Is there evidence that COVID-19 is (a) not real and (b) simply a scapegoat to deflect blame for an economic disaster? No, that's not true: The global pandemic that's infected about 1 million people that we know of and killed more than 51,000 a
Publication: coronavirus
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CIA Did NOT Arrest Harvard Scientist For Creating Coronavirus
Did the CIA arrest a Harvard scientist for creating the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The headline on a YouTube viral video is inaccurate. Charles Lieber, the chair of Harvard University's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Hoax-Slayer→ Coronavirus Stimulus Payment Phishing Scam Email
According to this email, which purports to be from American Express, you have been allocated a payment of $5000 as part of the "corona virus aid stimulus bill". The post Coronavirus Stimulus Payment Phishing Scam Email appeared first on Hoax-Slayer.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Meme Comparing Coronavirus To Other Causes Of Death Does NOT Have Accurate Figures
Does a meme comparing the novel coronavirus deaths to other leading causes of death contain accurate figures? No, it does not: The meme understates some numbers while overstating others. It uses the data to suggest the national response to the
Snopes→ Georgia Sen. Loeffler Gets Renewed Scrutiny over Stock Moves
The husband of Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler acquired as much as $415,000 in stock in DuPont de Nemours, a chemical company that manufactures protective equipment in exceedingly high demand because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Homophobic Church Group Running a COVID-19 Clinic in New York City?
A mobile clinic erected in New York City to help residents infected by COVID-19 (a.k.a. the “coronavirus”) is not only run by radical homophobic cleric Franklin Graham, it is requiring volunteer workers to express support for an anti-LGBTQ
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dr. Fauci Predict a Serious Pandemic During Trump’s Presidency — in 2017?
White House Coronavirus Task Force lead member Dr. Anthony Fauci was a widely familiar face throughout the coronavirus pandemic (due in part to what many perceived as a soberingly honest approach to the crisis), and by late March 2020, Fauci was rumor
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CBS DID Air Video From Italian Hospital During Coronavirus Outbreak, Claiming It Was Of Overwhelmed NYC Hospital
Did CBS News use video from a hospital in Italy during the coronavirus outbreak, claiming it was footage from New York City? Yes, that's true: Claiming to show footage of an overwhelmed hospital in New York, CBS This Morning aired footage that
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Big Pharma Is NOT Behind Massive Infection and Death Rates In COVID-19 Conspiracy
Is Big Pharma behind the COVID-19 pandemic and inflating its massive death toll to create a hoax that enriches itself? No, that's not true: The central data-gathering body, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, does not get its
Truth or Fiction?→ Andrew Cuomo’s Pierced Nipples, Explained
On March 31 2020, a bored-in-quarantine internet turned its attention to a state governor getting national attention, and decided a photograph showed Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “pierced nipples.” A post to Reddit’s r/TIHI (“than
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: COVID-19 NOT Being Blamed For Deaths Primarily Due To Unrelated Causes
Is it true that asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 who die of other medical problems will be added to the coronavirus death toll? No, that's not true: Many asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 are not getting tested in the first place, so that ass
Hoax-Slayer→ Facebook Scammers are Exploiting the Coronavirus Pandemic
Scammers on Facebook have been quick to exploit the coronavirus pandemic. One way that they are doing this is by creating fake Facebook giveaway pages and posts that are related to coronavirus, social distancing, and home quarantine. The post Facebook
Snopes→ Should You Wear a Mask in Public If Not Sick with Coronavirus?
Global health authorities say no. Amid a shortage of masks, the U.S. is sticking with that advice.
Snopes→ Booze Buying Surges; Senators Push Airlines for Cash Refunds
The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed.
Snopes→ White House Projects 100K to 240K US Deaths from Virus
The White House projected 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic if current social distancing guidelines are maintained.
Truth or Fiction?→ USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort Dock in Cities for Coronavirus Response
Amid jarring scenes of metropolitan hospitals dangerously strained by COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic, two naval hospital ships (the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy) were docked in New York City and Los Angeles respectively in late March 2020
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Students Do NOT Have To Repeat Their Current Grades Due To Coronavirus
Do students in multiple states have to repeat their current grade next year because of the delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic? No, these are social media "pranks" put out by a website devoted to spreading "practical jokes" on the internet. Th
Truth or Fiction?→ The COVID-19 Chloroquine Controversy, Explained
On March 30 2020, a number of outlets reported that the Food and Drug Administration had given a limited go-ahead for the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in medical settings in the latest development in what has become a bizarrely (but not e
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump DID Sign 5G Bill, But Exposure Effects Are Misleading
Did President Trump sign a bill that addresses the future of 5G infrastructure? Yes, that's true: the Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2020 was signed on March 23, 2020, but a video detailing the potential fallout of expanding 5G technology is exag
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Florida Residents Spotted Packing Beaches During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A photograph of beachgoers ignoring social distancing guidelines concerning the COVID-19 pandemic prompted local officials to close their gathering place to the public. The photo, attributed to Clay Archer of Jacksonville Beach, was shared thousands o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Kennedy Center Did NOT Give DNC $5M After Getting $25M In Relief From Coronavirus Stimulus
Did the Kennedy Center give the Democratic National Committee $5 mllion after getting $25 million in relief from the government coronavirus stimulus package? No, that's not true: The Kennedy Center did not give the DNC $5 million the day after
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a $1,200 Coronavirus Stimulus an Advance on 2020’s Tax Credit — or a Loan You Have to Pay Back in 2021?
