In mid-March 2020, a Facebook status update screenshot began circulating, advising anyone in need that United Way had a COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund which could be accessed by calling 1-866-211-9966: Black text on a pink and purple backgro
Search Results (3713) for: pandemic
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO, Trump Is NOT Promising To Send Americans Checks – Only After Checking People’s Social Media History
Did President Trump tweet that he had ordered the U.S. Treasury to send checks to Americans - but only after checking people's social media posts to make sure they were not unfavorable to the president. No, this is a satirical post: Whle Trump
Snopes→ 10 Misconceptions About the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’
In the pandemic of 1918, between 50 and 100 million people are thought to have died, representing as much as 5% of the world’s population.
FactCheck.org→ A Guide to Our Coronavirus Coverage
Today we launched a new Coronavirus Coverage page to help readers navigate our website and more easily find the articles they want to read. The landing page provides a list of our latest stories — those published in the past seven days — ou
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Timeline of Trump’s COVID-19 Statements’ Meme
As criticism spread against United States President Donald Trump’s administration for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, one graphic disseminated on social media listed his multiple attempts to downplay the disease: In thi
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: 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
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Coronavirus Put Dogs at Risk Because Hand Sanitizer Has the Same Ingredients as Antifreeze?
On March 14 2020, a Facebook status update (archived here) claiming that pet owners should be aware that hand sanitizer “has the same ingredients as antifreeze” went viral after an uptick in hand sanitizer use due to an ongoing COVID-19 o
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Amazon Suspending All Non-Essential Shipments Except for Medical Supplies and and ‘High-Demand’ Products?
On March 17 2020, a number of tweets suggested a massive looming disruption in the flow of products from Amazon to customers, claiming that only medical supplies and “high-demand items” would be available for up to a month: BREAKING
Snopes→ Could the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election Be Postponed?
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night — nor a pandemic — has much chance of delaying a presidential election.
Snopes→ Health Chief Halts Ohio Primary; 3 Other States Forge Ahead
Ohio called off its presidential primary just hours before polls were set to open there and in three other states, an 11th-hour decision the governor said was necessary to prevent further fueling the coronavirus pandemic that has paralyzed the nation.
Snopes→ US Officials: Foreign Disinformation Is Stoking Virus Fears
The Trump administration is alleging that a foreign disinformation campaign is underway aimed at spreading fear in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.
FactCheck.org→ False Claims of Nationwide Lockdown for COVID-19
Quick Take The National Security Council is warning Americans of a “FAKE” rumor circulating on social media that falsely claims President Donald Trump will impose a nationwide “mandatory quarantine.” President Donald Trump said
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Of Trains Does NOT Suggest U.S. Is Preparing For Martial Law
Does a video showing U.S. military vehicles being transported on trains indicate the country is getting ready for martial law? No, that's not true: The video was uploaded to YouTube on March 3, 2013. This old video is currently being posted in
Truth or Fiction?→ WIC-Approved Items and Coronavirus #SocialDistancing
On March 16 2020, the Facebook page “Vote Common Good” shared a screenshot of a tweet about social distancing, WIC-approved items, and conscientious coronavirus stock-up shopping: Labeled “a practical way to show kindness,”
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Coronavirus Outbreak Did NOT Prompt Gun And Ammunition Policy Changes At Walmart
Did efforts to control the novel coronavirus outbreak prompt Walmart to change its policy and no longer sell ammunition? No, that's not true: Walmart had already changed its ammo sales policy on September 3, 2019, a month after a gunman killed
Truth or Fiction?→ Has Italy Stopped Treating COVID-19 in the Elderly?
As Italy grappled with the spread of COVID-19, American Facebook users took that as their opportunity to insult a national health service. “Italy has decided NOT to treat their elderly for this virus !!!! That, my friends, is Socialized Health
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘Nancy and the Dems’ Try to ‘Slip Taxpayer-Funded Abortion’ into a Coronavirus Aid Bill?
