Masks are effective at reducing COVID-19 primary transmission through respiratory droplets; the CDC acknowledges airborne transmission via aerosols can also occur

CLAIM
“CDC says [the SARS-CoV-2] virus was never airborne, rendering masks worthless”

SOURCE: Owen Shroyer, Banned.video

Published: 25 Oct 2020

VERDICT

Volunteer who died in a COVID-19 vaccine trial in Brazil did not receive the vaccine

CLAIM
“Coronavirus horror: Volunteer in Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine trial DIES”

SOURCE: Bill McLoughlin, Erin Elizabeth, The Daily Express, Health Nut News

Published: 25 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

COVID-19 is more deadly and more contagious than seasonal flu and may also cause long-lasting damage to survivors

CLAIM
“The coronavirus is no more deadly or dangerous than seasonal flu”

SOURCE: Anonymous, Zero Hedge

Published: 20 Oct 2020

VERDICT

No evidence that coronavirus genetic sequences were fabricated, contrary to preprint by Li-Meng Yan and colleagues

CLAIM
Fabricated genetic sequences were used to support the hypothesis that the virus arose naturally

SOURCE: Li-Meng Yan, Zenodo, Zero Hedge, The National Pulse

Published: 16 Oct 2020

VERDICT

Mask use does not increase risk of COVID-19 as viral social media posts claim

CLAIM
More people who wear masks become sick with COVID-19 compared to non-mask wearers, therefore masks don’t work or are making us ill

SOURCE: Jordan Davidson, The Federalist

Published: 14 Oct 2020

VERDICT

Climate change can make it harder for the Amazon rainforest to grow back from deforestation, but that does not mean 40% of it will now turn into a savanna

CLAIM
“Amazon near tipping point of switching from rainforest to savannah”

SOURCE: Fiona Harvey, The Guardian

Published: 14 Oct 2020

VERDICT

Frequent ejaculation might reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, but cannot prevent it completely

CLAIM
“Men must have sex at least 21 times a month to avoid prostate cancer”

SOURCE: Barry Kadi, West Africa Reporters

Published: 09 Oct 2020

VERDICT

Mortality in the U.S. was more than 280,000 higher during the first eight months of 2020 than any of the previous five years over the same period

CLAIM
“U.S. mortalities this year are not materially different from the previous 5 years”

SOURCE: Facebook user, Facebook

Published: 08 Oct 2020

VERDICT