Latest Video
Latest Blog Posts

Fact-checking Dr. Frank Shallenberger’s COVID Vaccine Letter
There has been a letter circulating written by Dr. Frank Shallenberger emphasizing the uncertainty and alleged danger of the COVID vaccine. However, much of the information is either blatantly false or taken out of context. Dr. Sana Zekri, MD provides a point-by-point response to the claims in the letter.

A scientist looks at the COVID vaccine data
Trying to decide if you’re going to take the COVID vaccine? Me too. And I decided the best way to make that decision was to look through the data for myself. Here is what I found.

What are mRNA vaccines, and will they turn me into a GMO?
What is mRNA? And why are we putting it in vaccines? And will it turn me into a GMO? This post tackles all these questions, and introduces the very first You Can Know Things video!

Will the COVID vaccine sterilize women?
Some have argued that the antibodies generated by the COVID vaccine will attack the placenta. Is there any evidence behind this argument? This post tackles where this argument came from, and whether or not there is evidence to back it up.

Are vaccines safe? A story about why I didn’t get vaccinated…
How do we know if a new vaccine is safe? This post tackles the question of vaccines safety: how do we monitor for side effects, and what happens if a new side effect is detected after a vaccine is already approved.

Are COVID death counts exaggerated?
By Kristen Panthagani, PhD Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been confusion over the numbers: are cases being undercounted or overcounted? Are deaths

What is MIS-C, the weird post-COVID inflammatory thing in kids?
Thankfully COVID infections are generally mild in children, but for some kids, a weird, very severe disease develops AFTER the infection resolves. This post tackles the mystery of MIS-C, the elusive post-COVID inflammatory disease that has been impacting kids.

What is MD-PhD training (and why am I still a student?)
What exactly is an MD-PhD program, and why am I still a student? This post explains what MD-PhD training is, and how to know if it might be a good career path for you.
Subscribe
By entering your email, you agree to our Privacy Policy.
About

I’m a PhD in Genetics / MD-PhD student who likes to help people understand science. I saw a lot of people getting unnecessarily confused by inaccurate claims flying around, and I started this blog to help clarify some of those things.
Latest Data Updates
How do deaths this year compare to previous flu seasons? Here is combined deaths for the last 7 years from influenza, pneumonia, and (this year) #COVID.
— Kristen Panthagani, PhD (@kmpanthagani) December 3, 2020
Clearly, COVID is not just the flu.#SciComm #Rstats pic.twitter.com/DLmLhew79S
#COVID deaths in the US hit a record high yesterday, surpassing 2700 deaths in a single day. While this may be impacted by delayed reporting over the holiday weekend, the seven day average of daily deaths (shown below) continues to climb as well. #WearAMask pic.twitter.com/nkGQ9kyRF7
— Kristen Panthagani, PhD (@kmpanthagani) December 3, 2020