Misinformation

False Claim : Nicki Minag said Covid vaccine could make you impotent.

• Debunk Date :

  09/15/2021

• Debunked By :

  nbcnews

• Sources :

  News site

The false claim is: "Nici Minag shared a story about her cousin's friend in trinidad who got the vaccine andbecame importent." This claim is false. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its most updated information page on vaccinations that there is "currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems in women or men."

False Claim : A spate of studies claim that the disease was circulating in Italy long before the pandemic

• Debunk Date :

  09/11/2021

• Debunked By :

  wired

• Sources :

  News site

The false claim is: "Researchers have evidence that the origin of COVID-19 was in Italy." This claim is false. "The evidence of this early European spread hypothesis are falwed or rely on unusual methodology.“ The article also states "There is overwhelming evidence that the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic originated in China, almost certainly in Wuhan,” says Jesse Bloom, a viral evolutionary geneticist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. “Attempts by Chinese state media to argue that the pandemic might have originated elsewhere in the world are clearly scientific misinformation.”

False Claim : Taking ivermectin (horse dewormer) can treat COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  09/01/2021

• Debunked By :

  washingtonpost

• Sources :

  News site

The false claim is: "Joe Rogan, said he was new feeling "great" after "one bad day" on Saturday. After his diagnosis, he said he "immediately threw the kitchen sink" at the virus, and listed a litany of therapeutics and treatments he tried, including invermectin, a medicine used to kill parasites in animals and humans but best known as dewormer. The treatment is one that has been promoted by conservative media figures, politicians, some doctors. This claim is false. "This has a warning from the Food and Drug Adminstration, which has advised against using it as a treatment for COVID-19. Poision control centers have reported huge spikes of calls about ivermectin exposure. "You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it." the FDA tweeted last month amid an increase of people getting sick by the medicine. The FDA has not authorized or approved ivermectin for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 in people or animals. Ivermectin has not been shown to be safe or effective for these indications."

False Claim : There's insufficient evidence to support the need for third doses of vaccine according to WHO.

• Debunk Date :

  08/19/2021

• Debunked By :

  WSJ

• Sources :

  News Site

The false claim is: "There is insufficent evidence to support the need for third doses, WHO officials said while accusing wealthy countries of behaing selfishly by giving theeir own citizens added protection while billions around the world remain unvaccinated". This is false. "The U.S. has already donated 110 million vacines out of it's own supply to lower-income coutnries and contracted for another 500 million to donate - three times the 200 million boosters the Biden administration recently ordered for Americans. The administration has also pledged as much as $4 billion to WHO-backed program Covax to buy vaccines for low-income countries, as a Journal editoral explained."

False Claim : Biden administration would send people door to door to “document unvaccinated Americans”

• Debunk Date :

  08/01/2021

• Debunked By :

  nytimes

• Sources :

  Conspiracy Theory

The conspiracy theory is: "The Biden Biden administration would send people door to door to document unvaccinated Americans. This is false. The Biden administration is not sending people door to door and the New York Times calls this a conspiracy theory.

False Claim : Don’t believe the hype that Florida” COVID-19 “numbers are up. It’s a blatant lie.

• Debunk Date :

  07/25/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Instagram

The false claim is: "A woman who says she is a registered nurse living in Tampa claims that, despite news reports, COVID-19 is not ravaging Florida. " This is false. As of July 27, 2021, "Over the previous week, Florida accounted for more than one-fifth of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and recorded more COVID-19 deaths than any other state. The seven day-average positivity rate for testing rose from 0.83% on June 11 to 24.3% on July 25."

False Claim : Video montage shows Kamala Harris and others faking vaccination.

• Debunk Date :

  07/19/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: A video montage showing that Kamala Harris and several others faking getting their vaccine. This is false. The video was created to mislead the vaccines were faked and their is no evidence to support this.

False Claim : Magnetism was added to COVID-19 vaccines to push mRNA through the body.

• Debunk Date :

  06/22/2021

• Debunked By :

  usatoday

• Sources :

  Rumble

The false claim is: People who have had the vaccine are now magantized because of the COVID-19 shot. This is false. "All three conornavirus vaccines approved for emergency use inthe United States are free from metals"

False Claim : Coconut water concoction can cure COVID-19 circulates online

• Debunk Date :

  06/21/2021

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Concoction of coconut water; salt; honey and lime juice, can cure Covid-19 infection." The claim is false. "The receipe has not been prven as a remedy for Covid-19", medical experts told AFP.

False Claim : If you get the vaccine and you sit next to somebody who's been vaccinated, it'll cause you to bleed.

