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Articles tagged with: Influenza
ARTICLE REVIEWS
Time article accurately describes distinguishing features between influenza infection and infection by other respiratory viruses
in Time, by Markham Heid
— 28 Nov 2018
"Generally accurate. However, the main issue is that influenza viruses can also cause a "cold", i.e. upper respiratory tract infection. A "cold" is a symptom/diagnosis whereas "inf..
CLAIM REVIEWS
Lower flu activity this season likely due to COVID-19 restrictions, increased flu vaccination, and other factors, not to misdiagnosis of flu cases as COVID-19
CLAIM
”There is no evidence to support the contention that masks would stop influenza while failing to stop COVID”; “Influenza has been renamed COVID-19 in large part”
SOURCE: Daniel Payne, Just the News
Published: 17 Jan 2021
VERDICT
The flu is caused by the influenza virus; stress and lack of vitamin D can make infection more likely, but don’t cause the flu
CLAIM
“The flu is not a season! It is an inability to adapt due to decreased sun exposure and water intake, combined with increased sugar intake and stress.”
SOURCE: Anonymous, Healthy Holistic Living
Published: 14 Dec 2020
VERDICT
A 2008 study co-authored by Anthony Fauci did not find that masks caused bacterial pneumonia, contrary to viral social media claim
CLAIM
“Most of the victims of the Spanish flu didn’t die from the Spanish flu. They died from bacterial pneumonia. And the bacterial pneumonia was caused by [...] wearing masks”
SOURCE: Anonymous, Facebook
Published: 06 Nov 2020
VERDICT
Fewer flu cases observed in the start of this flu season, but Donald Trump Jr.’s tweet suggesting data manipulation is unsupported and cites inaccurate figures
CLAIM
“We went from 75,000 flu deaths last year in America to almost 0 [...] do you think there may be allocation games being played to manipulate the truth?”
SOURCE: Donald Trump Jr., Twitter
Published: 29 Oct 2020
VERDICT
The group World Doctors Alliance spreads misinformation about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus, and the reliability of diagnostic tests
CLAIM
COVID-19 is a type of flu and is not a pandemic; PCR tests are up to 94% false positive; only 98 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Ireland.
SOURCE: World Doctors Alliance, Doctors For Truth, Facebook, YouTube
Published: 22 Oct 2020
VERDICT
Claims that flu cases are used to inflate COVID-19 case counts are misleading, based on inaccurate numbers
CLAIM
“Flu cases down by 95%” between 2019 and 2020 for the weeks 40 to 41; flu is being diagnosed as COVID-19, leading to fewer flu cases being recorded
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 22 Oct 2020
VERDICT
The flu shot is an effective measure to protect people from flu, and enhances protection when used with face masks
CLAIM
“Seriously if the ‘mask’ protects me and you from [COVID-19] and we've been walking around in them for months, why would anyone need a flu shot right now?”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 05 Oct 2020
VERDICT
Mild side effects from flu shots are common; very serious adverse effects are very rare
CLAIM
Flu shots lead to severe or life-threatening conditions; flu shots are unsafe
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 05 Oct 2020
VERDICT
COVID-19 is at least an order of magnitude more deadly than seasonal flu, according to current estimates
CLAIM
“COVID-19 [is] less deadly than [seasonal] flu”
SOURCE: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Facebook
Published: 01 Oct 2020
VERDICT
Tuberculosis, the flu, and COVID-19 differ in disease prevalence and burden, requiring different public health responses
CLAIM
“Why don’t we wear masks for [tuberculosis]? Because CNN hasn’t instructed you to.”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 21 Sep 2020
VERDICT
INSIGHTS
Computing Forever interview with Dolores Cahill contains numerous inaccuracies about COVID-19 and vaccines
— 22 May 2020
This video, first published on 11 May 2020, features an interview between Dave Cullen, also known as Computing Forever on YouTube, and Dolores Cahill, a professor at University Col...
“Plandemic” vignette featuring anti-vaccination activist Judy Mikovits contains numerous false and unsupported claims about COVID-19
— 08 May 2020
This video is the first in a series of vignettes preceding a movie titled “Plandemic”. First published on 5 May 2020, it quickly went viral on Facebook, with more than 2.2 mill...