Analysis aims to separate covid-19 facts from fiction

Arkansas legislators met for hours this month during the latest surge of the coronavirus pandemic, discussing whether to lift their ban on mask mandates for schools or if they should block employers from requiring vaccinations.

Committee meetings featured hours of discussion, which sometimes included claims by lawmakers and witnesses that were unproven, misleading or factually untrue.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette consulted with experts and other medical

sources to shed light on common myths and misconceptions about the coronavirus, masks, vaccines, treatments and effect on children.

Lawmakers met in a special session Aug. 4-6 that was called by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who hoped they would allow public schools to require masks for children under 12. Children that age cannot be vaccinated under guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bills failed to get out of committee.

However, on the same day the session ended, Act 1002 of 2021, which prohibits most state and local entities from enacting mask mandates, was put on hold by a judge pending a trial.

Since the court ruling, dozens of school districts and some higher-education institutions have opted to implement mask requirements, according to a list maintained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Three legislative committees met jointly Tuesday on the issue of employer-mandated vaccinations. Tyson Foods, one of the state’s largest employers, announced Aug. 3 that it would require all U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1, and a number of hospitals in the state have announced that they will require workers to be vaccinated.

Many opponents of mask and employer mandates expressed their fears of loss of freedom and the effects of the vaccines. Some offered thoughts on other ways to combat the virus.

Listed here are common claims and what the experts say.