A graphic spreading online in June 2020 acted as a nesting doll for a spate of disinformation linking conspiracy theories about both COVID-19 and tech mogul Bill Gates. The graphic claims that “61 out of 63 females GlaxoSmithKline tested became
Search Results (4112) for: dies
Truth or Fiction?→ Tamla Horsford’s Death Investigation Reopened: ‘This Picture Literally Gives Me the Chills’
On June 14 2020, a Facebook user shared the following post about the death of Tamla Horsford: Viral Posts about Tamla Horsford in June 2020 An appended image of eight women — seven white and one black — was captioned “This picture l
Full Fact→ The Covid-19 track and trace app has not been automatically downloaded onto people’s phones
We’ve seen a claim circulating on Facebook that the NHS Covid-19 “track and trace” app has been automatically downloaded onto people’s Android phones under the name “COVID-19 exposure notifications”. The claim that t
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Adolf Hitler Did NOT Defund And Eliminate The Police
Did Adolf Hitler defund and eliminate the police? No, that's not true: The Nazi leader did the opposite, expanding the police and the scope of their powers. The claim appeared as a post (archived here) shared on Facebook on June 11, 2020, unde
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Protester Sarah Grossman’s Death Was Triggered By Tear Gas At A George Floyd Protest
Did Sarah Grossman die after police sprayed her protest group with tear gas, which triggered her asthma and led to her death? No, there's no evidence that happened: The 22-year-old woman had not been diagnosed with asthma and there is no evide
Snopes→ Accuracy Still Unknown for Many Coronavirus Tests Rushed Out
Months into the outbreak, no one really knows how well many of the coronavirus screening tests work, and experts at top medical centers say it is time to do the studies to find out.
Health Feedback→ People who do not show COVID-19 symptoms can and do transmit it to others; physical distancing and face masks effectively reduce the risk of transmission
SUMMARY Claims that physical distancing (or social distancing) and using face masks or face coverings are not necessary went viral on Facebook in June 2020 (see examples here and here), following remarks by World Health Organization (WHO) official D
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Social Distancing And COVID-19 Are A Government Plot To Track And Control Citizens
Are social distancing guidelines and the COVID-19 pandemic part of a government plot to track and control citizens? No, that's not true: Osteopath Rashid Buttar, a practitioner who has been sued for fraud, made the claim in a video rant that a
FactCheck.org→ Unpacking WHO’s Asymptomatic COVID-19 Transmission Comments
At a June 8 press conference, a World Health Organization scientist confusingly suggested that asymptomatic transmission of the coronavirus is “very rare” — a statement that many scientists found problematic, and which some politicians and th
FactCheck.org→ Bogus Claims of ‘Crisis Actors’ in Death of George Floyd
Quick Take False claims that nearly everyone involved in George Floyd’s death — including Floyd — are “crisis actors” have spread widely online. But the pictures that supposedly prove this theory actually show unrelated pe
Climate Feedback→ The potentials and limitations of tree plantings as a climate solution
In 2020, the World Economic Forum launched an initiative to plant one trillion trees to tackle climate change. Similar initiatives can be found across the world, yet the international conversation on tree plantings as a solution to reducing CO2 emissio
Health Feedback→ Brussels halted 5G rollout in 2019 to study its radiation emissions, not because any negative health effects had been demonstrated
REVIEW An article published in 2019 which went viral in June 2020 claims that the city of Brussels, Belgium, had stopped the rollout of 5G technology “due to [its] negative health effects”. The article further claims that published data “overwhe
Full Fact→ A viral post on autopsies, Italy and the new coronavirus has many inaccuracies
A viral post on Facebook has made a number of claims about Italy’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The almost 1,000 word long post begins: “Well! Well! Well! People are Waking up! Italy went against the WHO, saying no autopies [si
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Derek Chauvin, Police Officer Who Killed George FIoyd NOT Found Dead inside His Apartment Last Night
