Claim reviews
COVID-19 vaccines don’t hamper the function of the immune system and are likely to limit the generation of variants; no evidence that they produce more lethal variants
CLAIM
COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous; they cause an overreaction of the immune system; they suppress the NK cells of the immune system; they promote virus lethality
SOURCE: Vernon Coleman, BrandNewTube
Published: 01 Apr 2021
VERDICT
COVID-19 vaccines received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA after clinical trials demonstrated that they are safe and effective; COVID-19 vaccines aren’t experimental
CLAIM
“Not one [COVID-19] vaccine is FDA approved. [...] They are all experimental.”
SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook
Published: 31 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Heart attack victims shouldn’t use “cough CPR” on themselves, contrary to chain email dating back to 1999
CLAIM
Heart attack “victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 30 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Going vegan may lead to fewer pandemics, but it won’t eliminate them completely
CLAIM
“In a vegan world there would be no pandemics. 100% of pandemics are zoonotic in origin.”
SOURCE: Richard Melville Hall (aka Moby), Facebook
Published: 26 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Clinical trials showed that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is safe; its side effects are mostly mild
CLAIM
80% of people taking the Moderna vaccine had significant side effects; children in Sudan got polio from the polio vaccine
SOURCE: Joe Rogan, The Joe Rogan Experience
Published: 26 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Bill Gates quoted out of context about injecting kids with genetically modified organisms in discussion on GM crops
CLAIM
Bill Gates stated that 'We’re taking things that are genetically modified organisms, and we’re injecting them into little kids’ arms; we just shoot them right into the vein'
SOURCE: Anonymous, YouTube
Published: 26 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Both viruses and bacteria cause disease; pathogenic viruses aren’t naturally created in the body as a response to damage
CLAIM
“You don’t catch viruses, you naturally create them inside of your body”; “bacteria and viruses don’t cause disease.”
SOURCE: Melissa Sell, Facebook
Published: 24 Mar 2021
VERDICT
COVID-19 vaccines are critical for controlling the pandemic; vaccines still offer partial protection against new variants of the virus
CLAIM
COVID-19 mass vaccination will select for more virulent variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, which will escape vaccine-induced immunity and cause more severe disease
SOURCE: Geert Vanden Bossche, Children’s Health Defense, The HighWire
Published: 23 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Jamaica already recorded tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases as of March 2021, contrary to viral meme suggesting that smoking cannabis prevents infections
CLAIM
“Jamaica has not recorded any cases of the coronavirus”
SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook
Published: 23 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Tinnitus isn’t a sign of brain death, even though it arises in the brain; no cure for tinnitus currently exists
CLAIM
Tinnitus is your first real warning signal that your brain could be dying
SOURCE: Anonymous, Tinnitus Battle
Published: 23 Mar 2021
VERDICT