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
Search Results (1720) for: arrested
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
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
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
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Gerrity’s Store Discard $35,000 of Food After a Woman ‘Coughed’ on It During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
On March 26 2020, a number of social media posts involved a woman in Pennsylvania who allegedly “coughed” on $35,000 worth of food — forcing a Gerrity’s store to discard all of the items: “Grocery store Gerrity’s Supermar
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Boiled Orange Peels With Cayenne Pepper Are NOT Effective Treatment For Coronavirus
Will boiling orange peels with cayenne pepper help treat or prevent the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: There's currently no cure or vaccine for COVID-19, and several home remedies circulating on the Internet are bogus. There is no sci
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Russia’s Putin Did NOT Release 500 Lions To Keep People Indoors Amid Coronavirus
Did Russian President Vladimir Putin release 500 lions onto the streets of that country to keep people indoors amid the coronavirus outbreak? No, that's not true: The screen grab of a news report claiming that Putin released lions is four year
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Black People Are NOT Immune To The Dangers Of Coronavirus
Are black people more resistant to COVID-19 and not susceptible to death from the virus? No, that's not true: News reports and social media posts from those who've contracted the virus, not to mention official documentation gathered by the Wor
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 60 Democrats Did NOT Vote Against Coronavirus Stimulus Bill
Did 60 Senate Democrats vote against a coronavirus stimulus bill, meaning nobody is getting checks? No, that's not true: For one thing, there are not 60 Democrats in the U.S. Senate. Second, the Democrats voted on March 22, 2020, against a key
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Belgium Did NOT Ban Certain Sex Activities Of Three Or More In Indoor Areas To Beat COVID-19
Did Belgium Health Minister Maggie De Block put a ban on sexual activity between three or more people to arrest the growth of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: Belgium has lost 88 people to the virus as of March 23, 2020
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photos Do NOT Show People Falling Dead Of COVID-19 On Italy’s Streets
Does a photo of hundreds of people lying on the street acurrately depict the dire situation in Italy due to the coronavirus? No, this is not the case: The picture claiming to show people dead and ill splayed on a the street in Italy - and as a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Coronavirus Test DOES Require Swab To Be Inserted Clear Through Nasal Passage
Do physicians and other medical workers need to insert a swab through the nasal passage to the top of the throat of possible patients to test for COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus. Yes, that's true: A meme on social media illustrating the tes
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Sky News Video About Coronavirus Victims In Italian Hospital Did NOT Get Taken Down
Did a video from the British broadcaster Sky News about coronavirus victims at a hospital in Italy get taken down? No, that's not true: The report is still available on the network's YouTube channel. Lead Stories is not fact checking the video
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Using A Sauna Or Hairdryer Will NOT Kill Coronavirus
Will spending time in a sauna or aiming a hairdryer towards your nose kill the coronavirus? No, that's not true: This is not sound medical advice. A viral video making the rounds suggests those home remedies. However, doctors say those efforts
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Helicopters Are NOT Spraying Disinfectants To Try To Eradicate Coronavirus
Are helicopters being used to spray disinfectants into the air to eradicate the coronavirus? No, that's not true: This is a false rumor spreading around the world on social media, as well as through popular messaging services. The hoax has pro
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Marriott Has NOT Denied Unemployment And Health Benefits To Employees On ‘Zero Hour Schedule’
Has hotel giant Marriott International effectively denied employees unemployment and health benefits by saying the company had not laid them off, instead putting them on a zero-hour schedule? No, that's misleading: The person who initially pos
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Spanish Flu Did NOT Originate In Spain
Are historic flu and other outbreaks accurately named based on the country where they originated? No, this is not always the case: With President Trump insisting that calling the coronavirus "Chinese Flu" is not racist - as his critics claim -
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Link Does NOT Take People To Application For FEMA Assistance And NO $1,000 Check
Does a link take people to an application for FEMA assistance where they can receive a $1,000 check? No, that's not true: Dozens of posts such as this have gone viral, all with very similar language, but they are pranks. The link in the posts
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 5G Technology NOT Believed To Have Caused Coronavirus
Did 5G, the fifth-generation wireless technology, cause the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: These bizarre assertions go against everything we know about how viruses are spread. A viral video making the rounds confuses historical events
Truth or Fiction?→ Is St. Corona the Patron Saint of Epidemics?