Was Derek Chauvin found dead in his appartment last night according to a CNN video? No, that's not true: a gang of hoaxers (likely from the Philippines) has created a string of fake news websites that trick people into sharing the false news o
Truth or Fiction?→ The Wilmington Massacre
In early June 2020m a screenshot of the following tweet was shared to Facebook; the original tweet asked students in North Carolina to retweet if they hadn’t learned about the “Wilmington Massacre” in history classes: N.C. STUDENT
FactCheck.org→ Misleading Ad Targets Biden on Fossil Fuels, Fracking
A TV ad from a Republican super PAC uses video of Joe Biden inaccurately explaining his climate plan against him. Biden’s campaign has said he would not completely ban fossil fuels, specifically fracking, as the ad appears to show him saying. The
Health Feedback→ German Ministry employee makes unsupported claim that COVID-19 pandemic is a global false alarm in widely circulated yet unsolicited opinion article
REVIEW An article posted by News Punch on 2 June 2020 partially reproduces a document originally published by the German outlet Tichys Einblick on 10 May 2020, claiming that it was leaked from Germany’s Interior Ministry. The document, titled KM 4
FactCheck.org→ Trump Tweets Baseless Claims About Injured Buffalo Protester
With no evidence, President Donald Trump promoted a conspiracy theory that Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old man who was hospitalized after being pushed by police during a June 4 protest in Buffalo, New York, was an “ANTIFA provocateur” who wa
Truth or Fiction?→ The ‘Asymptomatic Carriers’ of COVID-19 Controversy, Explained
On June 9 2020, what was framed as a World Health Organization (WHO) finding about asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 was shared seemingly everywhere — but within 24 hours, the organization had stepped in to issue an important clarification. A WHO
FactCheck.org→ Posts Distort Facts on Floyd Pathologist’s Role in Past Cases
Quick Take Instagram posts erroneously claim the “SAME DOCTOR” performed the autopsies on “JFK, MLK, Epstein, AND George Floyd.” The doctor referenced, pathologist Michael Baden, has connections to those four cases — but h
FactCheck.org→ China Didn’t Stop Virus ‘Cold’ Outside Wuhan
In remarks about SARS-CoV-2, President Donald Trump wrongly said China “stopped it cold” from spreading from Wuhan to other parts of China “but they didn’t stop it cold from coming to the United States, Europe and the rest of the wo
Full Fact→ Claim by Independent SAGE about the infectiousness of children is based on unclear evidence
“Recent UK and international data suggests that children are in fact as likely as adults to become infected and carry the virus” Independent SAGE, 29 May 2020 Independent SAGE—a group of experts set up with the aim of providing &
Full Fact→ Claim by Independent SAGE about the infectiousness of children is based on unclear evidence
“Recent UK and international data suggests that children are in fact as likely as adults to become infected and carry the virus” Independent SAGE, 29 May 2020 Independent SAGE—a group of experts set up with the aim of providing &
FactCheck.org→ Does Vitamin D Protect Against COVID-19?
Q: Does vitamin D help protect against COVID-19? A: Some scientists have hypothesized vitamin D might be helpful, but there is no direct evidence that vitamin D can prevent COVID-19 or lessen disease severity. Nevertheless, it should be part of a healt
Health Feedback→ Article inaccurately claims that coronavirus vaccine by Oxford researchers caused animal test subjects to develop COVID-19
SUMMARY This article, published in late May 2020, received more than 280,000 views on Facebook and more than 24,000 interactions on social media. The article makes numerous claims about Bill Gates and the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine being developed by Oxford
FactCheck.org→ Trump Touts Strong Jobs Report, Flubs Some Facts
In a Rose Garden address to comment on a surprisingly strong May jobs report, President Donald Trump continued to repeat false, misleading and exaggerated claims about the economy, the administration’s response to COVID-19, the border wall, veter
Snopes→ A Few Superspreaders Transmit the Majority of Coronavirus Cases
Several recent preprint studies, which haven’t yet been peer-reviewed, have shed light on the role of superspreading in COVID-19’s dispersion around the globe.