• Debunk Date :

  06/18/2021

• Debunked By :

  washingtonpost

• Sources :

  Rumor

The rumor is: "If you get the vaccine and you sit next to somebody who's been vaccinated, it'll cause you to bleed." This is false. "Sitting next to someone who has been vaccinated will not cause you to bleed.

False Claim : Vaccines contain antifreeze.

• Debunk Date :

  06/18/2021

• Debunked By :

  washingtonpost

• Sources :

  Rumor

The rumor is: Vaccines contain antifreeze. This is false. The rumor that because Polyethylene glycol is in the vaccines that they contain antifreeze. Polyethylene glycol is NOT an ingredient in antifreeze. The Moderna vaccine contains polyethylene glycol (.5 micrograms), which is the same ingredient found in Miralax, accroding to the State of Connecticut multi-agency Joint Information Center for Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates.

False Claim : Spike proteins from coronavirus vaccines are dangerous toxins that cause damage in the body.

• Debunk Date :

  06/08/2021

• Debunked By :

  usatoday

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "Coronavirus spike protein resulting from vaccinationis a "toxin" and sites a "doctor" as evidence." This is false. "There is no scientific data to indicate that the spike protein is toxic or that it lingers at any toxic level in the body after vaccination," Abby Capobianco, press officer for the FDA, said in an email.

False Claim : The AstraZeneca vaccine shows up on Bluetooth devices

• Debunk Date :

  05/27/2021

• Debunked By :

  usatoday

• Sources :

  Instagram, Facebook

The false claim is: "Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine makes recipients Bluetooth connectable." This is false. "Bluetooth technology uses radio waves to communicate between nearby devices. COVID vaccines do not inject any element capable of connecting with electronics through Bluetooth."

False Claim : The vaccine contains "aborted cell tissue".

• Debunk Date :

  04/12/2021

• Debunked By :

  nytimes

• Sources :

  Rumor

The rumor is: The vaccine contains aborted cell tissue. This is false. "The vaccines do not include fetal tissue, and no additional abortions are required to manufacture them."

False Claim : The government and “globalist entities” will “use bayonets and prisons to force a needle into your arm.

• Debunk Date :

  04/12/2021

• Debunked By :

  nytimes

• Sources :

  Rumor

The rumor is: "The government and “globalist entities” will “use bayonets and prisons to force a needle into your arm." This is false. The government is not forcing people to get the vaccine by using bayonets and prisons.

False Claim : Human remains or fetal DNA being an ingredient in the vaccines.

• Debunk Date :

  04/12/2021

• Debunked By :

  nytimes

• Sources :

  Rumor

The rumor is: "Human remains or fetal DNA being an ingredient in the vaccines." This is false. "The vaccines do not include fetal tissue, and no additional abortions are required to manufacture them."

False Claim : Nostradamus predicted that a “feeble man” would rule the “Western World” after a time of “plague.”

• Debunk Date :

  03/30/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Facebook posts, including one shared more than 1,000 times, feature verses supposedly written by Nostradamus: "A plague shall fall upon the world. After, a feeble man shall rule the Western World with a jezebel. The people will be damaged and subjugated by a fool ruler. The great eagle shall suffer and fall." This is false. "There is no mention of this prophecy outside of recent posts on social media websites."

False Claim : 80% of people taking the Moderna vaccine had significant side effects, via Bill Gates.

• Debunk Date :

  03/25/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "80% of People Taking The #Maderna Vaccine Had Significant Side-Effectives Via #BillGates." This is false: "A U.S. Food and Drug Administration report in December said 0.5% of 15,184 people who received the Moderna vaccine experienced a severe adverse event.”

False Claim : Jamaica has not recorded any case of the coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  03/22/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "A photo of rapper and cannabis enthusiast Snoop Dogg smoking is being shared on social media with this text: "JAMAICA has not recorded any case of the CORONAVIRUS. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?" This is false. "Jamaica has had more than 35,300 reported COVID-19 cases and more than 530 deaths."

False Claim : Aluminum “is in the vaccine” and will hurt the brain.

• Debunk Date :

  03/22/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: Aluminum is in the vaccine. This is false. "Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have shared the ingredients list to their vaccines and none have an aluminum adjuvant."

False Claim : Hank Aaron and Marvelous Marvin Hagler died “after taking the COVID-19 vaccine.”

• Debunk Date :

  03/16/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: Hank Aaron and Marvelous Marvin Hagler dies after taking the vaccine. This is false. "The cause of Aaron’s death was ruled natural and not linked to the COVID-19 vaccine. It is not yet known whether Hagler received a COVID-19 vaccine or what caused his death."

False Claim : A CDC study found that “mask mandates made no statistical difference” on coronavirus case rates.

• Debunk Date :

  03/13/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  News Site

The false claim is: A study found that mask mandates have an insignificant effect on COVID case rates. This is false. "Mask mandates were associated with statistically significant decreases in county-level daily COVID-19 case and death growth rates."

