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Reviews of articles by: Facebook users
CLAIM REVIEWS
COVID-19 has caused many deaths due to high virus transmission, despite its relatively small infection fatality ratio
CLAIM
COVID-19 mortality rates are very low, therefore COVID-19 is not an important public health concern; if you are 70+ years old, you have a 0.054% chance of dying from COVID-19
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook, Fox News
Published: 29 Sep 2020
VERDICT
Using face masks does not increase the risk of skin or oral infections
CLAIM
Masks are dirty and cause bacterial overgrowth, skin infections, and “mask mouth, [which is] a new medical condition caused by wearing masks all day”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 28 Sep 2020
VERDICT
Tuberculosis, the flu, and COVID-19 differ in disease prevalence and burden, requiring different public health responses
CLAIM
“Why don’t we wear masks for [tuberculosis]? Because CNN hasn’t instructed you to.”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 21 Sep 2020
VERDICT
The number of COVID-19 cases reported is based on a highly specific diagnostic test for COVID-19; no confusion with flu or common cold is possible
CLAIM
“It's NOT a SECOND WAVE of COVID-19 coming soon. It's the NORMAL COLD / FLU SEASON”
SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook
Published: 18 Sep 2020
VERDICT
Cloth masks are effective at reducing virus transmission because it spreads in respiratory droplets, which are larger than smoke particles and the pores in fabric
CLAIM
Cloth masks cannot block smoke particles which are larger than viruses, so masks cannot stop virus transmission
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 15 Sep 2020
VERDICT
Masks offer only partial protection from the virus that causes COVID-19, but their effectiveness can be enhanced with other measures like physical distancing
CLAIM
“Either masks work or they don’t”; “I don’t understand the safety concern with voting in person. Your mask works, right?”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 04 Sep 2020
VERDICT
A person’s response to vaccination is not associated with birthmarks or the presence of mutations in a gene involved with vitamin B9 production
CLAIM
Birthmarks are indicators of the MTHFR gene; “When people have MTHFR their chances of vaccine reactions increase because they cannot detox the toxins from the vaccines”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 03 Sep 2020
VERDICT
False claim shared by President Trump that only 6% of CDC-reported deaths are from COVID-19 is based on flawed reasoning
CLAIM
only 6% of all the 153,504 deaths recorded actually died from Covid, the rest had other serious illnesses
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 31 Aug 2020
VERDICT
People infected with SARS-CoV-2 can transmit the virus to others, even if they do not show symptoms of the disease and are not considered sick
CLAIM
“The greatest trick the CDC ever pulled was convincing the world you can be sick without having symptoms”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 27 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Vaccines undergo strict safety testing before they are licensed for use in the U.S. and many other countries; no validity to the claim of a 33% “death rate” from COVID-19 vaccine
CLAIM
“Would you take a vaccine with a 33% death rate to feel safe from a virus with a .06% death rate?”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 15 Aug 2020
VERDICT