On March 12 2020, Twitter user @SawyerHackett tweeted that South Korea had managed to test 200,000 people for novel coronavirus strain COVID-19, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only tested 77 people in a week — adding
Snopes→ Does Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Map Contain Malware?
Malicious actors often attempt to spread malware by disguising it as information from credible sources.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Supermarkets Are NOT Recalling Coronavirus-Infected Toilet Paper
Are toilet paper rolls imported from China infected with the coronavirus and being recalled in stores? No, that is not true. No recalls have been issued, and many experts agree that there is no evidence the novel virus could survive being tran
Snopes→ Boston Marathon Postponed until Sept. 14 to Prevent Coronavirus Spread
An estimated 1 million people line the course as it winds through eight cities and towns, high-fiving, hugging and even kissing the runners along the way.
Snopes→ How to Clean the Bundle of Germs That is Your Phone
The novel coronavirus can live for two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. But cleaning your phone improperly can damage it.
Snopes→ Trump Preparing to Invoke Emergency Powers Over Coronavirus
The president is poised to speak at 3 p.m. at the White House. “Topic: CoronaVirus!” he tweeted.
Snopes→ Did Italy Confirm Almost 200 Coronavirus Deaths in 24 Hours?
As of early March 2020, Italy had seen the worst COVID-19 outbreak outside Asia.
Snopes→ Pentagon Reconsiders Microsoft Contract after Amazon Protest
The Pentagon is reconsidering its awarding of a major cloud computing contract to Microsoft after rival tech giant Amazon protested what it called a flawed bidding process.
Snopes→ Nations Employ Drastic Tactics to Fight Microscopic Foe
Tens of millions of students stayed home on three continents, security forces went on standby to guard against large gatherings of people, and bars, restaurants and offices closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: The Coronavirus Scare Did NOT Start Immediately After Impeachment
Did the coronavirus scare start immediately after impeachment in a plan to upend U.S. President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: That is a theory being spread by conservatives, ignoring the fact the outbreak began in China in late 2019, and
Snopes→ Disneyland Closes as California Rushes to Battle Coronavirus
Disneyland will close its doors for the rest of the month, an extraordinary decision mirrored throughout California by companies big and small after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for any nonessential gatherings of 250 people or more to be canceled to help
Snopes→ Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson Taking Diagnoses ‘One Day at a Time’
Hanks and Wilson have been isolated in stable conditions in a Gold Coast hospital following their diagnosis.
Snopes→ Virus Testing Is a ‘Failing,’ Leaving Cases Uncounted
Seven weeks have passed since the first U.S. case of coronavirus was announced, and the government is failing to account for what could be thousands of additional infections because of ongoing problems with testing.
Washington Post→ Biden ad manipulates video to slam Trump
Former vice president Joe Biden's presidential campaign released an ad March 3 that included two examples of manipulated video.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Former CIA Officer Selectively Quoted By Iranian Site; Did NOT Say Coronavirus Was Produced In a Lab
Did a former and controversial CIA officer say coronavirus was definitively produced in a lab? No, an Iranian news website selectively quoted as fact what was only speculation from the former CIA agent helping run a site associated with Russia
Snopes→ Officials: US Strikes Iran-Backed Group That Hit Iraq Base
The U.S. launched airstrikes in Iraq, American officials said, targeting the Iranian-backed Shia militia members believed responsible for the rocket attack that killed and wounded American and British troops at a base north of Baghdad.
Snopes→ Gannett, Fox News Take Steps to Empty Offices
The head of Gannett, the nation's largest newspaper chain, urged employees able to telecommute to "refrain from coming into the office unless absolutely necessary" because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Snopes→ Fast and Furious Film, ‘Mulan’ Postponed Due to Virus
The Walt Disney Co. officially postponed the theatrical release of "Mulan," while Universal Pictures moved back the release of the ninth Fast and Furious film by a year amid the coronavirus outbreak.
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking Trump’s Coronavirus Address
In a short primetime address, President Donald Trump provided false, misleading and incomplete information about the new coronavirus and actions his administration has taken or will take to staunch its spread: In announcing new restrictions on travel
FactCheck.org→ Viral Social Media Posts Offer False Coronavirus Tips
Quick Take Posts are circulating false and misleading tips on social media — in some cases wrongly attributed to Stanford University — about how people can monitor and avoid the coronavirus. Full Story As the U.S. and countries around
Snopes→ Pregnant 19-Year-Old Dies Trying to Climb US Border Wall
U.S. Customs and Border Protection blamed the woman's death on human smugglers who encouraged her to try to climb the wall.
