1

Sariah Thomas

Mrs. McClendon

Prosper Career Independent Study

19 January 2024

Science vs. Podcast: CIA Planted Viruses & Immune Boosters

A few months ago, I came across a podcast called Science Vs by Spotify Studios. This

podcast reviews a variety of hot topics, debates, conspiracies, and big questions, and uses true

scientific research and facts to discuss them and draw conclusions. This podcast has rapidly

become one of my favorites to tune into during long runs, while I drive, and all the in-between

moments of my life. Two episodes, specifically, really stood out in interest to me–partly because

I think they were some of the most interesting episodes, and partly because they directly relate to

my desired career field of Epidemiology and Infectious Disease. The first of the two was

“Immune Boosting: Is it a Bust?” This episode goes over all the trending “immune boosters” that

are whipping the supplement and holistic health market: elderberry, vitamin C, vitamin D, Zinc,

and more. Ever since the emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic, over-the-counter supplements

and vitamins have been on the rise in an infectiously paranoid market. Influencers are promoting

these items left and right, and millions are buying into it. So, do these vitamins and supplements

actually improve your immune system and prevent infections? The podcast hosts talked with

public health professors and examined a variety of research projects to see if there was a

noticeable difference for people that took these substances. In the end, the hosts concluded that

elderberry made almost no difference at all, the vitamins and zinc could make your symptoms

less severe, but still did not prevent the infection from happening in completeness. So, while
 2

these so-called Immune Boosters were for the most part exaggerated by the holistic health

market, exercise has been seen to noticeably improve your immune system because it gets blood

(which also contains immune cells) circulating in your body more.

The second episode I cherished was called “Did the CIA Plant a Virus in Cuba?” Prior to

this episode, I had never heard of this epidemiological scandal. In 1971, the Cuban government

had to kill hundreds of thousands of citizen’s pigs due to the fatal African Swine virus that was

spreading rapidly among them. The virus was only impactful or symptomatic to pigs–but it was

ugly. And once a pig was infected, there was no hope for it. They would start oozing blood from

all of their bodily orifices due to the virus. This whole event was rather traumatic for agricultural

families and Cuban citizens as a whole. For many, these pigs were a steady source of income and

beloved. The government abruptly had to kill mass amounts of these pigs, and rather brutally. At

first, many citizens accused the government of making the epidemic up. However, it was soon

confirmed that this epidemic was true. Questions started to rise about how this virus came

about–after all, traces of it beforehand were nowhere near Cuba. The podcast hosts talk to many

researchers and past government workers to get insight. And while the CIA directly denied it,

many of the other credited guest hosts shared the evidence against the CIA, and provided other

examples as to why the CIA doing this is not such a crazy proposition. This episode exposed to

me how closely the government can be intertwined with epidemiology—and how biological

warfare can impact the global health scene. Before this, I was not aware that politics and world

relations can influence population health.

This podcast, especially these two episodes specifically, have expanded my perspective

within my field. I have to admit that prior to the Immune Boosters episode, I was a big push for
 3

natural remedies. I would encourage my friends with poor immune systems to stock up on

elderberries. After listening in, I now understand that while the remedies can have some

influence—they are definitely not the go-to when preventing infections on the individual level.

Now I can make more educated recommendations to peers and people I talk to regarding how

individual infections can be prevented through primary prevention. For example, instead of

pushing the elderberry during flu season, I can ask my friends to go on runs with me instead. As

for PCIS, I am so glad I listened to these podcasts early on. I hope to incorporate this

understanding into my final project.

As for the CIA episode, I now understand the extent to which politics, government, and

international relations can potentially influence global health. Even if the CIA did not plant that

virus in Cuba, the conspiracy still increased tensions between the two countries and could have

encouraged some type of retaliation for the supposed American influence. This episode makes

me now question all the outbreaks I research. How is the government handling this? Does this

outbreak impact a mass industry? How is the attack of that industry affecting the citizens?

Asking these questions is enriching the research I complete. Once again, when I think I finally

understand most of it, I am presented with another influencing factor of epidemiology. Where

you think there is a barrier, no such thing exists. I will continue asking these important questions

as I complete my final project this semester.

As time continues, I keep turning on this podcast in my free time. Not only is it a

stimulating pastime, but it is expanding my knowledge so much. I deeply recommend it to

anyone who has the time.