Claim reviews
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