The December "Science" Rumor List is here! Can strawberries spread hemorrhagic fever?

1. Rumor title: Special drugs for COVID-19 have been launched in many countries, and victory in the fight against the epidemic is just around the corner

Rumor content: Specific drugs for COVID-19 have been launched in many countries. The US drug has a 100% cure rate, and the Japanese drug can cure the disease in 5 days.

Truth Interpretation: There is no special medicine for COVID-19 officially put into use on the market. The specific efficacy and time to market of the relevant drugs are still unknown. It is too early to draw conclusions now. For example, Molnupiravir, a special medicine for COVID-19 in the United States, has achieved certain results in clinical trials since its development, but whether it can become a special medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 remains to be further observed. In addition, the oral antiviral drug "S-217622" developed by Japan has not yet been approved and is in the clinical trial stage.

Source: Toutiao refutes rumors

Reason for being on the list: Victory in the fight against the epidemic is our common expectation, but defeating the epidemic must follow scientific principles. In the face of the epidemic, we need to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude, but at the same time we also need to be rational and calm. We must not listen to rumors and be blindly optimistic, and we must not take it lightly. Strictly abiding by various prevention and control measures is still the top priority.

2. Rumor title: You must shake the mask before wearing it, otherwise the residue on the mask will cause cancer

Rumor content: A new mask must be shaken before wearing it after taking it out of the package, otherwise the residual ethylene oxide in the mask will cause cancer.

Truth interpretation: Qualified medical masks do not have this risk. Masks can absorb the ethylene oxide used for disinfection. Although ethylene oxide is a class I carcinogen, the toxicity also depends on the dosage. According to national standards, the residual ethylene oxide content of the mask does not exceed 10μg/g, which is safe. After the manufacturer uses ethylene oxide to sterilize the mask, it will not leave the factory until the residual amount is qualified. In addition, the residual ethylene oxide will naturally evaporate during the circulation process. Therefore, masks that meet national standards can be used normally, and there is really no need to shake them a few more times.

Source: Tencent

Reason for being on the list: Masks are a daily necessity for people nowadays, so rumors naturally target masks. In fact, masks that meet the standards and are purchased from regular channels will not have excessive residual carcinogens even if they are not shaken; if there are residual carcinogens, they will not be easily shaken off by shaking a few times. Therefore, purchasing masks from regular channels is the key to ensuring safety.

3. Rumor title: Infection with the Omicron strain cannot be detected

Rumor content: The Omicron strain of the new coronavirus has a stealth variant that can evade COVID-19 tests and cannot be detected after infection.

Truth Interpretation: The World Health Organization confirmed at the end of November 2021 that PCR testing can effectively detect the Omicron strain. This rumor may come from the new discovery of British scientists that Omicron actually has two lineages, one of which can be confirmed as the new coronavirus using conventional PCR testing, but it cannot be determined whether it is Omicron or another strain, so it is jokingly called "invisible." In short, no matter which lineage the strain is, it can be detected by PCR testing, so there is no need to worry about the new coronavirus escaping detection.

Source: Tencent

Reason for the list: The aggressive Omicron has triggered a new round of epidemic panic in many places around the world, and new rumors have begun to breed and spread. Omicron is also a detectable new coronavirus, but some new coronaviruses cannot be immediately identified as Omicron.

4. Rumor title: Fat people have oil in their blood vessels, and dialysis can be used to remove the oil and lose weight

Rumor content: Obese people have a lot of fat in their blood, and they can lose weight by extracting this fat through dialysis.

