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Pablo Rougerie

Science Editor

Pablo obtained his PhD in Immunology from the University Paris - Descartes (France). He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York, U.S.) and at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). His research focused on different topics in cell biology, including the regulation of T lymphocyte activation, the mechanics of cell deformation, and the use of biomaterials of specific geometry to guide the growth of biological tissues.

The Science Feedback team

CLAIM REVIEWS

Event 201 isn’t evidence that authorities knew or planned the COVID-19 pandemic
CLAIM
Event 201 is evidence that officials already knew about COVID-19

SOURCE: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Facebook

Published: 20 May 2022

VERDICT

The U.S. COVID-19 death toll reached the 1 million mark in May 2022; 15 million estimated deaths worldwide
CLAIM
U.S. deaths from COVID-19 hit 1 million

SOURCE: Carla Johnson, Associated Press

Published: 17 May 2022

VERDICT

The CGG CGG genetic sequence and furin cleavage sites also exist in naturally-occurring viruses; these features aren’t evidence of genetic manipulation
CLAIM
“the CGG CGG coding [...] does not appear in nature”, this and the furin cleavage site from the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein gene suggests the virus wasn't transmitted from animals to humans

SOURCE: Dan Bongino, Facebook

Published: 06 May 2022

VERDICT

Insufficient clinical evidence demonstrating that turmeric cures or prevents cancer
CLAIM
“turmeric prevents cancer”

SOURCE: Anonymous, Natural Solutions Magazine

Published: 20 Apr 2022

VERDICT

Comparing SARS-CoV-2 infection rate of vaccinated and unvaccinated populations doesn’t reflect the real COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness
CLAIM
The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate is higher among vaccinated than unvaccinated in the UK

SOURCE: Gregg Schmedes, Facebook

Published: 13 Apr 2022

VERDICT

Menstrual cycles are natural and regulated by hormones; many mammals apart from humans also menstruate
CLAIM
“The menstrual cycle isn’t natural”

SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook

Published: 08 Apr 2022

VERDICT

Study brings new, but not conclusive, evidence on the comparative effectiveness of infection-induced and vaccine-induced immunity
CLAIM
The study by Rössner et al. “add[ed] further evidence for the usefulness of vaccines and their clear advantage over natural immunity”

SOURCE: Beth Mole, Ars Technica

Published: 31 Mar 2022

VERDICT

CDC’s COVID Data Tracker revised COVID-19 deaths downward, but more reliable mortality data still indicate that COVID-19 is a major cause of death in the U.S.
CLAIM
The CDC “removed tens of thousands of deaths linked to COVID-19, including nearly a quarter of deaths it had listed in those under 18 years old”

SOURCE: Zachary Stieber, Paul Sacca, The Epoch Times, The Blaze, Chicks on the Right

Published: 24 Mar 2022

VERDICT

Health benefits of CBD gummies are unsupported by scientific evidence; Shark Tank and other TV personalities didn’t endorse them
CLAIM
TV personalities such as Shark Tank investors, Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz endorsed CBD gummies; CBD gummies have numerous health benefits

SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook

Published: 20 Mar 2022

VERDICT

Stem cell transplantation isn’t a scalable treatment for HIV
CLAIM
Umbilical cord stem cells can be a cure for HIV; umbilical cord blood should be collected

SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook

Published: 21 Feb 2022

VERDICT

INSIGHTS

Assessing the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on mortality: a story of confounding factors and their role in COVID-19 misinformation

— 15 Mar 2022

Introduction COVID-19 vaccines have been instrumental in our fight against the pandemic and our return to a normal life, thanks to their ability to reduce the number of cases, hosp...

Could scientists use the bat coronavirus RaTG13 to engineer SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in a lab?

— 19 Mar 2021

One of the biggest outstanding questions of the COVID-19 pandemic is the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the disease. One idea, put forward by some news sites...