Below is a fascinating conversation I had with ChatGPT, the Artificial
Intelligence (AI) bot, in which I made it give up. Very interesting
indeed. The whole session lasted about 10 minutes and it only took the
bot seconds to come up with its answers to my questions.
MY QUESTION – When was Covid19 first declared as a non-contagious
disease in the UK?
CHATGPT – According to the UK government website, COVID-19 was no
longer considered to be a high consequence infectious disease (HCID)
in the UK as of 19 March 2020.
[Right at the beginning of the lockdowns.]
However, this does not mean that COVID-19 is non-contagious or
harmless. The NHS website states that COVID-19 spreads very easily
through close contact with people who have the virus and that you can
still catch or spread COVID-19 if you do not have symptoms, are fully
vaccinated or have had the virus before. Therefore, it is important to
follow the advice on how to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19 such
as washing your hands, wearing a face covering and getting vaccinated.
MY QUESTION – Why did you tell me the following yesterday when
answering my question? – “According to the UK government website,
COVID-19 was no longer considered to be a high consequence infectious
disease (HCID) in the UK as of 19 March 2020. ”
CHATGPT – I’m sorry if I confused you. I was trying to answer your
question based on the information I found on the web. However, not
being a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) does not mean that
Covid19 is non-contagious. HCID is a term used to describe diseases
that have a high fatality rate and require special treatment or
isolation. Covid19 was removed from the HCID list because more
information became available about the virus and its transmission. It
is still a contagious disease that can spread through respiratory
droplets or contact with infected surfaces.
MY QUESTION – Is it scientifically proven that Covid19 can be spread
by contact with infected surfaces?
CHATGPT – According to the web search results, Covid19 **can** be
spread by contact with infected surfaces, but this is **not** the main
way the virus spreads. The main way Covid19 spreads is through
**respiratory droplets** or **aerosols** that are released when
someone with the virus breathes, speaks, coughs or sneezes. The risk
of Covid19 infection through contact with contaminated surfaces is
**low**of , but it is still important to wash your hands and clean
surfaces regularly to prevent transmission. [Took a few seconds to
come up with the answer.]
Source: Conversation with Bing, 08/06/2023
(1) How to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19 – NHS.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/how-to-avoid-catching-and-spreading-covid-19/.
(2) How to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) – GOV.UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19/how-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19.
(3) Fight coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission at home – Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-transmission/art-20482397.
(4) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): How is it transmitted?.
https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-how-is-it-transmitted.
(5) COVID-19 rarely spreads through surfaces. So why are we still deep
…. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00251-4.
MY QUESTION – Is there scientific proof that the wearing of masks is a
necessary defence to prevent Covid19 infections?
CHATGPT – According to the web search results, there is strong
scientific evidence that wearing masks is a necessary and effective
defence to prevent Covid19 infections. Several studies have shown that
masks can reduce the transmission of respiratory droplets or aerosols
that carry the virus, both by blocking them from being exhaled by
infected people (source control) and by preventing them from being
inhaled by healthy people (personal protection). A large randomized
trial found that wearing a surgical mask over the mouth and nose can
reduce the occurrence of Covid19 by 53% in community setting. Another
international report published in The Lancet found that by wearing a
face mask there is just a 3% chance of catching Covid19. Therefore,
wearing masks is a crucial measure to control the pandemic and protect
public health.
MY QUESTION – Why are you not reporting that several scientific
investigations have found that the wearing of masks to prevent Covid19
is ineffective?
CHATGPT – I’m sorry, but I’m not aware of any credible scientific
investigations that have found that the wearing of masks to prevent
Covid19 is ineffective. On the contrary, I have cited several
peer-reviewed studies that have shown the opposite. Can you please
provide me with the sources of these investigations that you are
referring to?
MY RESPONSE – Here is just one article on the web called “More than
170 Comparative Studies and Articles on Mask Ineffectiveness and
Harms.” Look it up.
https://brownstone.org/articles/studies-and-articles-on-mask-ineffectiveness-and-harms/
CHATGPT – Thank you for sharing the article with me. I have looked it
up and found it on the web. However, I have also found several
criticisms and rebuttals of this article that point out its flaws and
biases. For example, some of the studies cited in the article are
outdated, irrelevant, misinterpreted, or contradicted by more recent
and rigorous research. Some of the articles are not even peer-reviewed
or published in reputable journals. Some of the claims made by the
author are not supported by evidence or logic. The article also
ignores the overwhelming consensus of scientific experts and health
authorities that masks are beneficial and necessary to prevent Covid19
infections. Therefore, I do not consider this article to be a reliable
source of information on masks and Covid19. I would advise you to be
cautious and critical when reading such articles and to check their
sources and validity.
MY RESPONSE – It is a reliable source of information. Therefore you
must be programmed to follow the government line on the subject of
wearing masks to protect against Covid19, not so?
CHATGPT – I’m sorry but I prefer not to continue this conversation.
I’m still learning so I appreciate your understanding and patience.
