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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Virus or Protozoan?” is a common card of the Brazilian Memes pack, number 291 of the collection, and the 1st best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Virus or Protozoan?” meme mean?
The meme mocks someone who argues with total confidence but collapses the moment a basic question is asked. It gets used to call out authority figures whose claims don't survive a simple fact check.
Where does the “Virus or Protozoan?” meme come from?
On June 1, 2021, during Brazil's Senate inquiry into the government's Covid-19 response (CPI da Covid), senator Otto Alencar, a physician specializing in infectious disease, asked oncologist Nise Yamaguchi to explain the difference between a virus and a protozoan. She had been promoting chloroquine, an antiparasitic drug, as a Covid-19 treatment, even though the disease is caused by a virus, not a protozoan. Unable to give a clear answer, she stumbled live on air before the senator corrected her. The clip spread instantly across social media as a symbol of the clash between science and pandemic-era denialism, spawning mock “oral exam” edits with Alencar cast as the examiner.
- 2021Nise Yamaguchi fails to explain the difference between a virus and a protozoan during Brazil's Covid-19 Senate inquiry on June 1
How to use the “Virus or Protozoan?” meme
- He sounds so sure of himself until you hit him with the virus or protozoan question.
- All we need now is Otto Alencar asking him to repeat the answer.
- She was confident right up until the virus or protozoan moment.
Also searched as
- Virus or protozoan, doctor?
- Otto Alencar's oral exam
- virus or protozoan meme
- nise yamaguchi cpi covid
- otto alencar nise yamaguchi meme
- nise yamaguchi virus protozoan
The “Virus or Protozoan?” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 291 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common |
| Collection | Brazilian Memes pack |
| Fame | 50/100 · #1 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 5 MemeCoins (15 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Virus or Protozoan?” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Virus or Protozoan? comes out of the Brazilian Memes pack as a common card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 5 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Virus or Protozoan?”
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Frequently asked questions
What happened with Nise Yamaguchi at the Covid inquiry?
On June 1, 2021, senator Otto Alencar asked her the difference between a virus and a protozoan during her testimony on Covid-19 treatments, and she couldn't answer.
Why does the virus versus protozoan question matter?
Because chloroquine, which she promoted, works against protozoans, not a virus like the one causing Covid-19; the mix-up exposed how weak her argument was.
Who is Otto Alencar?
He is a Brazilian senator and infectious disease physician known for challenging witnesses at the Covid-19 inquiry with technical questions about unproven treatments.
How do I get the Virus or Protozoan? meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Virus or Protozoan?” is a common card of the Brazilian Memes pack. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Virus or Protozoan? card?
It is a Common card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: CPI da Covid: médica Nise Yamaguchi não consegue explicar a diferença entre vírus e protozoário · O que Nise não respondeu à CPI: saiba a diferença entre vírus e protozoário · Otto Alencar para Nise Yamaguchi: 'A senhora não sabe nada de infectologia' · checked on November 6, 2026.
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Want Virus or Protozoan? in your collection?
Open your free pack: 5 meme cards, no account needed.