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margalabargala | karma 3445 | avg karma 3.89 · 2021-03-17 15:16:12

> There is no distinction between "disease" and "infection" in medicine.

That's completely false. An infection is an invasion by a foreign pathogen, a disease is a set of observed symptoms[0].

For other examples of infection/disease distinctions, see HIV and AIDS.

[0]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235412/

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KaiserPro | karma 12418 | avg karma 3.34 · 2021-03-17 18:04:01

I have made an in incorrect assertion.

Obviously there is a distinction, auto immune diseases/cancer/congenintal are the overwhelming example.

What I should have said is: that in this instance we are measuring infection. disease is marketing speak.

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gwerbret | karma 877 | avg karma 7.5 · 2021-03-17 20:06:46+00:00

This is also incorrect. "Prevention of disease" and "prevention of infection" are two related but clinically-distinct objectives for these vaccines. So far, early clinical trials were generally testing the first objective, and less so the second. It is thus not "marketing speak", but precise language about what was actually tested.