Claim reviews
Vaccines undergo strict safety testing before they are licensed for use in the U.S. and many other countries; no validity to the claim of a 33% “death rate” from COVID-19 vaccine
CLAIM
“Would you take a vaccine with a 33% death rate to feel safe from a virus with a .06% death rate?”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 15 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Contrary to claim in viral Facebook post, the flu vaccine does work and certain types of cancers can be cured
CLAIM
“Can't make a vaccine that works for influenza. No vaccine for RSV. Can't cure cancer. But they sure as shit can make a vaccine in 6 months for an illness that they STILL don't understand”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 09 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Hydroxychloroquine, alone or in combination with azithromycin, found ineffective for treating COVID-19 in large clinical trials
CLAIM
“Hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and zinc cure [COVID-19]”
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 07 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Wearing masks aims at slowing SARS-CoV-2 circulation, not protecting against a certain death
CLAIM
If masks were effective and necessary, non-mask wearers should be dead by now
SOURCE: Facebook Users, Facebook
Published: 07 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Health authorities encourage the general public to wear face masks to reduce COVID-19 transmission
CLAIM
Health authorities like the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discourage people from wearing face masks
SOURCE: Facebook users, Facebook
Published: 04 Aug 2020
VERDICT
Still no evidence that hydroxychloroquine can cure or prevent COVID-19
CLAIM
“You don’t need masks, there is a cure [for COVID-19] ... It is called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax”
SOURCE: America’s Frontline Doctors , Breitbart
Published: 31 Jul 2020
VERDICT
Baseless speculations underpin a retracted editorial claiming spontaneous generation of SARS-CoV-2 in skin cells exposed to 5G waves
CLAIM
5G generates coronavirus in human skin cells
SOURCE: Massimo Fioranelli, Alireza Sepehri, Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents, GreenMedInfo, InfoWars
Published: 29 Jul 2020
VERDICT
Sexual transmission of SARS-CoV-2 currently unconfirmed as studies produce conflicting evidence of its presence in the reproductive system
CLAIM
“Coronavirus may be sexually transmitted and cause male infertility”
SOURCE: Paula Froelich, New York Post
Published: 27 Jul 2020
VERDICT
The long-term survival of polar bears is threatened by loss of sea-ice due to global warming, new study confirms
CLAIM
"Global warming is driving polar bears toward extinction"
SOURCE: Henry Fountain, The New York Times
Published: 27 Jul 2020
VERDICT
A trypsin-based oral spray reportedly deactivates SARS-CoV-2 in a liquid suspension but has not yet been tested in the mouth
CLAIM
New oral spray “deactivates 98% of the coronavirus” in the mouth
SOURCE: Hashem Al-Ghaili, Facebook
Published: 27 Jul 2020
VERDICT