Truth Interpretation: Dialysis cannot remove the "oil" in the blood, nor can it be used to lose weight. The lipids contained in the blood, referred to as "blood lipids", exist in the form of plasma lipoproteins. Conventional hemodialysis is mostly used to excrete excess water and small molecular metabolic waste from the body, and cannot remove blood lipids. Although the use of adsorption columns that absorb fat can filter out blood lipids, this method cannot be used for weight loss. Because even if the lipids in the blood are filtered out, the fat in other parts of the body will not decrease, and this method may cause the loss of some protein in the blood while removing blood lipids. Therefore, relying on this method to remove oil and lose weight will only be counterproductive, and doctors are even less likely to perform this treatment for dieters. If you want to lose weight healthily, you should still start with adjusting your diet and increasing exercise.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

Reason for being on the list: There is no free lunch in the world, and there is no shortcut to losing weight either. Only a healthy diet and increased exercise can help you lose weight. The purpose of losing weight is to stay healthy, but if you believe in rumors and want to take shortcuts, you will often end up finding that it goes against your health.

5. Rumor title: Babies wearing diapers will develop bow legs and diaper rash

Rumor content: Diapers will prevent the baby's legs from closing together and keep the buttocks wet, which can easily lead to bow legs and diapered buttocks.

Truth: Both phenomena have nothing to do with diapers. The fetus curls up in the mother's belly with its legs in an O shape. This leg shape will continue until the fetus is about 2 years old after birth, which is a normal phenomenon. The "red buttocks" are caused by the baby's skin being irritated by long-term contact with excrement, and have nothing to do with whether or not to wear diapers. If you want to reduce the occurrence of this phenomenon, the best way is to buy qualified products from regular channels and replace them in time.

Source: Toutiao refutes rumors

Reason for being on the list: Issues related to infant safety always attract people's attention, so this is also an area where rumors are prevalent. It is very common for babies to have O-shaped legs and "red buttocks". If you don't understand the correct reasons and just blame it on wearing diapers, it will not only fail to solve the problem, but also often cause family conflicts.

6. Rumor title: Hemorrhagic fever can be transmitted through strawberries

Rumor content: Someone ate strawberries and was infected with hemorrhagic fever. Don’t eat strawberries from the epidemic area.

Truth interpretation: The "hemorrhagic fever" here refers to hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which is mainly caused by the Hantavirus carried by black-lined field mice and brown rats infecting humans, and is not transmitted by strawberries themselves. The saliva, blood, urine, and feces of rats infected with the virus contain the virus, and are all contagious. No matter what kind of food, if it is contaminated with rat excrement carrying the virus and is eaten quickly, it may spread hemorrhagic fever, but if the food is washed well or fully heated and cooked, the risk will be greatly reduced. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is not a new infectious disease. At present, its pathogens and main transmission routes are very clear, and the prevention and control measures are relatively mature. The relevant vaccines have been on the market for many years. In addition, with the progress of supporting treatment methods, both the number of infections and the number of deaths are low. Vaccination and the development of good hygiene habits can prevent it.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

Reason for being on the list: This rumor can be seen as the result of the amplified panic effect brought about by the new coronavirus pandemic. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, any news about infectious diseases will be magnified. As a result, strawberries unfortunately became the scapegoat, and the strawberry farmers suffered heavy losses.

Editor:

Huang Weijia, Vice President of Medical Branch of China Science and Technology Press

About the Science Rumors List

Released by the China Association for Science and Technology, the list is reviewed by experts every month. Based on criteria such as timeliness and harmfulness, hot rumors are selected for special interpretation and pushed across the entire network.

Jointly published by: Science Rumor Refutation Platform, China Internet Joint Rumor Refutation Platform, "Study to Strengthen the Country" Learning Platform Platform support: Tencent Jiuzhen, Weibo Rumor Refutation, Toutiao Rumor Refutation, Douyin, Dad Review, NetEase Health

List of review experts (in order of the number of strokes of surnames)

Liu Yong, Researcher, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Liu Guiyang Chief Pharmacist, Fourth Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

Chen Rui, Associate Professor, Institute of Communication Psychology, School of Journalism, Communication University of China

Gao Chao, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Tang Qin, Director and Researcher of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association

This article was published by the official account of "Science Rumor Refutation Platform" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source for reprinting.