Claim reviews
Abortifacient plants are dangerous, and ineffective as an abortion method
CLAIM
Plants such as pennyroyal, blue and black cohosh or mugwort are an effective alternative abortion method
SOURCE: Instagram Users, Instagram
Published: 09 Jul 2022
VERDICT
Studies show that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines outweigh their risks; preprint claiming to show otherwise is flawed
CLAIM
“Covid Vaccines More Likely to Put You in Hospital Than Keep You Out”
SOURCE: Will Jones, The Daily Sceptic
Published: 01 Jul 2022
VERDICT
The claim that medical doctors are more likely to kill than firearms isn’t supported by evidence
CLAIM
“In America, you’re 6x more likely to be killed by a Doctor than a gun”
SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook
Published: 26 Jun 2022
VERDICT
Justin Bieber’s facial paralysis is caused by a viral infection; no evidence that COVID-19 vaccine played a role
CLAIM
Ramsay Hunt syndrome that caused Justin Bieber’s facial paralysis is linked to the COVID-19 vaccine
SOURCE: Social media users, Steve Kirsch, Facebook, Twitter, Substack
Published: 16 Jun 2022
VERDICT
SADS is caused by genetic mutations affecting the electrical system regulating heartbeat; no evidence it is caused by COVID-19 vaccines
CLAIM
COVID-19 vaccination is associated with the sudden death of young adults
SOURCE: Candace Owens, Facebook
Published: 14 Jun 2022
VERDICT
Scientific evidence shows that mask-wearing is effective at limiting community transmission; claims that face masks increase mortality are based on flawed correlation studies
CLAIM
“Countries with high levels of mask compliance did not perform better than those with low mask usage”; “Mask Mandates [are] Associated With Increased Covid Death Rate”
SOURCE: Zacharias Foegen, Townhall Media, The National Pulse
Published: 11 Jun 2022
VERDICT
No scientific evidence supports claims that plant-based food supplements reduce blood sugar to normal levels and cure type 2 diabetes
CLAIM
Food supplements get “perfect sugar levels restored” and “help with type 2 [diabetes]”
SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook
Published: 10 Jun 2022
VERDICT
Large-scale studies have found that COVID-19 vaccination doesn’t increase the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes, contrary to claim by Naomi Wolf
CLAIM
Babies of vaccinated mothers are dying in disproportionate numbers and the COVID-19 vaccines are responsible
SOURCE: Naomi Wolf, War Room Battleground, Substack
Published: 07 Jun 2022
VERDICT
Published research from the Wuhan Institute of Virology didn’t describe artificially created monkeypox strains; the research is unrelated to the 2022 monkeypox outbreak
CLAIM
Researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) “assembled monkeypox strains”
SOURCE: Natalie Winters, The National Pulse
Published: 03 Jun 2022
VERDICT
Sperm washing to help HIV-discordant couples conceive biological children safely was reported in the 90s; not “huge medical breakthrough” in 2022
CLAIM
A South African scientist made a “huge medical breakthrough” by successfully removing HIV from a sperm cell in a lab
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 31 May 2022
VERDICT
