Understanding PCR Tests for Coronavirus
Opinion | From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the clarion call has been to test, test and test some more. However, right from the start, serious questions arose about the tests being used to diagnose this infection, and questions have only multiplied since then. Positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests have been […]
Pfizer’s Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine 90 Percent Effective?
The German biotech firm BioNTech SE issued a joint press release with its American partner Pfizer, Inc. on Nov. 9, 2020 to announce that interim analysis of a global Phase 3 study of their mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine appeared to demonstrate an efficacy rate “above 90%”measured seven days after the second dose.1 “This is really a […]
Pfizer CEO Sells Stock Same Day Positive Results of COVID-19 Vaccine Announced
Story Highlights On Nov. 9, 2020, Pfizer released preliminary Phase 3 clinical trial data indicating that its experimental mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is 90 percent effective, triggering a big surge in stock price. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla immediately sold 60 percent of his company stock, realizing a gain of $5.6 million in what the company called […]
Facebook Bans Ads “Discouraging” Vaccination
Facebook has announced that the company is implementing a new global policy banning paid advertisements on its platform that it has determined discourage people from getting vaccinated.1 According to a blog authored by Kang-Xing Jin, Head of Health and Rob Leathern, Director of Product Management at Facebook: Today, we’re launching a new global policy that […]
How COVID-19 Vaccine Trials are Designed
There’s been a lot of talk lately about whether or not the fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccine will in fact be safe and effective. While vaccine makers insist that any vaccine reaching the market will have undergone rigorous testing, the way trial protocols are designed suggests these vaccines may leave a lot to be desired. As reported1 by […]
COVID-19 Lockdowns in New York: A Matter of Religious Freedom?
On Oct. 7, 2020, Harold Tischler, an Orthodox Jewish activist was arrested and charged with inciting a riot and the unlawful imprisonment of Jacob Korbluh, a journalist, during a protest in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Tischler, an activist, radio talk show host and candidate for Brooklyn City Council is known for speaking out against the COVID-19 […]