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I am going to list (my opinion, but I believe fully supported by data) the most common false statements I am hearing from some FR posters and in some cases public officials:

(1) This is about old people and I won't be affected

That is very misleading since every age group catches the disease and the same rate and spreads at the same rate. While old people (and people with a medical history of diabetes, pneumonia, weakened immune system etc.) are much more likely to die from the disease, the sickness for anyone can be very severe and very unpleasant.

(2)This just affects Asians. They catch it more and they spread it more.

There is _no_ data supporting this. Folks around the world are getting the virus, spreading the virus, and in the worst case, dying from the virus.

(3)The number of cases is X.

This can never be correct. We only have data for the number of cases that tested positive. That creates an upper limit that is almost always far below the actual number of cases. The number of deaths is a number far more likely to be accurate (except if we don't trust the reporting country, as in Iran, for example).

(4)Masks don't work. They are hard to use. They are dangerous to use.

Imho these are myths spread by governments who don't have enough masks for the public. Health care workers wear masks for a reason, and nurses are trained with a minute and a half video. Imho when mask manufacturing is ramped up, then .gov will _want_ the public to use masks.

(5) This is just the flu, bro.

Unlike the flu, we don't have a vaccine. The rate of spread of this disease has no natural limits since there is no natural immunity. For the 15% to 20% of the infected several hospitalization is required with a major drain on health care workers and equipment. Most hospital beds and rooms are not currently set up to handle the ventilator and other requirements needed to assist patients with the disease. We do not know whether warm weather will stop the spread of this disease. There are many other differences as well.

(6) This disease can not be spread as an aerosol.

There are several scientific studies we have discussed here which prove (imho) that this disease can spread as an aerosol.

(7) There is no need for further testing in a location once the disease has reached epidemic proportion in that location

This is wrong since it distorts the statistics. In addition you want to test quarantined people in a building or area so you can release them from that local quarantine (like a cruise ship or an apartment building)!

Feel free to add to the list.

#7, testing.

That’s a tricky one.
There’s no point in doing exploratory testing in an area that’s been hit. Still some good for areas that are in containment mode, which some areas will be in for a while.
Testing for healthcare and responders of course.
Testing may be good for CDL truck drivers.

Lots to consider... hope someone more proficient than me is looking out of the box.

There are several scientific studies we have discussed here which prove (imho) that this disease can spread as an aerosol.

Can you link to those studies? I think there has been no studies on COVID-19 that demonstrate that aerosol transmission is a method of transmission. There has been anecdotal evidence of aerosol transmission.

A good article on some issues of virus transmission can be found here:

How COVID-19 Is Spread
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/how-covid-19-is-spread-67143

}There is _no_ data supporting this.” (Just affects Asians.)

It seems that TPTB are reluctant to even give this particular demographic information, perhaps to avoid being called racist. I would be interested to know exactly the demographic breakdown.

True that “folks around the world are getting..., spreading ... and ... dying from the virus.” But I’d be interested to know about the demographic info of the “dying” folks. ARE they primarily Asian, who are prolific smokers with compromised respiratory systems anyhow? Getting it and recovering from it is sort of “meh”, even if no fun. Dying is another story.