FactCheck.org→ Meme Misrepresents Fauci’s Position on Vaccine Trials
Quick Take A viral meme falsely suggests Dr. Anthony Fauci supports administering a COVID-19 vaccine before clinical trials are completed. Fauci supports the manufacture of vaccines while trials are underway — but only administering the vaccine o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Russia Did NOT Expose COVID-19 With Scientific Data As A Hoax, Did NOT Say It’s A Fake Pandemic
Did Russia expose COVID-19 with scientific data as a hoax and say it is a fake pandemic? No, that's not true: Authorities from Moscow's health department did release information about antibody testing of a random population sample of Moscow re
Full Fact→ New antibody tests are not 100% accurate on all measures
“One hundred per cent accuracy of test developed by Swiss firm Roche confirmed by experts at PHE's Porton Down facility last week.” The Telegraph, 13 May 2020 “A new test to determine whether people have ever been infected with coron
Full Fact→ New antibody tests are not 100% accurate on all measures
“One hundred per cent accuracy of test developed by Swiss firm Roche confirmed by experts at PHE's Porton Down facility last week.” The Telegraph, 13 May 2020 “A new test to determine whether people have ever been infected with coron
Full Fact→ Claim that extending the Brexit transition period could cost £380 billion is not credible
“Get Brexit done! Majority AGAINST Brexit transition extension in close poll” Daily Express, 17 May 2020 Britain’s ‘faces £380billion bill’ if Brexit is delayed beyond December Sun, 17 May 2020 “Extension to B
Full Fact→ Claim that extending the Brexit transition period could cost £380 billion is not credible
“Get Brexit done! Majority AGAINST Brexit transition extension in close poll” Daily Express, 17 May 2020 Britain’s ‘faces £380billion bill’ if Brexit is delayed beyond December Sun, 17 May 2020 “Extension to B
Health Feedback→ Significant methodological flaws in a 2020 study claiming to show unvaccinated children are healthier
SUMMARY A study published on 28 May 2020[1] has been used to support a claim shared in articles and social media posts on Facebook and Instagram that unvaccinated children are healthier than vaccinated children. As is typical for this type of claim,
FactCheck.org→ Post on Floyd Protests Uses Old Vandalism Photos
Quick Take A Facebook post about protests taking place in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death is criticizing protesters for “destroying the cemeteries” of veterans. But three of the four images cited are old and have nothing to do with the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘The Simpsons’ Did NOT Predict Police Officer Kneeling On George Floyd’s Neck
Did "The Simpsons" predict Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck, killing him? No, that's not true. The memes claiming the television show "The Simpsons" aired an episode that showed a police officer, Wiggins
FactCheck.org→ Trump Can’t Designate Antifa — or Any Movement — Domestic Terrorist Organization
As some nationwide protests have turned violent, President Donald Trump pointed to the anti-fascist movement antifa, claiming: “The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.” But there is no such offic
Health Feedback→ Facebook posts spread unsupported anonymous claim that face mask use caused a lung infection in a healthy teenager
REVIEW A claim that a healthy 19-year-old grocery store worker was hospitalized for pleurisy, an inflammation of the tissue surrounding the lungs, due to her breathing in carbon dioxide and “her own bacteria” as a result of wearing a face mask,
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If You as a White Person Would Be Happy to Receive the Same Treatment That Our Black Citizens Do in This Society, Please Stand!’
A May 15 2020 Facebook post by user Joya Foster Follette (captioned simply “A Repost”) circulated virally after the killing of George Floyd, alongside the following image of text describing white indifference to racism: The text in the i
FactCheck.org→ Baseless Conspiracy Theory Claims Floyd Case Was ‘Staged’
Quick Take Viral text posts are advancing the groundless claim that George Floyd’s arrest and death in Minneapolis were “staged” to incite “racial tensions.” But they offer no evidence to support that conspiracy theory.