DAVE & DUJANOVIC

The doctor is in — and busting COVID-19 myths about herd immunity, etc.

Sep 7, 2021, 5:27 PM | Updated: Apr 29, 2022, 11:14 am

FILE photo: The National Guard assists with processing Covid-19 deaths and placing bodies into temporary storage at LA County Medical Examiner-Coroner Office in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 in Los Angeles. (LA County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner via AP)

(LA County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner via AP)

BY CURT GRESSETH

KSLNewsRadio

SALT LAKE CITY — Just as COVID-19 spreads to unvaccinated people, so do COVID-19 myths about the virus spread to the uninformed.

Dr. Richard Orlandi, University of Utah Health’s chief medical officer of ambulatory health, joined KSL NewsRadio’s guest hosts Jason Perry and Morgan Lyon Cotti, both of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, to shatter pernicious myths floating around about COVID-19 and vaccines.

Do masks interfere with learning because of CO2 retention?

“If carbon dioxide retention were a problem, we’d have a lot of surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses dropping,” Dr. Orlandi said. He added that he teaches surgery in an operating room, and that’s how he learned surgery, and a face mask did not hinder his ability to learn.

COVID-19 myth busted.

Can COVID vaccines interfere with fertility?

As of Saturday, the total number of COVID vaccine doses given in the United States was 374 million, 176 million Americans are fully vaccinated, which represents 53% of the total US population.

“You’d think that if fertility were an issue, we would be hearing that from a reputable source,” Dr. Orlandi said. “The CDC, FDA, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — all of them have refuted this myth.”

No evidence shows that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems (problems trying to get pregnant) in women or men, according to the CDC.

COVID-19 myth busted.

Can we rely on natural immunity to get us through this pandemic?

Dr. Orlandi referenced 10 critical-access and acute-care hospitals in northern Idaho hospitals and several clinics moving Monday to crisis standards of care.

Breaking: Crisis Standards of Care activated in northern Idaho

“They’re going to start deciding who gets a ventilator and who doesn’t. That’s what natural immunity gets you,” Dr. Orlandi said. “Natural immunity works great if you’re willing to accept a certain high death rate. So, let’s bust that one.”

COVID-19 myth busted.

Just because you are young and healthy doesn’t mean you can skip getting vaccinated for COVID-19, Dr. Orlandi said. Being vaccinated is not just about one person; it’s about the community, he added.

“In Utah, we’ve always been community as much as about ourselves. This is an opportunity for us to look really outside of ourselves and say, ‘Look, it’s my decision, but it’s not just about me; it’s about others that I care about. I don’t want to get anybody else sick,” Dr. Orlandi said.

Dave & Dujanovic can be heard on weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Listeners can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.

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How To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus

COVID-19 coronavirus spreads person to person, similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:

Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
Don’t touch your face.
Wear a mask to protect yourself and others per CDC recommendations.
Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who is coughing or sneezing (in this instance, at least six feet).
If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay at home, instead of going to the movies, sports events, or other activities).
Obtain a flu shot.
Seek out the COVID-19 vaccine.