False Claim : President Joe Biden promoted "mandatory vaccines for everybody" in his March 11 address.

• Debunk Date :

  03/12/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "President Joe Biden promoted "mandatory vaccines for everybody" in his March 11 address." This is false. "In a March 11 address to the nation, President Joe Biden said the White House would direct state, local and tribal governments to make all American adults eligible to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine by May 1. He did not say vaccines would be mandatory."

False Claim : Vitamin D, vitamin C, colloidal silver and black seed oil can kill the coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  03/11/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "Vitamin D, vitamin C, colloidal silver and black seed oil can kill the coronavirus." This is false. "While research has been mixed on the benefits of some supplements in treating or preventing COVID-19, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that they can kill the coronavirus."

False Claim : A nurse pretending to vaccinate actor Anthony Hopkins before squirting fluid in the syringe on the floor.

• Debunk Date :

  03/10/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "A nurse pretending to vaccinate "Silence of the Lambs" actor Anthony Hopkins before squirting the fluid from the syringe on the floor." This is false. "The nurse in the video didn’t pretend to inject actor Anthony Hopkins with the vaccine. The medical center confirmed he received a full vaccine dose. The nurse ejected excess liquid that often lingers in the syringe’s “dead space” between the plunger and needle after a medication or vaccine is administered."

False Claim : Video suggests Dr. Anthony Fauci said vaccines don’t protect against COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  03/08/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "Misleading video suggests Dr. Anthony Fauci said vaccines don’t protect people from COVID-19" This is false. "The video shows real clips of Dr. Anthony Fauci, but misleading voiceovers have been added."

False Claim : The vaccine is an "experimental gene therapy".

• Debunk Date :

  03/04/2021

• Debunked By :

  newswise

• Sources :

  Conspiracy Theory

The false claim is: "The vaccine is an experimental gene therapy." This is false. "Gene therapy implies The use of DNA which stays in the body and can incorporate into chromosomes. RNA doesn’t do that. The RNA in the vaccines wouldn’t be converted into DNA because the enzymes capable of doing that aren’t present. Moreover, the RNA is not stable enough to hang around and is rapidly degraded.", according to Donald Forthal, UCI Professor of Medicine and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of California, Irvine.

False Claim : The COVID-19 vaccine could lead to prion diseases, Alzheimer’s, ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.

• Debunk Date :

  02/26/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Article

The false claim is: "In a article, published in the journal Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in January, J. Bart Classen wrote that components of the coronavirus vaccines may cause the misfolding of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." This is false. "Classen’s paper presents no evidence other than a three-sentence methods section that summarizes an unspecified analysis of the COVID-19 vaccine and Coronavirus vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have not been linked to neurodegenerative or prion diseases."

False Claim : Doctors and nurses who administer the coronavirus vaccine can be "tried as war criminals."

• Debunk Date :

  02/11/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Website

The false narriative is: "Dr. Vernon Coleman spins a conspiracy theory that paints the coronavirus vaccine as a dangerous medical experiment. Over the course of nearly 18 minutes, Coleman takes aim at politicians in the United Kingdom who have promoted the coronavirus vaccine. He calls the vaccine "experimental" and "gene therapy" — and says that doctors who administer it are guilty of war crimes." This is false. "The "vaccine program" Coleman referred to is an ongoing clinical trial for the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, which is expected to end Jan. 31, 2023. However, that doesn’t mean the Pfizer vaccine is an "experiment." It’s normal for safety monitoring to continue after the FDA greenlights a vaccine. Pfizer said in December that it would continue monitoring trial participants for adverse events for two years after they receive the second dose of the vaccine. The U.S. and U.K. governments also have systems in place for tracking vaccine safety. Regulators in the U.K., where Coleman lives, approved the vaccine for emergency use Dec. 2, 2020. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its emergency use authorization on Dec. 11. Americans started getting shots three days later."

False Claim : The COVID-19 vaccine “went out for distribution” in Nebraska “days before the FDA even said they were going to approve it.”

• Debunk Date :

  02/09/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, YouTube

The false Narriative is: "In a YouTube video posted Jan. 16, and shared on Facebook, Dr. Lee Merritt, casts doubt on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. Merritt claims in an interview segment that the vaccine was sent to states before it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." This is false. "The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced that it received both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines after the dates of FDA approval. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that it releases vaccines for distribution 24 hours after they are approved. A top planner of the federal government’s vaccine development efforts said that the vaccine began shipping after it was approved."

False Claim : COVID-19 Vaccine Turns People Gay

• Debunk Date :

  02/09/2021

• Debunked By :

  polygraph

• Sources :

  Website

The false narriative is: “Do not approach those who have been vaccinated. Because they have microchips, they have been genetically modified” This is false. "There is no link between vaccination and sexual orientation. Nor do vaccinated people act like ‘controlled robots.'"

