The last thing readers needed amid the 2020 coronavirus pandemic was fiction disguised as "news."
Search Results (3748) for: pandemic
FactCheck.org→ Sanders Twists Trump’s Words on Coronavirus/Work
Sen. Bernie Sanders wrongly claimed President Donald Trump said if people have symptoms of the new coronavirus infection, “doesn’t matter, go to work.” That’s not what the president said. Trump was making the point that infectio
Truth or Fiction?→ Unsourced ‘Intensivist’ Thread Spreads on Twitter as COVID-19 Hits Italy
In March 2020, as more nations grappled with a novel coronavirus pandemic, social media users continued to promote unsourced chain-letter “messages” online as people searched for reliable and credible information. One of the latest instanc
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Every U.S. Election Year Does NOT Have A Disease
Does every U.S. election year have a disease associated with it? No, that's not true: A whiteboard photograph being shared online contains some inaccurate dates and information. It presents a U.S.-centric view of global epidemics and pandemics
FactCheck.org→ Contrary to False Posts, Sanitizer Helpful Against Coronavirus
Quick Take Screenshots circulating on Facebook falsely claim that hand sanitizer will “do nothing for the coronavirus.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says hand sanitizers with 60% alcohol can be used to help prevent co
Truth or Fiction?→ Was ‘World of Warcraft’ Once Hit by a Virus That Was Subsequently Studied by Researchers?
As the COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus disease) continued to spread in March 2020, social media users flashed back to a “pandemic” that unfolded nearly 20 years earlier — but this one took place entirely in the virtual world. According to
FactCheck.org→ The Facts on Trump’s Travel Restrictions
President Donald Trump has made a number of misleading statements about his decision on Jan. 31 to impose travel restrictions related to the novel coronavirus epidemic. Trump has referred to the travel restrictions as a “travel ban.” There
FactCheck.org→ Trump and the Coronavirus Death Rate
The World Health Organization says that 3.4% of reported COVID-19 patients worldwide have died – a global fatality figure that President Donald Trump dismissed as “a false number.” It’s not a false number, although experts say Trump has a point
FactCheck.org→ Democrats’ Misleading Coronavirus Claims
Democrats have criticized President Donald Trump for his administration’s response to the new coronavirus, making claims about cuts to public health programs and the silencing of government experts. But they haven’t always gotten their facts ri
Truth or Fiction?→ Would 38 Percent of Americans Not Buy Corona Beer over Coronavirus Fears?
On February 28 2020, CNN published a tweet reporting that a full 38 percent of Americans — more than a third — refused to drink Corona beer under any circumstances, due to fears of coronavirus: 38% of Americans wouldn't buy Corona be
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘Akira’ Predict a 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak?
On February 27 2020, a Facebook user shared the following meme about the 1988 anime classic Akira, the 2020 Olympics, and plot elements which were reportedly strangely prescient: A four-panel meme featured images on one side, text on the other. In s
Washington Post→ Fact-checking President Trump’s coronavirus news conference
We examine 13 claims made by the president as he attempted to calm nerves over the potential pandemic.
Truth or Fiction?→ Rush Limbaugh Claims Coronavirus is No More Dangerous than the Common Cold. Is it?
In a transcript dated February 24 2020, radio personality Rush Limbaugh claimed that novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is no more dangerous than “the common cold,” adding that he believed that concern over the new strain of disease was simply p
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Advisor Pushes Coronavirus Disinformation: ‘We Have Contained This’
Despite warnings at the federal level regarding the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in the United States, both U.S. President Donald Trump and one of his chief economic advisors have tried to push disinformation in downplaying the threat. During
FactCheck.org→ No Link Between Harvard Scientist Charles Lieber and Coronavirus
Q. Is it true that federal agents arrested Harvard professor Charles Lieber for creating the coronavirus? A: No. Lieber, a nanoscientist, was charged for lying about his participation in a Chinese recruitment program and his affiliation with a Chinese
FactCheck.org→ Will the New Coronavirus ‘Go Away’ in April?
President Donald Trump suggested that the new coronavirus would “go away” in April, as temperatures warm. While some viruses are seasonal, it’s not yet clear if the new virus will follow the same pattern — and experts caution against bankin
FactCheck.org→ Fake Coronavirus Cures, Part 3: Vitamin C Isn’t a Shield
Quick Take Online posts claim that vitamin C can “stop” the new coronavirus. While it’s true that vitamin C can have a marginal effect on warding off a cold, there’s no evidence that it can stop or treat the new coronavirus. Fu
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Vitamin C Does NOT Slow Or Stop Coronavirus
Do high doses of Vitamin C dramatically slow or stop the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus? No, that's not true: There is no known cure for the virus that to date has infected more than 24,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Bill Gates Did NOT Help Fund Patent For Coronavirus
Did billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates help fund a patent for the Wuhan coronavirus? No, that's not true: The Pirbright Institute addressed the conspiracy theories and said the patents involve infectious bronchitis
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO Evidence Coronavirus Is A Man-made Depopulation Weapon
Is the coronavirus a "man-made" depopulation weapon? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support this theory, which is being spread by conspiracy-minded outlets like InfoWars. While scientists are still investigating the source of the
Truth or Fiction?→ Lysol + Coronavirus = Conspiracy
As fears of a coronavirus outbreak spread virally on social media in late January 2020, so too did posts about the packaging of Lysol and what some people saw as a suspicious mention of a viral strain that was new to them: LYSOL WAS INVENTED IN 1
FactCheck.org→ New Coronavirus Wasn’t ‘Predicted’ In Simulation
Quick Take A conspiracy theory website distorted the facts about an emergency preparedness exercise to suggest that the “GATES FOUNDATION & OTHERS PREDICTED UP TO 65 MILLION DEATHS” from the coronavirus now spreading. The event dealt wi
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Scripps Urgent Care NOT On Lockdown; Two People In Clinics Do NOT Have Coronavirus
Was a Scripps Urgent Care in Southern California put under lockdown because it was treating two patients with the coronavirus? No, that's not true: Scripps Health has taken to social media to deny these claims, which have been made repeatedly
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 2015 Article About Lab-Made Coronavirus Triggers Debate
Does an article from a scientific journal in 2015 about a lab-made coronavirus refer to the current outbreak? No, that's not true, and here is some context: While the facts in The Scientist article appear to be accurate, the opinion piece is a
Climate Feedback→ Claim that human civilization could end in 30 years is speculative, not supported with evidence
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This article at IFLScience describes a report produced by an Australian think tank. The report attempts to describe a possible worst case climate scenario in 2050. The report claims this scenario leads to a “
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Eradicated Diseases Making a Comeback Because of Immigrants and Refugees?
In April 2019, the Facebook page “Donald Plants” shared the following meme (archived here), which claimed that six “eradicated diseases” are in the process of “making a comeback” thanks to the presence of refugees
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the Trump-Pelosi-Schumer Scuffle
In a contentious Oval Office meeting, President Donald Trump and the Democratic congressional leaders — Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer — disagreed over funding for a border wall, mangling some facts in the process. The president claimed th
Climate Feedback→ Wall Street Journal op-ed on economic consequences of climate change found naive by scientists
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This Wall Street Journal commentary by David Henderson and John Cochrane argues that the world would be better off adapting to climate change than eliminating the greenhouse gas emissions that cause warming. Scient