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Reviews of articles by: Social media users
CLAIM REVIEWS
Sweetgum balls don’t contain Tamiflu’s active ingredient and there’s no evidence of an antiviral effect against COVID-19
CLAIM
Sweetgum balls contain the same active ingredient that Tamiflu contains, which is shikimic acid; It kills viruses including SARS-CoV-2
SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook, TikTok
Published: 27 Jan 2023
VERDICT
Pre-human changes in climate do not negate contemporary human influence on modern warming, contrary to implication in popular Instagram post
CLAIM
Climate changed naturally in prehistoric eras, modern climate change is a naturally occurring phenomenon
SOURCE: Social media user, Instagram
Published: 23 Jan 2023
VERDICT
The Pfizer bivalent vaccines are very unlikely to increase the risk of ischemic stroke, contrary to claims on social media
CLAIM
The Pfizer COVID-19 bivalent vaccine causes strokes
SOURCE: Social media users, Instagram, Twitter
Published: 18 Jan 2023
VERDICT
Viral videos on Facebook promote unproven cancer cures; no evidence that pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. FDA are hiding the cure for cancer
CLAIM
Turmeric, ketogenic diet, ozone therapy, megadoses of vitamin C and adaptogens are cure for cancer, have been suppressed for four decades
SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook
Published: 24 Déc 2022
VERDICT
Contrary to viral Instagram videos, COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective against severe disease
CLAIM
Vaccine effectiveness has fallen from 100% to 20%; the early reported vaccine effectiveness figures were lies
SOURCE: Social media users, Instagram
Published: 08 Déc 2022
VERDICT
Death of a four-year-old boy in Argentina was due to lung infection, contrary to social media posts implying vaccination was the cause
CLAIM
Death of 4 years old poster boy for vaccination campaign is linked to COVID-19 vaccine
SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook, Instagram
Published: 17 Nov 2022
VERDICT
Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, but evidence so far doesn’t show that diabetes causes Alzheimer’s
CLAIM
“Alzheimer’s most of the time is preventable. It’s not genetic, and it’s type 3 diabetes, which is insulin resistance of the brain”
SOURCE: Social media users, TikTok, Facebook
Published: 15 Oct 2022
VERDICT
Little clinical evidence supports the use of high-dose intravenous vitamin C to treat cancer
CLAIM
Intravenous vitamin C specifically kills only cancer cells and not healthy cells
SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook, TikTok
Published: 11 Oct 2022
VERDICT
Biden’s 2021 remarks on the role of COVID-19 vaccines in hurricane preparedness misrepresented in social media posts
CLAIM
President Joe Biden told people to get vaccinated to protect themselves from hurricanes
SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook, TikTok
Published: 07 Oct 2022
VERDICT
The amount of potassium chloride in Dasani bottled water is safe and won’t cause cardiac arrest
CLAIM
“Potassium chloride actually causes cardiac arrest […] and we’re drinking it in Dasani water.”
SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook, TikTok
Published: 05 Oct 2022
VERDICT