People are out to party as New Orleans’ first full-dress Mardi Gras since 2020 dawns, with a day of back-to-back parades through the city and masks against COVID-19 required only in indoor public spaces.
Publication: covid-19
Snopes→ Are These Aerial Photos of Australia’s Freedom Convoy?
This photograph from a concert is frequently used by those exaggerating an event's crowd size.
Snopes→ British Queen Holds Virtual Audiences After COVID Symptoms
Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old British monarch held virtual sessions with the ambassadors of Chad and Andorra.
Health Feedback→ CDC’s updated developmental milestone checklists don’t mean that standards for children’s development are lowered; they signal a change in the surveillance strategy
REVIEW On 8 February 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its checklist for developmental milestones for children up to five years old. These milestones are specific physical and behavioral skills that infants and
Snopes→ Did Researchers Find Cannabis Compound CBD May Prevent, Treat COVID-19?
Two separate studies analyzed whether non-psychoactive compounds found in hemp could prevent infection and replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in human cells.
Snopes→ Is the Queen Taking Ivermectin?
Ivermectin save the Queen?
Health Feedback→ Alleged spikes in medical conditions among the military after COVID-19 vaccine rollout are based on faulty data resulting from a glitch in the database
REVIEW As of 15 February 2022, more than 4.8 billion people—almost 62% of the global population— have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Safety monitoring data clearly show that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines outweigh their ris
Snopes→ Does Photo Show Trucker Convoy Prayer Circle at US-Canada Border?
An old picture that showed men kneeling in a "trucker prayer circle" was shared in 2022 as if it were new.
Snopes→ Did Moderna CEO Suddenly Dump $400M in Stock?
In February 2022, Stéphane Bancel had sold less than $10 million worth of shares by mid-month, about $390 million less than claimed.
Health Feedback→ The COVID-19 vaccines don’t weaken the immune system and are unrelated to the HIV VB variant
REVIEW In February 2022, there was a proliferation of social media posts claiming that the COVID-19 vaccines destroy the immune system (see here, here, and here). On occasion, these posts are accompanied by additional claims stating that the recentl
Health Feedback→ Claims that a “Johns Hopkins study” showed lockdowns are ineffective at reducing COVID-19 mortality are based on a working paper with questionable methods
REVIEW In early February 2022, multiple social media posts and articles published by various outlets, including Fox News (see here and here) and the Daily Mail, widely touted a “Johns Hopkins study” purportedly showing that lockdowns only reduce
Health Feedback→ Majority of ten countries listed in viral chain message haven’t dropped all COVID-19 restriction measures and aren’t considering COVID-19 as a seasonal flu, despite claims
REVIEW On 2 February 2022, a screenshot was shared on Facebook of a Telegram message from Christiane Northrup who claimed that ten countries had “announced the cancellation of all quarantine procedures, Corona tests, and compulsory vaccination”
Snopes→ Did a Woman’s Brain ‘Leak’ After a COVID Swab Test?
She had an extremely rare preexisting condition.
Snopes→ Here’s What We Know About ‘Johns Hopkins Study’ on Lockdowns
It's a non-peer reviewed working paper that has not been endorsed by the university.
Health Feedback→ Claims that a phase III clinical trial showed that ivermectin is effective against Omicron are inaccurate and based on a now-corrected Reuters article
REVIEW On 31 January 2022, news agency Reuters published an article with the headline “Japan’s Kowa says that ivermectin effective against Omicron in phase III trial”. However, this turned out to be an error, and the Reuters article was later
Snopes→ Did Trudeau Tell Canadians to Stop Talking to Unvaccinated Relatives?
This doctored message was widely spread by supporters of the "freedom convoy."
Snopes→ Pandemic Year 3: Infectious Disease Experts Weigh In
We contacted Johns Hopkins to get a general sense of what people can expect regarding vaccinations and variants going forward.
Snopes→ A Snapshot of State Laws Governing COVID-19 Vaccines, Masks
The full impact of state-issued mask or vaccination policies on infection rates remains unknown.
Snopes→ How Two Years’ of COVID Politics Played Out on Snopes and OnTheIssues
A look back at some of the most important, egregious, and iconic episodes of COVID politics from both websites.
Snopes→ ‘Who’s Going to Pay for It’ Nurse Story Reappears on Reddit
The Facebook post from 2020 told of a patient dying from COVID-19 who spent some of his last moments alive worrying about healthcare costs.
