Health – FactCheckNI

COVID-19 vaccinations: fertility and pregnancy

Posted on 13 April 202113 April 2021 by FactCheckNI

The issue of how COVID-19 vaccines may impact fertility and/or pregnancy continues to be live. Health Minister Robin Swann told the Stormont health committee on 14 January 2021, that an anti-vaccination group targeted young female healthcare staff outside vaccination centres, saying COVID-19 vaccination would affect their fertility. He added that this message was “quite negative, quite wrong, potentially quite damaging”. This was also reported in the local media. Continue reading COVID-19 vaccinations: fertility and pregnancy

Just 113 COVID-19 deaths in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic?

Posted on 19 February 20214 March 2021 by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: There have been just 113 COVID-19 deaths in all.

CONCLUSION: INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. At face value, the figure is contradicted by other evidence and ignores or misunderstands comorbidity and causes of death. Data shows that by the end of September 2020, COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death for 808 deaths (89.6%) of the 902 COVID-19-related deaths registered. Continue reading Just 113 COVID-19 deaths in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic?

Seasonal flu and COVID

Posted on 16 February 20211 March 2021 by FactCheckNI

In the afternoon briefing on Wednesday, 10 February 2021, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, commented that the COVID-19 restrictions have “most certainly also had an impact on other viruses that we normally see at this time of year” (7:17 from start).

Dr McBride added: “This winter, as yet, there have been no outbreaks of flu; no outbreaks of norovirus, the winter vomiting bug; and no outbreaks of RSV, the respiratory illness that affects our children so badly each winter …” Continue reading Seasonal flu and COVID

How does a RT-PCR test for COVID-19 work?

Posted on 4 February 20211 March 2021 by FactCheckNI

A video recently shared on Facebook made the claim (at 05:39): “[The] problem with PCR [testing] is that it’s something of a haystack creator in the search for the needle that should be very obvious.” Continue reading How does a RT-PCR test for COVID-19 work?

Is there a greater chance of a motorcyclist aged 67 dying as a motorcyclist than being affected by COVID-19?

Posted on 13 January 20214 March 2021 by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: There is a greater chance of a motorcyclist aged 67 in Northern Ireland dying in a motorcycle collision than being affected by COVID-19.

CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. Data shows that there have been no motorcyclists of Sammy Wilson MP’s age who have died as a result of a motorcycle collision in Northern Ireland, in the past three years. In 2020, there were 157 deaths registered related to COVID-19, of men aged 65–74. At the time of this claim, the probability of being infected by COVID-19 in Northern Ireland was an estimated 1 in 200 (now thought to be 1 in 60).

Continue reading Is there a greater chance of a motorcyclist aged 67 dying as a motorcyclist than being affected by COVID-19?