Claim reviews
Listicle of “facts” about COVID-19 contains numerous inaccurate and misleading claims
CLAIM
“The overall lethality of [COVID-19] (IFR) is about 0.1% to 0.3% and thus in the range of a severe influenza”
SOURCE: Anonymous, Swiss Policy Research
Published: 26 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Current COVID-19 mortality rate does not predict the future probability of dying from the disease
CLAIM
“Chance of NOT dying from Covid-19: 99.96%”
SOURCE: Facebook User, Facebook
Published: 21 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Flawed “study” incorrectly claims that countries adopting hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 experienced reduced mortality rates
CLAIM
Large country-randomized controlled trial in 2.7 billion people shows 79.1% lower death rate in COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine
SOURCE: Anonymous, CovidAnalysis
Published: 17 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Sweden’s COVID-19 mortality is higher than in most European countries; no evidence whether or how the absence of lockdown impacted this outcome
CLAIM
“Sweden COVID-19 Death Rate Lower Than Spain, Italy and U.K., Despite Never Having Lockdown”
SOURCE: Soo Kim, Newsweek
Published: 16 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
Contrary to claim in viral Facebook post, the flu vaccine does work and certain types of cancers can be cured
CLAIM
“Can't make a vaccine that works for influenza. No vaccine for RSV. Can't cure cancer. But they sure as shit can make a vaccine in 6 months for an illness that they STILL don't understand”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 09 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Hydroxychloroquine, alone or in combination with azithromycin, found ineffective for treating COVID-19 in large clinical trials
CLAIM
“Hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and zinc cure [COVID-19]”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 07 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Wearing masks aims at slowing SARS-CoV-2 circulation, not protecting against a certain death
CLAIM
If masks were effective and necessary, non-mask wearers should be dead by now
SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook
Published: 07 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Health authorities encourage the general public to wear face masks to reduce COVID-19 transmission
CLAIM
Health authorities like the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discourage people from wearing face masks
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 04 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Still no evidence that hydroxychloroquine can cure or prevent COVID-19
CLAIM
“You don’t need masks, there is a cure [for COVID-19] ... It is called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax”
SOURCE: America’s Frontline Doctors , Breitbart
Published: 31 Jul 2020
VERDICT
