Claim reviews
Contrary to claims in viral social media posts, the novel coronavirus was not man-made nor patented before outbreak
CLAIM
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was lab-created and patented; SARS-CoV-2 is not a new virus; COVID-19 pandemic was man-made and planned
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook, Twitter
Published: 15 May 2020
VERDICT
Vaccines do not cause mercury toxicity or autism, contrary to claim in London Real video
CLAIM
“Autism is nothing more than mercury toxicity“; vaccine ingredients are toxic
SOURCE: Rashid Buttar, London Real
Published: 15 May 2020
VERDICT
Wearing face masks does not cause hypercapnia or affect the immune system
CLAIM
Wearing face masks can cause carbon dioxide toxicity; can weaken immune system
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 13 May 2020
VERDICT
Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 may have a higher fatality rate than the flu, but a definitive conclusion requires more studies
CLAIM
Antibody tests support what’s been obvious: Covid-19 is much more lethal than the flu
SOURCE: Joel Achenbach, Washington Post
Published: 12 May 2020
VERDICT
Blog posts inaccurately claim that a 2005 NIH study demonstrated the effectiveness of chloroquine treatment against coronavirus infection such as COVID-19
CLAIM
the NIH researched chloroquine and concluded that it was effective at stopping the SARS coronavirus in its tracks
SOURCE: Bryan Fischer, OneNewsNow
Published: 08 May 2020
VERDICT
Bakersfield physicians underestimate COVID-19 mortality using flawed statistics; wrongly claim sheltering in place causes weak immune system
CLAIM
You have a 0.03[%] chance of dying from [COVID-19] in the state of California. [...] it’s similar to the flu.
SOURCE: Daniel Erickson, Artin Massihi, Youtube, Facebook
Published: 04 May 2020
VERDICT
Claim that hydroxychloroquine-azithromycin improves COVID-19 recovery is unsupported at this stage
CLAIM
By administering hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin, they were able to observe an improvement in all cases, except in one patient
SOURCE: Anonymous, Tech Startups
Published: 01 May 2020
VERDICT
Little to no evidence that smoking protects against COVID-19; may increase risk of complications instead
CLAIM
smoking may protect against COVID-19
SOURCE: Christopher Snowdon, Spiked
Published: 29 Apr 2020
VERDICT
The number of flu cases and deaths in 2020 is comparable to previous years
CLAIM
there are ZERO flu deaths and ZERO pneumonia deaths for the first time in history
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 28 Apr 2020
VERDICT
Volunteer for U.K. COVID-19 vaccine trial Elisa Granato is alive, contrary to claim in viral article
CLAIM
Elisa Granato, the first volunteer who availed herself in Oxford for a jab in the first Europe human trial of a vaccine to protect against the coronavirus pandemic has died.
SOURCE: James Alami, News NT
Published: 27 Apr 2020
VERDICT