Articles tagged with: Infectious diseases

CLAIM REVIEWS

Consuming turpentine is dangerous and shouldn’t be used to treat parasites

CLAIM
Consuming turpentine will kill parasites

SOURCE: Social media users, TikTok, Facebook

Published: 08 Sep 2022

VERDICT

The CDC hasn’t classified monkeypox as airborne; transmission is typically through sustained physical contact

CLAIM
CDC has now classified [monkeypox] as airborne and anybody within 15 ft can catch it; [it] is now classified as a form of herpes [...] lasts 2-4 months [and] can lead to being paralyzed

SOURCE: Anonymous, Fathers Matter

Published: 04 Aug 2022

VERDICT

Monkeypox outbreak triggers conspiracy theories on social media claiming that it was planned or incorrectly linking it to COVID-19 vaccines

CLAIM
Monkeypox is caused by COVID-19 vaccines; a 2021 tabletop exercise portraying a monkeypox pandemic is evidence that global leaders planned the outbreak; the monkeypox vaccine was “ready” before the outbreak

SOURCE: Social media users, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube

Published: 26 May 2022

VERDICT

Cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children are unrelated to COVID-19 vaccines

CLAIM
Cases of acute hepatitis in children are linked to COVID-19 vaccines

SOURCE: Social media users, Instagram, Twitter

Published: 29 Apr 2022

VERDICT

Claim that erythromycin eye ointment given to newborns is risky is misleading, lacks context

CLAIM
Erythromycin eye ointment given to newborns carries many risks

SOURCE: Anonymous, Well-Rooted Pediatrics

Published: 22 Feb 2022

VERDICT

Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms; other factors may determine an individual’s susceptibility to infection, but the microorganism is still the cause

CLAIM
“…a virus is not the cause of an illness. It’s a necessary cause […] but it is not the cause.”

SOURCE: Lisa Feldman Barrett, Facebook

Published: 16 Apr 2021

VERDICT