In the early evening of March 27 2020, news that Americans would receive COVID-19 stimulus checks of $1,200 or higher was a flashpoint of discussion in the reporting of the passage of the the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: There Is NO Evidence The Illuminati Controlled The U.S. Government, And Coronavirus’ Is NOT Caused By 5G
Does a missing U.S. presidential seal indicate the Illuminati have relinquished control of the U.S. government? And is the next-generation wireless technology 5G responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic? No, there is no evidence that these claims
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill Gates Does NOT Have Access To Your DNA And Does NOT Have Ownership In WHO
Is Bill Gates behind widespread COVID-19 testing, and does he have ownership in the World Health Organization? No, that's true. The claims are the latest in a long-standing campaign by some within the anti-vaccine movement to paint Gates as a
Truth or Fiction?→ Was There a ‘March to End COVID-19’ in Cleveland?
A social media user playing on real-world ignorance over the COVID-19 pandemic succeeded in making a stir on March 26 2020 with a photograph he claimed at the time was an ill-advised gathering. The user’s post, which has been shared more than 6,
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Florida Did NOT Ban Alcohol Sales Beginning Today Due To Coronavirus
Did Florida ban the sale of beer and alcohol after 3 p.m. on March 30, 2020, as part of an emergency effort to curb the outbreak of COVID-19 in that state? No, that's not true: This came from a prank news generator website. The story originate
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CDC Is NOT Scheduled To Recommend Masks For Everyday Life
Is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planning, in the next 10 days, to change guidance and advise Americans to wear masks in everyday life? No, that's not true: The federal agency tells Lead Stories that no changes to guidanc
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Queen Elizabeth II Did NOT Test Positive For Coronavirus
Did the UK's Queen Elizabeth II test positive for COVID-19 after meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson? No, that's not true: After news broke on March 27, 2020, that Johnson tested positive for coronavirus, Buckingham Palace issued a state
Snopes→ Trump, Rejecting Blame, Warns Governors to Be ‘Appreciative’
After days of pleading from the nation's governors, President Donald Trump took steps to expand the federal government's role in helping produce critically needed supplies to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Snopes→ Handling Mail amid Coronavirus: Low Risk But Wash Your Hands
Is it safe to pick up your mail? How about those packages from your online orders? And how safe are the people we count on to make those deliveries?
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Coronavirus Victims ARE Being Reported By The News Media
Is it true that names of people who have died from the novel coronavirus have not been published by news media or posted on the internet? No, that's not true: News organizations have repeatedly reported on the victims -- often giving life stor
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Yelp and GoFundMe Create COVID-19 Fundraisers for Restaurants Without Telling Them?
A push from business owners forced two tech companies to modify an unprompted response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Andy McMillan, owner of a bar in Portland, Oregon — where bars and restaurants were ordered to close down as part of efforts to slow
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bill Gates Did NOT Write Open Letter Saying COVID-19 Reminds ‘We Are All Equal’
Did Microsoft founder Bill Gates pen an open letter about COVID-19, saying it was "sent to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten?" No, that's not true: The letter is fake, and The Sun newspaper retracted a story abo
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the President of the United States Tell Governors Seeking Ventilators That Favors Are ‘a Two-Way Street’?
In late March 2020, a quote attributed to United States President Donald Trump involving various state governors and access to ventilators began spread in the form of several text-based status update memes: One of the shares appeared on the page
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Studies Do NOT Prove Coronavirus Was Engineered To Be A Bioweapon
Was the coronavirus biologically engineered to be a bioweapon as one University of Illinois law professor claims? No that claim is misleading: Prof. Fancis Boyle said in a video interview with "Outside the Box" host Jason Liosatos that one stu
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Countries With High Rates Of Childhood Vaccinations Are NOT Hardest Hit With Coronavirus
Are countries or U.S. states with a high rate of childhood vaccinations the hardest-hit with the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: In fact, some of the countries with the lowest spread of the virus are those that have higher vaccination
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Coronavirus ‘Patient Zero’ Is NOT A Man Who Had Sex With A Bat
Did the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, begin in China when a man had sex with a bat? No, that's not true: a fake-news, satirical website put out the hoax. The claim originated in an article (archived here) where it was published by World News
Snopes→ Virus Relief Package Could Help Trump, Kushner Businesses
The $2 trillion legislative package moving through Congress to shore up the U.S. economy devastated by the coronavirus was carefully written to prevent President Donald Trump and his family from profiting from the federal fund.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Deaths Blamed On Coronavirus Are NOT Really Due To The Flu
Are the figures cited by the CDC for COVID-19 deaths really referring to deaths caused by flu? No, that's not true: The viruses responsible for each may cause similar symptoms, but they differ in many ways. The claim appeared in a Facebook pos
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Canadian Government Giving Citizens $2,000 a Month Because of COVID-19?
On March 25 2020, social media users quickly drew comparisons between the help Canadian citizens are receiving from their government and a bill passed in the U.S. Senate. On Twitter, the comparison was spread most heavily in a tweet shared more than 1