Slack / Private Message Drop — page 520

common among populations with low literacy and poor health outcomes. Given the role social media plays in fueling COVID-19 misinformation, there is not enough evidence yet to fully understand the hesitancy pattern and whether the educated population is more or less skeptical than the less-educated population. Why do people believe in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines or display hesitancy toward them? The NPHCDA has commenced periodic surveys to track trends in attitudes to COVID-19 vaccines. They have also instituted rumour surveillance to identify circulating rumours and respond with the facts. These are laudable efforts that must be supported by all. However, more exploration is needed to understand why people believe in CTs and what pathways lead to vaccine hesitancy. Although this is a new research area, there is emerging evidence to show that intrinsic and extrinsic factors may explain why some people will believe in CTs about COVID-19 vaccines rather than credible information to the contrary. Recent studies have linked vaccine hesitancy to moral foundations -- universal instincts that determine how people make decisions. It may be worthwhile to explore if certain moral concerns predispose people to believe in CTs. This will complement information gleaned from standard knowledge, attitude, and practice studies and throw light on possible pathways to influencing attitudinal change even among CT believers. Will you take the COVID-19 vaccine when it's available in Nigeria? Trust in government is another crucial factor. Distrust in the government and vaccinations has been linked to belief in CTs and vaccine hesitancy. A global survey found that respondents who trusted their government were more likely to accept a vaccine. Those who distrusted their governments were more likely to believe in alternative explanations for things happening. With the country's challenging economic situation and hardship exacerbated by lockdowns, there is already significant public discontent with the government, particularly handling the relief materials meant to cushion the pandemic effects. Some believe COVID-19 response is another conspiracy by politicians to loot the treasury. This level of distrust is likely to fuel belief in CTs about the vaccine. With the COVID-19 vaccine rollout on the horizon, there is an urgent need to understand what factors may contribute to vaccine hesitancy, including moral foundations, government distrust and CT beliefs. More research is needed to identify these factors and target them with appropriate public health messaging interventions. Current study to better understand COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories in Nigeria The COVID-19 Vaccine Ethics Research (COVER) in Nigeria aims to examine these issues in detail to inform communication strategies and messages that will contribute to a successful COVID-19 vaccine introduction in the country. COVER is a mixed-methods study using qualitative and quantitative approaches to better understand Nigeria's CT phenomena and its link to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Vaccines are our best bet out of the COVID-19 outbreak and with a better understanding of the key trigger points that contribute to vaccine hesitancy, the hope is that with equitable access to vaccines and the needed supply reaching Nigeria in the short to medium term, the spread of COVID-19 can be mitigated and we all able to return to some semblance of normality In our lives. [2021-02-17 02:43:19] [Robert Garry] [thread - ID: 2021-02-16 20:17:24] @Eddie Holmes and were sent to us by the Italians on frozen fish! [2021-02-17 02:59:40] [Andrew Rambaut] [thread - ID: 2021-02-17 02:25:47] @Robert Garry There is a tendency amongst some virologists (not the ones here, of course) to assume that any increase in kinetics automatically translates into fitter viruses. But as you say the virus needs to time the infection course just right (be maximally shedding in just the right tissue for as long as possible before symptoms onset). Everything after that is inconsequential damage caused by this. [2021-02-17 05:31:03] [Robert Garry] [thread - ID: 2021-02-17 02:25:47] @Robert Garry Worth remembering that Q675H showed up in a dog. [2021-02-17 11:04:49]