False Claim : New evidence ties COVID-19 creation to research funded by Fauci

• Debunk Date :

  02/08/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Website

The false claim is: ""New evidence ties COVID-19 creation to research funded by Fauci," reads the headline." This is false. "Both the NIH and EcoHealth Alliance have denied that a grant to the Wuhan lab funded gain-of-function research, though a scientist told us that one paper published with assistance from the grant seems to describe techniques similar to gain-of-function. The CDC, the WHO, and the NIH have all said that the virus that causes COVID-19 evolved naturally. There is no evidence to support that claim that it was created by researchers."

False Claim : “Doctor proves masks don’t work” by vaping through them.

• Debunk Date :

  02/08/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "A video clip being shared on Facebook, a retired anesthesiologist who rails against mask wearing to protect against COVID-19 purports to demonstrate their ineffectiveness by blowing out the vapor from an electronic cigarette. The video carries the headline: "Doctor proves masks ‘don’t work.’" This is false. "Experts say the fact that masks allow e-cigarette vapor to pass through provides no evidence to back the claim. They say face coverings offer protection against COVID-19 by blocking larger respiratory droplets, as well as aerosols, that can carry the virus and pass between people. The CDC and other public health experts recommend mask wearing."

False Claim : BUSTED: CDC Inflated COVID Numbers, Accused of Violating Federal Law

• Debunk Date :

  02/05/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Blog

The false claim is: "Official COVID-19 data is being inflated. "BUSTED: CDC Inflated COVID Numbers, Accused of Violating Federal Law," reads the headline on a National File post." This is false. "The CDC isn’t inflating coronavirus statistics."

False Claim : Seniors around the world who died from COVID vaccine are being improperly listed as “natural causes.”

• Debunk Date :

  02/05/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Website

The false claim is: "The vaccine killed 86-year-old Hank Aaron and elderly people in Gibraltar and Norway, and that "seniors" around the world died soon after getting vaccinated, and that their cause of death was listed as natural." This is false: "There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccinations caused deaths of senior citizens."

False Claim : Race-Based Fears of COVID-19 Vaccine

• Debunk Date :

  02/02/2021

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Sources :

  YouTube, Facebook

The false narriative is: "Video clip makes bogus claims about COVID-19 vaccines and falsely accuses the government of “pure racism” for “push[ing] this heavily on Blacks and browns.”" This is false. "Public health experts have recommended prioritizing those communities for the vaccine because they have suffered higher rates of infection and death during the pandemic."

False Claim : The Biden administration lost 20 million COVID vaccines.

• Debunk Date :

  02/01/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Twitter, Website

The false claim is: ""The Biden Administration lost 20 million COVID vaccines… This entire administration is a joke," tweeted Ryan Fournier, founder of the group Students for Trump. As evidence, Fournier linked to an article published on the RFAngle, a site of conservative commentary that he founded. " This is false. "The Biden administration didn’t lose those doses. The Trump administration set up the distribution infrastructure under which these vaccines went missing. "

False Claim : WHO now saying you do not need to wear a mask.

• Debunk Date :

  02/01/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Blog

The false claim is: "WHO said on Jan. 22 that "there is no scientific medical reason for any healthy person to wear a mask outside of a hospital." This is false. "The WHO recommends medical masks for health workers in clinical settings, anyone feeling unwell, people waiting for COVID-19 test results, people caring for someone with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, people 60 and older, and people with underlying health conditions. For everyone else in the general public, non-medical fabric face coverings are OK, according to the WHO. "

False Claim : Masks have negative impacts on 68% of children.

• Debunk Date :

  01/29/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "Masks to reduce the spread of COVID have "major negative impacts" on 68% of children. according to a report out of Germany" This is false. "This is based on online submissions of childrens’ reactions to wearing masks. In the span of one week in October 2020, about 20,000 people had entered data on nearly 26,000 children. While the number of respondents is high, that says nothing about whether they are representative of the German population. Participation was based solely on personal preference. There’s evidence to suggest the group was heavily skewed toward people who were mask skeptics."

False Claim : COVID-19 vaccines have “experimental technology never before used on humans” and that some “contain nanochips which can electronically track recipients."

• Debunk Date :

  01/04/2021

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "COVID-19 vaccines use "new experimental technology never before used on humans" and that some "contain nanochips which can electronically track recipients." This is false. "The vaccines use new technology, but it has been tested on humans. The vaccines don’t have chips that can be used for tracking people."