As novel coronavirus COVID-19 swept the majority Catholic country of Italy in March 2020, rumors appeared that Italians had begun praying to a St. Corona — who was, incidentally, “the patron saint of epidemics.” A March 11 post to th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: COVID-19 NOT A Scripted Narrative To Justify Closed Borders Or Force Residents To Remain Home
Is COVID-19 virus part of a conspiracy that has a scripted narrative designed to justify closed borders and inspire residents to stay at home? No, that's not true: A conspiracy theory on Facebook claims that the coronavirus outbreak is a move
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Jim Carrey Did NOT Accuse 200 "Leftist Arsonists" Of Starting Australian Bushfires
Did actor Jim Carrey say that 200 "leftist arsonists" were arrested for starting the Australian bushfires, and that it wasn't due to climate change? No, that's not true: Carrey never made such a statement about the bushfires that ravaged the c
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: List Comparing Mortality Rates With COVID-19 Is NOT Accurate
Is a list of virus outbreaks comparing mortality rates for Ebola, H5N1, MERS and SARS with COVID-19 - the novel coronavirus - accurate? No, it's not: The comparison of the outbreaks is extremely misleading as it doesn't take into account the r
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: All U.S. Citizens Are NOT Entitled To $700 Per Week To Stay At Home To Avoid Spread Of Coronavirus
Are all U.S. citizens entitled to $700 per week to stay at home to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The link in the posts takes viewers to a gorilla giving the middle finger. The post was a hoax related to the co
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: A Banana A Day Does NOT Keep The Coronavirus Away
Does eating a banana a day keep the novel coronavirus away? No, that's not true: Bananas may be a good source of potassium and other vitamins, but they have not been proven to prevent COVID-19, the scientific name for the novel coronavirus. Th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Man NOT Infected With Coronavirus Who Claimed To Have Spread It At A Walmart In Louisiana
Did a man infected with coronavirus pass along the infection at a Walmart In Louisiana? No, this is not true: The man claimed that he tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and warned people that had been to a Walmart in Gulfport, Louisiana, t
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: U.S. Election Is NOT Canceled Due To Coronavirus
Is the U.S. presidential election canceled due to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, allowing President Trump to remain in office for four more years? No, that's not true: Obviously, the meme is a joke. However, concerns over congregating in
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Memes With Advice For Preventing Coronavirus Are NOT Accurate
Do memes containing advice for preventing the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, offer accurate medical information? No, they're not true: The memes are written in broken English and do not provide qualified medical facts. One of them refers to a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: COVID-19 NOT Found In Toilet Paper
Was COVID-19 found in toilet paper, and does the virus breed in tissue fibers? No, neither is true: A meme making the claim about COVID-19 - which is the medical term for the novel coronavirus - was made by an online prank generator. A virus d
Snopes→ Police Jail Woman Who Paid Bail with Marijuana-Scented Cash
A Louisiana woman was arrested on drug charges after police determined the $5,000 cash she used to post an inmate’s bail had a “strong odor of marijuana.”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Department Of Homeland Security Officials Did NOT Say Illegal Border Crossings May Spread Coronavirus
Did the U.S. Department of Homeland Security say that they fear illegal border crossings may increase the spread of the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The headline of an article in The Washington Times is not supported by the reportin
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: CDC Did NOT Publish Sponsored Facebook Post Asking For Help With "Escaped" Coronavirus Patient
Did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention run a sponsored Facebook post asking for help locating a man who arrived from Hong Kong, and who refused to go into mandatory quarantine? No, that's not true: the post was published by a Faceb
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: It Is NOT Known Whether Novel Coronavirus Has A Survival Rate Of 99.7%
Does a graphic being widely shared on social media accurately represent the survival rate of the novel coronavirus at 99.7%? No, that's not true: Scientists do not know precisely how many people survive or recover from the virus versus how man
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Common Cold Is NOT The Only Type Of Coronavirus
Is the novel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, just the common cold? No, that's misleading: Coronaviruses can cause different illnesses in animals and humans, including the common cold. However, they can also lead to severe diseas
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Patents Do NOT Mean Deadly Diseases And Viruses Were Created Or Invented In A Lab
Do patents accurately suggest that deadly diseases and viruses were created or invented in a lab? No, that's not true: Just because there is a patent for something does not mean it works. Likewise, patents for diseases and viruses do not mean
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: A Journalist Did NOT Claim A Coronavirus Patient Was Murdered
Did a Seattle journalist tweet out a claim that a coronavirus nursing home patient was the victim of a homicide? No, that's not true. The tweet did go out from a TV reporter, but it was doctored to claim that a murder investigation was underwa
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: VP Pence Did NOT Urge People With Coronavirus To Go To The Police
Did Vice President Mike Pence send out a tweet urging people infected with the novel coronavirus to go to the nearest police station? No, that is a hoax. Pence did not send such a tweet, as evidenced by the fact that no record of this tweet ex
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: U.S. Diplomat Was NOT Charged With Spying For China And Was NOT Hillary Clinton’s State Department Spokeswoman
Was Candace Claiborne, a former U.S. diplomat, charged with spying for China after serving as a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department under Hillary Clinton? No, that's not true: Claiborne was sentenced for accepting tens of thousands of do
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Doctors Do NOT Recommend Carbon Filter Face Masks To Prevent Coronavirus Spread
Do doctors recommend carbon filter face masks to prevent Coronavirus? No, this is misleading. Videos falsely claims that doctors are recommending carbon filter masks as a way to protect families, although the FDA and CDC both concluded that th