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Reviews of articles by: Facebook users
CLAIM REVIEWS
Clinical trials and post-trial monitoring show that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the spread and occurrence of the disease
CLAIM
COVID-19 vaccines are experimental and don’t prevent infection or transmission; most of us have a 0.05% chance of dying from COVID-19
SOURCE: Facebook user, Facebook
Published: 10 Apr 2021
VERDICT
Wind turbines pay back energy-costs in one to six months; most U.S. wind turbines are made in the U.S., Denmark and Spain
CLAIM
Wind turbines in the US are made of toxic materials that pollute the environment, are mostly built in Germany, and will not pay off their manufacturing costs within their lifetimes.
SOURCE: Internet User, Facebook
Published: 08 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
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
The U.S. leads the world in number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered, but not in the proportion of the population vaccinated
CLAIM
“In five weeks, America has administered the most COVID vaccine shots than any other country in the world.”
SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook
Published: 04 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Yes, COVID-19 vaccines will help us safely resume normal activities like going to restaurants and meeting people, once enough people are vaccinated for herd immunity
CLAIM
The COVID-19 vaccines won’t let us stop mask-wearing, physical distancing and restaurants, pubs, and cinemas still remain closed, so why vaccinate?
SOURCE: Facebook users, Telegram, Facebook
Published: 04 Mar 2021
VERDICT
Scientists didn’t announce impending environmental catastrophes every decade since the 1970s
CLAIM
"Government funded science: 70’s: another ice age in 10 years; 80’s: acid rain will destroy all crops in 10 years; 90’s: the ozone layer will be destroyed in 10 years; 2000’s the ice caps will be gone on 10 years"
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 03 Mar 2021
VERDICT
COVID-19 vaccines don’t increase the incidence of poor outcomes during pregnancy, according to current safety data on COVID-19 vaccines
CLAIM
COVID-19 vaccines caused miscarriages
SOURCE: Facebook users, Twitter, Facebook
Published: 19 Feb 2021
VERDICT
Viral photo of a helicopter de-icing a wind turbine is from Sweden, not Texas; current power outages in Texas are due to multiple fuel types going offline
CLAIM
Helicopters are using chemicals made from fossil fuels to defrost wind turbines; frosted wind turbines are responsible for blackouts in Texas; “the reason your power is/was out is wind energy's fault.”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 17 Feb 2021
VERDICT