False Claim : A registered nurse in Nashville, Tenn., developed Bell’s Palsy after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

• Debunk Date :

  12/30/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  YouTube, Facebook

The false narriative is: "In a video a person says, "Hi, I am a registered nurse in Nashville, Tenn., and my name is Khalilah Mitchell. I am reaching out to everyone about the Covid-19 vaccination," a woman says in the video, which we found posted on YouTube Dec. 26 and shared in scores of public Facebook posts. "I recently took the COVID-19 vaccination … After the shot I felt fine, but within three days I went to the doctor because I had problems with my face, the whole left side of my face actually. I have Bell's Palsy now, and as you can see I can't smile." This is false. "The Tennessee Department of Health has no record of any licensed nurses who go by the name given in a viral video and there is no evidence of a direct link between the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and Bell’s Palsy."

False Claim : Cornell University professor Robert Oswald said “COVID-19 was imaginary and fictitious.”

• Debunk Date :

  12/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: That a Cornell University professor said, "I have a PhD in virology and immunology. I'm a clinical lab scientist and have tested 1500 ‘supposed’ positive Covid 19 samples collected here in S. California," the caption says. "What we found was that all of the 1500 samples were mostly Influenza A and some were influenza B, but not a single case of Covid." This is false. "Oswald does not live in southern California, and he does not have a Ph.D. in virology or immunology. He did not write the text attributed to him — the text has been copied and pasted in social media posts and blog comments since at least Dec. 3. Oswald debunked the post in a statement on his faculty page."

False Claim : “CDC COVID-19 survival rates” are 99.997% for people ages 0 to 19, 99.98% for people ages 20 to 49, 99.5% for people ages 50 to 69, and 94.6% for people over 70.

• Debunk Date :

  12/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Twitter

The false claim is: "COVID-19 survival rates" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to downplay the severity of the virus and the need for vaccinations. This is false. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not released “COVID-19 survival rates,” an agency spokesperson said, and it doesn’t have the data to do so. It’s difficult to pin down a statistic like the “survival rate” with precision."

False Claim : "This is a phony pandemic."

• Debunk Date :

  12/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Verbal

The false claim is: "This looks like a group of people that gets this is a phony pandemic," Good, R-5th Congressional District, said Dec. 12 at a Women for America First rally in Washington. "It’s a serious virus, but it’s a virus; it’s not a pandemic." This is false. "COVID-19 has spread through every continent except Antarctica, racking 77 million cases and 1.7 million deaths. Leading science and health organizations across the world classify COVID as a pandemic."

False Claim : The new coronavirus vaccines contain toxic ingredients and are more dangerous than getting COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  12/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claims are: "The new mRNA vaccines can alter human DNA. We don’t need a vaccine because we’ve reached significant herd immunity. Anyone who has had COVID-19 would not benefit from the vaccine. The vaccine contains toxic ingredients like aluminum, mercury "and possibly formaldehyde. Receiving the shot is more harmful than contracting the disease itself." These are false. "The ingredient list for the vaccines does not include any of the “toxic” contents listed in the post. The leading vaccines — which have been tested for several months in thousands of people — can cause mild or moderate short-term reactions that resolve without complication. They are not more dangerous than the virus, which has killed over 300,000 Americans and more than 1.6 million people worldwide."

False Claim : 21% of people are having serious adverse events from (the Moderna) vaccine.

• Debunk Date :

  12/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false narriative is: ""21% of people are having serious adverse events from this vaccine," Lyons-Weiler says in the video. The clip is originally from Oct. 20, when Lyons-Weiler, head of the private group Institute for Pure and Applied Knowledge, spoke at a PA Medical Freedom press conference." This is false. "Moderna’s data shows that 0.5% of people had a serious adverse reaction."

False Claim : An Austrian politician “exposed the defectiveness of the government’s Covid-19 tests by demonstrating how even a glass of Coca Cola will test positive for Covid-19.”

• Debunk Date :

  12/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "An Instagram post is promoting the claim of an Austrian politician who argued that COVID-19 tests were junk because even a sample of Coca-Cola tested positive for the disease." This is false. "Schnedlitz did place a sample of Coke on a rapid test for COVID-19 antibodies and said it tested positive. But the company that makes the test said that isn’t surprising — because Schnedlitz didn’t do the test correctly. He left out a key step that would have yielded a negative result."

False Claim : One of the first nurses to receive the vaccine in AL is now dead.

• Debunk Date :

  12/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "A Dec. 15 text post said "one of the first nurses to receive the vaccine in AL is now dead." Similar posts said a 42-year-old nurse who got the vaccine died at least 8 hours later." This is false. "The Alabama Department of Public Health said in a Dec. 16 statement that no recipients of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine had died."

False Claim : This whole COVID thing? It’s a SIMULATION.

