NewsChannel 5 is looking into some of the most common statements found on social media regarding the source of Nashville’s latest COVID-19 spike, the effectiveness of masks and the accuracy of reported COVID-19 cases.
Claim: The latest spike of confirmed COVID cases can be attributed to those who attended recent rallies and demonstrations in Nashville.
Result: No evidence
Of the more than 3,000 active cases Metro Public Health is currently reporting in Nashville, Dr. Alex Jahangir, the chair of the Metro Coronavirus Task Force, says recent protests surrounding the death of George Floyd are not the source of the increase in new cases.
“There are maybe a total of three cases that have been able to be traced to one of the many protests we’ve had over the past several weeks,” Jahangir said.
Instead, Jahangir says most of the cases fall within the 24-34 age range, among people meeting up in social settings.
“Individuals who are usually out in social gatherings, whether its a party or an establishment,” Jahangir said. “So that’s the reality of where a lot of our new cases are coming from.”
Claim: Nashville’s COVID-19 numbers are inflated because COVID-positive individuals who get a second positive test later are being double-counted.
Result: False
“When somebody tests positive, we have that person’s name in our system as positive,” said Dr. Jahangir. “So when we get the new positive, we’re not going to double count them because they’re already in our system.”
Jahangir also recommended against people who have tested positive from getting a second test.
Claim: Face masks can cause a drop in oxygen levels and can cause carbon dioxide poisoning.
Result: No evidence
Dr. Jahangir says the science is clear regarding the effectiveness of face masks reducing the risk of the wearer spreading the virus.
“People who want to politicize masks, I think, are doing a disservice to society right now,” Jahangir said.
As a surgeon, Jahangir says he sometimes wears a face mask 15-16 hours at a time.
“Never once have I had CO2 poisoning, or have I passed out, or many of the other things people mention,” Jahangir said.
Claim: The only reason COVID cases are increasing in Nashville is because Metro is conducting more COVID testing, resulting in more positive results.
Result: False
While it is true that more COVID tests are being conducted, resulting in an increase in the raw number of positive tests, the above claim can only be true if the proportion of COVID tests coming back positive remains the same. But according to Metro Public Health data, the proportion of positive tests (known as attack rate) has increased to about 10.9% on Thursday, up from a rate of about 9.5% in mid-May, meaning it’s not just the testing increase alone that accounts for the increase in cases.
