Lobbing vague claims about likely events does not a prediction make.
Publication: coronavirus
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Coronavirus Bill Stalled Because of Arguments Over How Much to Charge for Vaccines?
As negotiations in the United States government continued through March 3 2020 on a federal spending package to address the spread of the coronavirus strain known as COVID-19, Politico reported on negotiations stalling between Democratic and Republic
Truth or Fiction?→ Breaking Down The COVID-19 ‘Friend’s Uncle’s Guidance’ Meme
As rumors quickly spread about purported myriad threats of a novel coronavirus strain known as COVID-19, a chain letter-style post purportedly containing medical advice about both the symptoms and treatments for the disease was spread heavily on Faceb
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Seattle Coronavirus Testing’ Twitter Thread
On March 2 2020, as six patients in Washington state were reported to have died of a novel coronavirus, a Twitter user going by @into_the_brush shared a thread about their purported attempts to be tested for the virus in Seattle. In the first tweet,
Snopes→ Does ‘Every Election Year’ Have a Coinciding Disease?
A conspiratorial meme about disease outbreaks got a number of key facts wrong.
Truth or Fiction?→ Conspiracy Theorists Help Spread Video Pushing Coronavirus ‘Live Cremation’ Claim
A video circulating online promoting the claim that coronavirus victims in China were being “cremated alive” was promoted by an organization employing disinformation specialist and white nationalist Steve Bannon. According to Politifact, t
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the CDC Stop Disclosing How Many People Were Tested for Coronavirus in the United States?
On March 2 2020, journalist Judd Legum published a tweet claiming that the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had been updated between March 1 and 2 2020, and that after the update the CDC was no longer disclosing the n
Snopes→ Another Case of Coronavirus Confirmed in Northern California
Health officials confirmed another case of the novel coronavirus in Northern California, raising the tally a day after health officials revealed the first case in the U.S. believed to have been transmitted to a person who didn't travel internationally
Truth or Fiction?→ Would 38 Percent of Americans Not Buy Corona Beer over Coronavirus Fears?
On February 28 2020, CNN published a tweet reporting that a full 38 percent of Americans — more than a third — refused to drink Corona beer under any circumstances, due to fears of coronavirus: 38% of Americans wouldn't buy Corona be
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘Akira’ Predict a 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak?
On February 27 2020, a Facebook user shared the following meme about the 1988 anime classic Akira, the 2020 Olympics, and plot elements which were reportedly strangely prescient: A four-panel meme featured images on one side, text on the other. In s
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Trump Call Obama’s Ebola Virus Response ‘a Total Joke’?
Shortly after United States President Donald Trump announced on February 26 2020 that he was naming Vice President Mike Pence to lead his administration’s response to the issue of novel coronavirus COVID-19, critics on social media pointed out y
Snopes→ Trump Says U.S. ‘Very Ready’ for Virus; Pence to Lead Response
President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. is “very, very ready” for whatever the coronavirus threat brings, and he put his vice president in charge of overseeing the nation's response.
Snopes→ Did Trump Fire the US Pandemic Response Team?
As a new coronavirus spread in 2020, so did concerns about the United States' preparedness for a potential pandemic.
Truth or Fiction?→ Rush Limbaugh Claims Coronavirus is No More Dangerous than the Common Cold. Is it?
In a transcript dated February 24 2020, radio personality Rush Limbaugh claimed that novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is no more dangerous than “the common cold,” adding that he believed that concern over the new strain of disease was simply p
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Advisor Pushes Coronavirus Disinformation: ‘We Have Contained This’
Despite warnings at the federal level regarding the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in the United States, both U.S. President Donald Trump and one of his chief economic advisors have tried to push disinformation in downplaying the threat. During
Snopes→ ‘Time Is Everything’: World Braces for Spread of New Virus
China's massive travel restrictions, house-to-house checks, huge isolation wards and lockdowns of entire cities bought the world valuable time to prepare for the global spread of the new virus.
Snopes→ Dow Drops over 1,000 as Outbreak Threatens Global Economy
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped more than 1,000 points in the worst day for the stock market in two years as investors worry that the spread of a viral outbreak that began in China will weaken global economic growth.
Snopes→ Did Chinese Doctors Confirm African People Are Genetically Resistant to Coronavirus?
Misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak seems to have traveled farther than the virus itself.
Snopes→ American Cruise Passengers Quarantined at US Military Bases
More than 300 American cruise ship passengers, including 14 who tested positive for coronavirus, were being quarantined at military bases in California and Texas after arriving from Japan on charter flights.
Snopes→ Chinese Health Report Says 80% of Virus Cases Have Been Mild
Health officials in China published the first details on nearly 45,000 cases of the novel coronavirus disease that originated there, saying more than 80% have been mild and new ones seem to be falling, although it's far too soon to tell whether the out
Snopes→ Apple Warns China Virus Will Cut iPhone Production, Sales
Apple Inc. is warning investors that it won't meet its financial guidance because the viral outbreak in China has cut production of iPhones.
Snopes→ China Reports Major Drop in New Virus Cases; 143 New Deaths
China reported a figure of 2,641 new virus cases, a major drop from the higher numbers since a broader diagnostic method was implemented.
Truth or Fiction?→ Chinese Media Walks Back Reports Linking Doctor’s Death to Coronavirus
A January 2020 story about a 62-year-old doctor who reputedly died “at the front lines” of fighting a coronavirus outbreak in China was walked back by state media within the country after the report spread internationally. Both the China G
Snopes→ American Airlines Halts Hong Kong Flights, United to Follow
American Airlines said it has temporarily suspended flights to Hong Kong due to weak demand, and United Airlines will do the same.
Snopes→ Is China Building a Hospital in 10 Days to Treat Coronavirus Patients?
Millions of people are quarantined in China to prevent the spread of the virus.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict Coronavirus?
A novel strain of coronavirus discovered in Wuhan, China in late 2019 led to a flood of rumors, among them claims that the long-running American cartoon series The Simpsons “predicted coronavirus” in 1993: The Simpsons have done it agai
Snopes→ Did Health Experts ‘Predict’ New Coronavirus Could Kill 65 Million People?
Some details from a mock health exercise were confused with real-world reports.
Snopes→ Commerce Secretary: China Virus Could Bring Jobs Back to US
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross suggested that the viral outbreak in China might offer an unexpected benefit for the U.S. economy: It could encourage American manufacturers in China to return to the United States.
Snopes→ Health Experts: Human-to-Human Spread of New Virus Worrying
World health officials expressed "great concern" that a dangerous new virus is starting to spread between people outside of China, a troubling development as China and the world frantically work to contain the outbreak.
Truth or Fiction?→ Lysol + Coronavirus = Conspiracy
As fears of a coronavirus outbreak spread virally on social media in late January 2020, so too did posts about the packaging of Lysol and what some people saw as a suspicious mention of a viral strain that was new to them: LYSOL WAS INVENTED IN 1
Truth or Fiction?→ No, You’re Not Being Told to Avoid ‘Unprotected Sex with Farm Animals’ Over the Coronavirus
As the World Health Organization (WHO) tried to disseminate health advisories amid a growing coronavirus outbreak, at least one “jokey” graphic blunting that message was spotted online in January 2020. The WHO’s original graphic, pos
Truth or Fiction?→ Can You Get Coronavirus from Wish.com Products?
As concern over coronavirus spread in late January 2020, Facebook users began to share memes claiming that all products from ubiquitous seller Wish.com shipped from Wuhan, China — thought to be the region from which a massive outbreak of what