Snopes→ Was a Rare White Giraffe Killed by Poachers in Kenya?
The giraffe and her calf, which both had a condition known as leucism, went missing over four months ago.
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Hackers Using Fake ‘Coronavirus Maps’ to Import Malware?
In March 2020, as global fears about the COVID-19 pandemic continued to grow among a morass of disinformation and state-sponsored propaganda, security experts warned about websites using their fear of the novel coronavirus to infect their machines and
Snopes→ Worst Day on Wall Street Since 1987 as Virus Fears Spread
The escalating coronavirus emergency sent stocks to their worst losses since the Black Monday crash of 1987.
Snopes→ Did Cristina Higgins Pen This Facebook Post About Coronavirus in Italy?
A personal account concerning the spread of COVID-19 in Italy went viral in March 2020.
Snopes→ On Ice: NHL Suspends Season Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said there are hopes of resuming the season, holding the playoffs and still handing out the Stanley Cup.
Snopes→ MLB Delays Opening Day by at Least 2 Weeks Because of Coronavirus
The league has also suspended the rest of its spring training game schedule.
Washington Post→ ‘Fakeout’: A series about misinformation from The Fact Checker
Over the past year, The Fact Checker has expanded our video series well beyond fact-checking U.S. politicians. We introduced a comprehensive guide to manipulated video, explained the complex history of Turkey and the Kurds and investigated conflicting
Snopes→ March Madness: Conferences Scrap Tourneys; NCAAs in Doubt
Within minutes of each other, the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences announced that the remainder of their tournaments would not be played.
Snopes→ Broadway Shuts its Doors to Prevent Coronavirus Spread
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo banned gatherings of 500 or more in New York City, effectively forcing the hand of Broadway producers.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro Test Positive for COVID-19?
A tweet reporting that Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro had tested positive for COVID-19 circulated quickly online on March 12 2020 before being taken down, although after it was removed it still moved around social media in screenshot form. Th
Snopes→ NY Fed to Buy a Range of Treasurys to Try to Ease Coronavirus Jitters
The action, being led by the New York Fed, is intended to keep credit markets functioning and ensure that banks can continue to provide loans to businesses and other borrowers across the economy.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: AOC Did NOT Claim Illegal Immigrants Were Held In Nazi Detention Camps
Did U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claim Hitler held Jews in detention camps for being illegal immigrants. No, that is misleading, and the claim seems to be a new spin on a controversy sparked in Summer 2019 by the liberal New York Congres
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Meme Does NOT Contain Accurate Figures for H1N1 Deaths In The United States
Does a meme that users are sharing contain accurate figures for H1N1 deaths in the United States? No, it does not: The meme contains false information and seeks to make an apples-to-oranges comparison between the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, also known
FactCheck.org→ False Claim About CDC’s Global Anti-Pandemic Work
As the COVID-19 disease caused by the new coronavirus has spread around the world, a number of politicians, news organizations and public figures have made the false claim that the Trump administration cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Snopes→ AP: Trump Is Wrong About Insurers and Coronavirus
President Donald Trump incorrectly stated in his address to the nation that the health insurance industry has agreed to waive patient co-payments for treatment of COVID-19.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Australian Hospital Staff Did NOT Roll In A Wilson Volleyball To Keep Tom Hanks Company In Quarantine
Did Australian Gold Coast hospital staff roll in a Wilson volleyball to keep actor Tom Hanks company in quarantine? No, that's not true: The story is from a satirical online newspaper that some people have described as Australia's version of "
Snopes→ Justin Trudeau Stays at Home After Wife’s Flu-Like Symptoms
The Canadian Prime Minister is self-isolating and working from home "out of an abundance of caution."
Snopes→ US Capitol Closing to Public Until April Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Only lawmakers, staff, journalists and visitors with official business will be permitted to enter the buildings.
Snopes→ Was Tom Hanks Given a Wilson Volleyball in Coronavirus Quarantine?
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson truly did announce they had tested positive for the new coronavirus in March 2020.