On March 12 2020, a Facebook user shared a status update claiming that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the entire Democratic Party tried to “slip taxpayer-funded abortions” into a funding package designed to help blunt the worst effects of
Snopes→ Coronavirus Vaccine Test Opens with First Doses
U.S. researchers gave the first shot to the first person in a test of an experimental coronavirus vaccine Monday -- leading off a worldwide hunt for protection even as the pandemic surges.
FactCheck.org→ Infographic on Facebook Distorts Comparative Facts on Viruses
Quick Take A misleading chart being spread on Facebook, erroneously dubbing the new coronavirus the “least deadly virus,” contains outdated information about the coronavirus and erroneous information about the death rate of the 2009 pandemi
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Trump Will Evoke What Is Called the Stafford Act’ Viral Post
Amid growing concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus strain COVID-19 in mid-March 2020 and lack of information from the United States government, corrosive and weaponized disinformation thrived in the form of chain emails, Facebook posts, and te
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Every Household In The U.S. Is NOT Getting $500 Emergency Food Stamps Or $1,000 Stimulus Check
Is every household in the United States receiving $500 in emergency food stamps and a $1,000 stimulus check? No, that's not true: The U.S. House has passed a sweeping coronavirus response package, but the U.S. Senate has not yet taken it up -
Truth or Fiction?→ NTNU in Norway Warns about Coronavirus, the United States’ Healthcare and Infrastructure
On March 14 2020, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) advised students abroad to return home in the face of a global COVID-19 pandemic. The warning was for “countries with poorly developed collective infrastructure, for exa
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Novel Coronavirus Is NOT The Least Deadly Virus
Does a chart that people are sharing online comparing major viruses accurately represent how the novel coronavirus is the "least deadly virus"? No, it does not: The table exaggerates the death rate for H1N1. The source for the chart, a Busines
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the March Democratic Debate
Summary The first head-to-head debate of the Democratic presidential primary between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders focused on the government’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. We sorted through competing claims th
Snopes→ CDC Recommends No Gatherings of 50 or More for 8 Weeks
The CDC is recommending that gatherings of 50 people or more in US be canceled or postponed over next eight weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Snopes→ How Coronavirus Spreads and Infects
The medical impact of the new coronavirus is coming into sharper focus as it continues its spread in what is now officially recognized as a pandemic.
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Companies With More Than 500 Workers Exempt From a Coronavirus Relief Bill?
Shortly after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the House Resolution 6201 that both Democrats and Republicans promised would help American workers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, both parties came under criticism for an exemption that woul
Snopes→ House Passes Aid Bill After Trump Declares Virus Emergency
The House has approved legislation to provide direct relief to Americans suffering physically, financially and emotionally from the coronavirus pandemic.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Two Congressmen Propose a Bill Granting Americans Between $1,000 and $6,000?
A new bill proposed by two Democratic Party congressmen would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for Americans who earned less than $65,000 in 2019 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. News of the bill by Reps. Ro Khanna (California) and Rep.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did 12,000 Americans Die of H1N1/Swine Flu, and Were 275,000 Hospitalized?
As concerns over novel coronavirus strain COVID-19 crested in mid-March 2020, comparisons between the effects of the strain versus that of H1N1 (or “swine flu”) more than a decade before triggered a flurry of fact checks, a Facebook flag o
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Website Urging People To Stay Home Offers Sound Advice
Does a website that urges people to "stay the f--- home" offer sound advice? Yes, it does, and here is some context: A medical doctor reviewed the suggestions for Lead Stories and said the website is sharing some "common sense" recommendations
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: New York City Is NOT Set To Undergo Citywide Quarantine
Will New York City begin a citywide quarantine? No, that's not true: That is false information tweeted by a self-proclaimed "patriotic American" backed up by no facts. In fact, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted a plea for people spreading
Truth or Fiction?→ Stephen King ‘Coronavirus Is not Like ‘The Stand’ Response Tweet
On March 11 2020, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared a screenshot of a popular Twitter exchange between author Stephen King and another Twitter user, during which King denied the COVID-19 global pandemic was “like The Stand,”
Truth or Fiction?→ South Korea Tested 200,000, the CDC Tested 77 in a Week, and the Utah Jazz Tested 58 Players for COVID-19 in Hours?
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→ 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
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
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
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