus updates:

Because the COVID pandemic is constantly evolving, new guidance on the virus is being released regularly. It’s important to stay up to date on the latest developments—but remember to investigate the sources and fact-check the information. Here are a few toolkits for COVID-19 information we trust:

• COVID-19 (CDC)
• New cases in the United States (CDC)
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic (World Health Organization)
• Coronavirus 2019 information for travel (CDC)
• Staying up to date with your COVID vaccines (National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases)

Be prepared—but not paranoid. Listen to public health officials, stay home if you feel ill, self-test, isolate if needed, watch out for falsehoods, and remember to wash your hands!