• Debunk Date :

  12/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: ""This whole COVID thing?" one Facebook post said. "It’s a SIMULATION" This is false. "The COVID-19 pandemic is not a simulation. The virus has infected more than 74 million people around the world and caused more than 1.65 million deaths."

False Claim : An optional microchip for COVID-19 vaccines “would give officials information on who has and has not been vaccinated” and “tracks the location of the patient.”

• Debunk Date :

  12/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Instagram

The false narriative is: "A video circulating on social media wrongly claims that some COVID-19 vaccines could include microchips to let government officials track patients." This is false. "COVID-19 vaccines do not include microchips for tracking patients. A medical technology company has been producing prefilled syringes for coronavirus vaccines. The syringes can include an optional chip on the label — not inside the injected dose itself — that would show if a particular dose is expired or counterfeit."

False Claim : The CDC delivers groceries and cleaning products “twice while you’re in quarantine.”

• Debunk Date :

  12/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: ""If you know anybody (that) test positive with COVID-19 the CDC has funding," the post says. "They deliver groceries and cleaning products (2) twice while you’re in quarantine. Call the CDc intake hotline." The post then lists two phone numbers with Philadelphia area codes." This is false. "No, the CDC isn’t delivering groceries and cleaning products to people in quarantine."

False Claim : If all goes 'well' it'll become federal law to get the (COVID-19) vaccine.

• Debunk Date :

  12/11/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Post claims that "if all goes ‘well’ it'll become federal law to get the vaccine."" This is false. "Neither the Trump administration nor the incoming Biden administration has announced plans to make the vaccine mandatory, if the vaccine is authorized. States, not the federal government, have the general authority over vaccination laws."

False Claim : Covid vaccine is female sterilization.

• Debunk Date :

  12/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Blog

The false claim is: ""Head of Pfizer Research: Covid vaccine is female sterilization," reads an inaccurate headline on a blog called "Health and Money News."" This is false. "A former Pfizer employee speculated that a COVID-19 vaccine could cause infertility, but experts say there’s no evidence that this is true."

False Claim : Images that show a 90-year-old UK woman receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine appeared online in a CNN news story in October.

• Debunk Date :

  12/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Twitter

The false narrative is: "The first patient in the United Kingdom that received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was not legitimate, becuase the same iamges apprared online months earlier." This is false. "Images of Margaret Keenan receiving the first Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the UK were not published in earlier articles by CNN, or any other news organization. The photos were taken the day of the event, on Dec. 8, and do not appear on the internet before then."

False Claim : China recovered from COVID-19 “without a vaccine.”

• Debunk Date :

  12/04/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "One image being shared on social media makes a claim about China, where the first case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019. "Why did China recover without a vaccine?" the image says. "And why doesn’t anybody talk about it?" " This is false. "Through a number of severe restrictions, widespread testing, and high compliance among residents there, the country has succeeded in bringing the virus to heel but it’s not back to normal. The country has a vaccine, and Chinese officials say nearly 1 million people have been vaccinated."

False Claim : Vaccines “will remove parts of your DNA and replace it with GENETIC CODING (TECHNOLOGY)” that will “cause people to HAVE to cooperate with the New World Order.”

• Debunk Date :

  11/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "Americans wary of vaccines have spread misinformation about what will happen to those who inoculate themselves against the disease. One recent Instagram post that has been widely shared claims that vaccines "will alter the DNA with a RNA Coding that will remove parts of your DNA and replace it with GENETIC CODING (TECHNOLOGY)."" This is false. "COVID-19 vaccines in development involve injecting genetic material into human cells, but they don’t alter DNA or control thoughts and beliefs. "

False Claim : Ticketmaster is planning mandatory COVID vaccine identification for concert attendance.

• Debunk Date :

  11/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "Online, some people are warning that the company will require a COVID-19 vaccine." This is false. "Ticketmaster has been working on a way for event organizers to confirm that people have been vaccinated for COVID-19 or tested negative for the disease before a concert, but the company itself is not requiring attendees to get vaccinated."

False Claim : COVID ends next Wednesday.

• Debunk Date :

  10/31/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "COVID ends next Wednsday after the Election." This is false. The election does not end COVID.

False Claim : More suicide deaths than coronavirus death past two months.

• Debunk Date :

  10/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "Super Bowl champion Tom Brady told his Instagram followers that suicide accounts for more death than COVID-19." This is false. "In an average month, about 4,000 people die from suicide. In the month of June, over 19,000 people died from the coronavirus. In the past 30 days, nearly 22,000 people died. Researchers say there is no way that the rate of suicide could increase so rapidly."

False Claim : CNN reported, “Due to COVID-19, President Donald Trump passes away at 74.”

• Debunk Date :

  10/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: ""Due to COVID-19, President Donald Trump passes away at 74," reads what looks like a screenshot of a CNN tweet. It was posted on Instagram on Oct. 12." This is False. Donald Trump is still alive.

