/oss/taxonomy/term/4402/all en /oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking-pseudoscience/doomsday-prophecy-dr-geert-vanden-bossche <p>The COVID-19 pandemic has attracted a swarm of vocal contrarians like little else in the recent past. These public commentators, often bedazzled with advanced degrees, have painted themselves as brave mavericks escaping from the mainstream herd to denounce the cataclysmic consequences of public health measures. The latest example of this phenomenon comes in the form of Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche, who recently published<a href="https://www.geertvandenbossche.org/"> an alarming manifesto</a>. In it, Dr.</p> Wed, 24 Mar 2021 17:22:57 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8668 at /oss /oss/article/health-videos/right-chemistry-polio-vaccine <p></p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-x5-m8hsyegs" width="640" height="390" title="Dr Joe Schwarcz on the polio vaccine" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/X5_M8HSyeGs?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-x5-m8hsyegs&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr Joe Schwarcz on the polio vaccine" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="">Video of Dr Joe Schwarcz on the polio vaccine</iframe> </div> Mon, 22 Mar 2021 18:22:12 +0000 OSS 8663 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking/ivermectin-convalescent-plasma-and-hydroxychloroquine-one-year-rotten-apples <p>It has been a little over a year since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. Medical scientists quickly started testing a barrage of potential therapies against the disease, which gave hope that new treatments might quickly be identified.</p> Fri, 19 Mar 2021 16:00:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8658 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/truth-about-vitamin-d-and-covid-19 <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-the-truth-about-vitamin-d-and-covid-19">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Fri, 19 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8655 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/two-masks-are-better-one <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-two-masks-are-better-than-one">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Wed, 17 Feb 2021 22:56:21 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8622 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-videos/covid-more-guest-dr-don-sheppard <p></p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-2"></div> Fri, 22 Jan 2021 15:51:49 +0000 OSS 8573 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/what-optimal-length-quarantine <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-the-risks-of-mixing-driving-and-cannabis">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Thu, 24 Dec 2020 14:28:07 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8543 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/have-no-fear-vaccine-here <p>No, we will not become genetic mutants when we finally get to roll up our sleeves and agree to be jabbed with a vaccine containing modified messenger RNA (mod-mRNA). That scare is making the rounds as the vaccine rollout begins, a culmination of a spectacular nine-month research effort. The term “modified” triggers alarm bells for some people, especially those who have bought into the often-misleading information about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) spread by activist groups.</p> Tue, 15 Dec 2020 20:23:15 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8537 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking-health/reassuring-data-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine <p>Pfizer and BioNTech’s RNA vaccine against COVID-19 has just been authorized by Health Canada. There will be many Internet whispers, half-truths and lies about how it works and how safe it is, so let’s delve into the recently released analysis of data from over 36,000 people who participated in the clinical trial.</p> Thu, 10 Dec 2020 16:05:51 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8526 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking-pseudoscience/enough-make-scientists-cry <p>People have been asking about a video by anti-vaxxer Del Bigtree who claims that the COVID-19 vaccines have not been properly tested, made animals deathly ill in trials, and are ineffective and dangerous for humans. I'm not going to share the video here because it is ludicrous. Bigtree is a notorious conspiracy theorist with no medical background who spouts banalities left and right. The video that is making the rounds is a collage of misinformation and outright lies.</p> Tue, 08 Dec 2020 21:31:56 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8520 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/disinfectants-spray-or-not-spray-question <p>"The presence of a chemical does not equate to the presence of risk.” I have often used that argument when talking about potentially toxic substances that are present in the environment.</p> Tue, 01 Dec 2020 21:27:03 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8505 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health-videos/right-chemistry-pros-and-cons-astrazenecas-two-dose-vaccine <p></p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-3"></div> Mon, 30 Nov 2020 16:37:58 +0000 OSS 8499 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking-health/end-pandemic <p>On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 could be<a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020"> “characterized as a pandemic,”</a> meaning that this new disease was now spreading all over the world. One day, we will be able to declare this pandemic over. The questions are: what needs to be in place to get us there and how will we know when we have reached this destination?</p> Thu, 12 Nov 2020 21:49:30 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8487 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-videos/nov-12-2020-covid-more-guest-dr-david-zlotnick <p></p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-4"></div> Thu, 12 Nov 2020 21:03:15 +0000 OSS 8486 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-videos/oct-29-2020-covid-more-oss <p></p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-5"></div> Thu, 12 Nov 2020 21:00:48 +0000 OSS 8485 at /oss