BBC exposes anti vax disinformation campaign

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In France, science YouTuber Léo Grasset received a similar offer. The agency offered him 2000 euros if he would take part. Fazze said it was acting for a client who wished to remain anonymous.

"That's a huge red flag" says Léo.

Both Léo and Mirko were appalled by the false claims.

They pretended to be interested in order to try to find out more and were provided with detailed instructions about what they should say in their videos.

In stilted English, the brief instructed them to "Act like you have the passion and interest in this topic."
Much more

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-57928647

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: BBC exposes anti vax disinformation campaign

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Fazze's brief told influencers to share a story in French newspaper Le Monde about a data leak from the European Medicines Agency.
Fazze is a part of AdNow, which is a digital marketing company, registered in both Russia and the UK.
There has been speculation about the Russian connections to this scandal and the interests of the Russian state in promoting its own vaccine - Sputnik V.
Sounds like spycraft, another GRU operation?
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: BBC exposes anti vax disinformation campaign

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COVID-19 could cause male infertility and sexual dysfunction – but vaccines do not

Contrary to myths circulating on social media, COVID-19 vaccines do not cause erectile dysfunction and male infertility.

What is true: SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, poses a risk for both disorders.

Until now, little research has been done on how the virus or the vaccines affect the male reproductive system. But recent investigations by physicians and researchers here at the University of Miami have shed new light on these questions.

The team, which includes me, has discovered potentially far-reaching implications for men of all ages – including younger and middle-aged men who want to have children.

What the team found

I am the director of the Reproductive Urology Program at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. My colleagues and I analyzed the autopsy tissues of the testicles of six men who died of COVID-19 infection.

The result: COVID-19 virus appeared in the tissues of one of the men; decreased numbers of sperm appeared in three.

Another patient – this one survived COVID-19 – had a testis biopsy about three months after his initial COVID-19 infection cleared up. The biopsy showed the coronavirus was still in his testicles.

Our team also discovered that COVID-19 affects the penis. An analysis of penile tissue from two men receiving penile implants showed the virus was present seven to nine months after their COVID-19 diagnosis. Both men had developed severe erectile dysfunction, probably because the infection caused reduced blood supply to the penis.

Notably, one of the men had only mild COVID-19 symptoms. The other had been hospitalized. This suggests that even those with a relatively light case of the virus can experience severe erectile dysfunction after recovery.

These findings are not entirely surprising. After all, scientists know other viruses invade the testicles and affect sperm production and fertility.

One example: Investigators studying testes tissues from six patients who died from the 2006 SARS-CoV virus found all of them had widespread cell destruction, with few to no sperm.

It is also known that mumps and Zika viruses can enter the testicles and cause inflammation. Up to 20% of men infected with these viruses will have impaired sperm production.

A new study on vaccine safety

Additional research by my team brought welcome news. A study of 45 men showed the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines appear safe for the male reproductive system.

This, then, is another reason to get the vaccinations – to preserve male fertility and sexual function.

Granted, the research is only a first step on how COVID-19 might affect male sexual health; the samples were small. Studies should continue.

Still, for men who have had COVID-19 and then experienced testicular pain, it is reasonable to consider that the virus has invaded testes tissue. Erectile dysfunction can be the result. Those men should see a urologist.

I also believe the research presents an urgent public health message to the U.S. regarding the COVID-19 vaccines.

For the millions of American men who remain unvaccinated, you may want to again consider the consequences if and when this highly aggressive virus finds you.

One reason for vaccine hesitancy is the perception among many that COVID-19 shots might affect male fertility. Our research shows the opposite. There is no evidence the vaccine harms a man's reproductive system. But ignoring the vaccine and contracting COVID-19 very well could.

Ranjith Ramasamy, Associate Professor of Urology, University of Miami
https://www.rawstory.com/19-could-cause ... es-do-not/

This is more real information to counter the disinformation. But the Anti-vaxxers won't believe it and will still keep telling the lies. Which has a good side many won't be able to breed after having COVID.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: BBC exposes anti vax disinformation campaign

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Well, I can relay anecdotal testimony that the Moderna vaccine does not induce male impotency nor reduce sexual desire in recently divorced men...
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: BBC exposes anti vax disinformation campaign

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Whether the replies are actual people is one of the fascinating things about this issue of disinformation.
The COMPROP project focussed heavily on COVID misinformation, which Howard notes came chiefly from three sources: Russian media, Chinese media, and United States former president Donald Trump. While Trump’s disinformation was tied to domestic United States politics, Russia and China pushed three broad themes intended for foreign audiences. “The first was that democracy can’t help us, elected leaders are too weak to make decisions,” adds Howard. “The second message was that Russian or Chinese scientists were going to get the vaccine first, and the third was that Russia or China was leading on humanitarian assistance efforts.” Howard says more effort is needed to contain these propaganda networks. “We’re past the point of self-regulation by industry. If tech firms stepped up, and governments imposed fines on politicians who commission these programmes, that set of initiatives would go a long way.” Yet even identifying which social media accounts are automated has proven difficult. “One bot writer in Germany said his team would read our methodology papers and adjust their algorithms to just below our catchment,” says Howard. “We were in a sort of dialogue with these programmers.” Howard and his team are now focussed on how machine learning technology will power a new generation of computational propaganda. “If someone can take your social media feed and behavioural data, and come up with political messages you’ll respond to, they’ll do that,” he concludes. “This is the next great threat.”
https://democratic-europe.eu/2021/07/28 ... democracy/

CDFingers
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like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

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