False Claim : A CDC report found that “people who wear masks, are actually ‘collecting’ the virus in their masks.”

• Debunk Date :

  10/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "A post features a screenshot of a data table from the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A highlighted row shows that 70.6% of these people who tested positive for the virus reported that they "always" wore masks or cloth face mask coverings. "This is really REALLY BIG," the post reads. "HUGE… From the CDC… 70.6% of those testing positive wore masks ALWAYS. 3.9% of those testing positive wore masks NEVER. This means that people who wear masks, are actually ‘collecting’ the virus in their masks." This is false. "The post inaccurately summarizes a CDC report. In reality, the report found a correlation between regular mask wearing and lower COVID-19 transmission. Scientific studies have consistently found that face-mask use is one of the most effective means of preventing the transmission of COVID-19. ​"

False Claim : Donald Trump said, “The doctors said they’ve never seen a body kill the coronavirus like my body. They tested my DNA and it wasn’t DNA. It was USA.”

• Debunk Date :

  10/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Donald Trump said, “The doctors said they’ve never seen a body kill the coronavirus like my body. They tested my DNA and it wasn’t DNA. It was USA.” A screencapture of Donald Trump with this text has been shared on social media. There’s no evidence Donald Trump said this. The screencapture used for this image was taken from a video that Trump posted to Twitter on Oct. 3. During this video, he never made a statement about his body or his DNA.

False Claim : The US government has released plans to force a vaccine on everyone.

• Debunk Date :

  10/02/2020

• Debunked By :

  leadstories

• Sources :

  Website, Facebook

The false claim is: "The US government has released plans to force a vaccine on everyone." A website article falsely states that the US government has a forced vaccination plan, which is not true. The vaccination plan entitled "COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations" available at CDC.gov and public statements by U.S. health officials emphasize that once developed, vaccines will be voluntary.

False Claim : Donald Trump’s reelection campaign emailed supporters to “donate to help him recover from” COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  10/02/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Twitter

The false claim is: "Donald Trump’s reelection campaign emailed supporters to “donate to help him recover from” COVID-19." A screen capture of a made-up email is spread online. In this email, supporters are asked to donate money to "help him (Donald Trump) recover from this disease". This email is bogus, according RNC spokeswoman Mandi Merritt.

False Claim : Child in Germany died from wearing a mask.

• Debunk Date :

  10/02/2020

• Debunked By :

  leadstories

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Another child died in Germany from wearing the mask." A Facebook user who has published false claims in the past posted about a child dying from wearing a mask in Germany. On October 1, 2020, the Lower Franconia Police Department posted a warning on its Twitter account that mask critics are spreading a hoax about a 6-year-old dying from wearing the mask schools have required since re-opening on August 12.

False Claim : Petri Dish Full of Bacteria Swabbed from a Child’s Mask Reveals the Risks of Wearing Masks

• Debunk Date :

  09/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

The false claim is: "Petri Dish Full of Bacteria Swabbed from a Child’s Mask Reveals the Risks of Wearing Masks". A viral image has been circulating online the end of September 2020 showing a petri dish filled with bacteria "“which was cultured from a swab of a child’s mask after wearing it for twenty minutes”, according to the caption. This is false. Throughout 2020, medical experts and scientists repeatedly debunked similar claims. There was no evidence the image was accurately represented and no one claimed to have undertaken the experiment personally. Plenty of evidence supported the relative safety and efficacy of face masks, and no evidence indicated the image was accurate or informative with respect to public health.

False Claim : COVID-19 "affects virtually no young people."

• Debunk Date :

  09/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  theguardian

• Sources :

  Verbal

The false claim is: "COVID-19 affects virtually no young people." This statement was made by President Trump at a rally in Ohio on September 22. In August, the World Health Organization warned that young people were becoming the primary drivers of the spread of coronavirus in many countries.

False Claim : Covid-19 is NOT killing people--Weak immune systems and bad doctors are.

• Debunk Date :

  09/04/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Eric Nepute

The false claim is: "Covid-19 is NOT killing people--Weak immune systems and bad doctors are." While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 94% of people who died of COVID-19 had other conditions, they still died from COVID-19.

False Claim : Only 6% of the people actually died from COVID--The others died from other reasons.

• Debunk Date :

  09/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Only 6% of the people actually died from COVID--The others died from other reasons." Donald Trump made this false claim on September 1, 2020 in a Fox News interview. Specifically, In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Trump misconstrued data on coronavirus deaths. As of Sept. 3, 185,092 Americans had died due to COVID-19. A CDC report found that 6% of people who died from COVID-19 only had the virus. The majority had other conditions as well, but that doesn’t mean COVID-19 wasn’t to blame. The National Center for Health Statistics told us that COVID-19 was responsible for nearly all of the deaths involving the virus.