Health Feedback→ The COVID-19 vaccines protect people from severe COVID-19 and don’t weaken the immune system
REVIEW An article published by the website The Exposé on 22 January 2022 made a number of claims, one of which was that the COVID-19 vaccines lead to a weakened immune system. However, as we will explain below, this is based on misleading and misin
Snopes→ COVID Hits One of the Last Uninfected Places on the Planet
When the coronavirus began spreading around the world, the remote Pacific archipelago of Kiribati closed its borders, ensuring the disease didn't reach its shores for nearly two full years.
Snopes→ Is Omicron Nature’s Way of Curbing the Pandemic?
Researchers are wondering if the COVID-19 variant could act as a vaccine of sorts, inoculating enough people to bring about herd immunity.
Health Feedback→ COVID-19 deaths in people with pre-existing health conditions are still caused by COVID-19, contrary to claim by Jimmy Dore
REVIEW Retired nurse practitioner John Campbell published a YouTube video, titled “Freedom of information revelation”. In the video, Campbell claimed that this request “shows the number of deaths actually solely attributable to Covid may be wa
Snopes→ Did a Boston Hospital Deny Patient Heart Transplant Over COVID-19 Vaccine Refusal?
The ethics of organ donation and transplantation should be approached with care, and attention to detail.
Health Feedback→ Robert Malone made multiple misleading or unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19 and vaccines on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast
REVIEW On 31 December 2021, the actor and comedian Joe Rogan interviewed (see full transcript of the interview here) the scientist Roger Malone for The Joe Rogan Experience, a Spotify-exclusive podcast. With an estimated audience of millions of peop
Health Feedback→ Hundreds of millions of people worldwide have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine; their safety and effectiveness are established; the vaccines aren’t experimental
REVIEW Political commentator Tomi Lahren posted a tweet on 19 January 2022, claiming that the COVID-19 vaccines are experimental. The tweet received more than 1,100 engagements. A screenshot of her tweet was also published to Lahren’s Facebook pag
Snopes→ Is Microsoft Developing Microchips to Store COVID-19 Info?
There's a microchip worth of truth in this bit of parody.
Snopes→ Does Fauci’s Home Office Feature a Painting of Fauci?
Singer Joan Baez painted a portrait of Dr. Anthony Fauci to "honor you and all you are doing for us and for the world."
Snopes→ Did NHS Issue Poster Warning COVID-19 Vaccine Causes Bell’s Palsy?
A definitive link between COVID-19 vaccines and an increased risk of Bell's palsy has not been proven.
Snopes→ No, Dr. Kerry Chant Didn’t Celebrate the Death of 3 Kids
The number of false COVID-19 vaccine death rumors outpaces the number of actually COVID-19 vaccine deaths.
Snopes→ The ‘Police Bulletin’ About Chemical-Doused Masks Is a Hoax
For starters, the "police bulletin" was not a real police bulletin.
Snopes→ Yes, You Still Need a Booster After Being Infected with Omicron
While timelines vary, everyone agrees that vaccinations only help reduce your chances of infection.
Health Feedback→ No, COVID-19 vaccines don’t contain bacteria and HIV; the vaccines enhance the body’s ability to respond to pathogens, not reduce it
REVIEW A video published on Facebook, showing a woman wearing a mask who claimed to be a “natural doctor”, alleged that the COVID-19 vaccines decreases our ability to produce white blood cells, and that the vaccine contains “81 strands of fore
Snopes→ No, the COVID-19 Vaccine Didn’t Kill ‘Lachlan Leary’ of Australia
Australians have been subjected to a flood of COVID-related disinformation since the pandemic began.
Snopes→ 4 Tips To Help You Avoid Fake COVID-19 Tests
Whether getting your personal info or money, scammers nationwide are attempting to profit from the omicron era.
Health Feedback→ There is no evidence that dietary supplements containing zinc and a zinc ionophore, such as the one promoted by Vladimir Zelenko, are effective against COVID-19
REVIEW On 6 January 2021, Gateway Pundit, a website that has consistently promoted conspiracies and published misinformation on numerous occasions (see here), published a piece promoting a dietary supplement sold by Vladimir Zelenko called Z-Stack.
Snopes→ Did Carhartt Email Associates About COVID-19 Vaccination Policy?
While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that companies can't be forced to implement national vaccination policies, companies can still do so if they choose.
Health Feedback→ COVID-19 vaccines aren’t associated with a higher risk of pregnancy complication, contrary to claim by Daniel Horowitz
REVIEW The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as medical associations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend the vaccination of “pregnant and lactating individuals” against CO
Snopes→ Djokovic’s Deportation Exposes Australian Border Debate
Back in 2013, the border issue wasn't unvaccinated foreigners like Djokovic but thousands of asylum seekers from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa who flocked to Australia on rickety fishing boats from Indonesian ports.