False Claim : Covid-19 means ‘certificate of identification of vaccination with artificial intelligence'.

• Debunk Date :

  09/02/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, David E Cowin

The false claim is: "Covid-19 means ‘certificate of identification of vaccination with artificial intelligence'." This is false. COVID-19 is an abbreviation of “coronavirus disease 2019.” “CO” stands for “corona,” “VI” stands for “virus” and “D” stands for “disease.” The number 19 reflects the year the disease was identified — 2019.

False Claim : The CDC adjusted the US COVID-19 deaths from 153,504 to 9,210.

• Debunk Date :

  08/31/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "The CDC adjusted the US COVID-19 deaths from 153,504 to 9,210." No, the CDC did not ‘quietly adjust’ US coronavirus deaths. President Donald Trump retweeted multiple posts that falsely claimed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decreased the number of U.S. coronavirus deaths to 9,210. Those posts misconstrue data from the CDC, which shows that the vast majority of coronavirus-related deaths occur in patients who have comorbidities like influenza or pneumonia. As of Aug. 31, the CDC reported that 182,622 Americans have died since the start of the pandemic. Some estimates put the death toll even higher.

Scam : The first 50 people commenting "LUCK" will receive $5000.

• Debunk Date :

  08/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  consumer

The scam is: "During this covid19 period we are still giving out $5000 to the first 50 people to comment 'LUCK'." According to the Federal Trade Commission, these free COVID-19 money offers are scams.

False Claim : The coronavirus has seen a big surge in New Zealand, It's terrible, We don't want that.

• Debunk Date :

  08/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  President Donald Trump

The false claim is: "The coronavirus has seen a big surge in New Zealand, It's terrible, We don't want that." This is a false statement made by Donald Trump. New Zealand reported nine new cases on Aug. 17, the day of Trump’s remark. New Zealand previously went over 100 days without an instance of community spread. The U.S. leads the world in cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths and has reported more than 50,000 new cases per day for most of August and July.

False Claim : Our (COVID-19) numbers are better than almost all countries.

• Debunk Date :

  08/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  President Donald Trump

The false claim is: "Our (COVID-19) numbers are better than almost all countries." Donald Trump says US is at the top globally in COVID-19 fight. It isn’t. Based on population, the United States has one of the highest death rates worldwide. The United States has a higher rate of infection than Canada, Australia and most European countries. At an event in Oshkosh, Wis., President Donald Trump said the country was "doing great" in the fight against the coronavirus. "We're coming back and our numbers are better than almost all countries," Trump said Aug. 17. When we asked the White House about the claim, the press office noted that by one measure, the United States is doing well. Looking at the percentage of confirmed cases that lead to death, the United States has a rate that’s about half that in Europe and the rest of the world.

False Claim : As of the last 24 hours this is the protocol regarding masks - Masks should only be used by healthcare workers, caretakers or by people who are sick with symptoms like fever and cough.

• Debunk Date :

  08/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Mychon Bowen

The false claim is: "As of the last 24 hours this is the protocol regarding masks - Masks should only be used by healthcare workers, caretakers or by people who are sick with symptoms like fever and cough." This false claim is being spread in a mislabeled photo on Facebook. The photo is outdated. The giveaway is the Nasdaq composite index listed in the bottom right-hand corner. The Nasdaq hasn’t sat at 9,415.23 since mid-June; the post claims the photo was taken in mid-August. The quote depicted in the image is from at least as early of March, a Google search shows. The World Health Organization currently says governments should encourage the general public to wear a fabric mask if “there is widespread community transmission, and especially in settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.”

False Claim : Under the COVID Act, school officials in the U.S. can quarantine children with COVID-19 symptoms outside their family home without their parents' or guardians' consent.

• Debunk Date :

  08/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The false claim is: "Under the COVID Act, school officials in the U.S. can quarantine children with COVID-19 symptoms outside their family home without their parents' or guardians' consent." This is false. This erroneous Facebook post swept across various countries in August 2020.

False Claim : When it comes to protecting against COVID-19 transmission, neck gaiters are worse than wearing no mask at all.

• Debunk Date :

  08/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  The Washington Post, CBS News

The false claim is: "When it comes to protecting against COVID-19 transmission, neck gaiters are worse than wearing no mask at all." This is false. As the world continued to grapple with changing restrictions and recommendations surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, rumors persisted into late summer 2020 regarding scientific understanding behind the effectiveness of certain face coverings used to reduce COVID-19 transmission. In August, a number of news publications reported findings from Duke University research and claimed wearing “neck gaiters” — stretchy, thin articles of clothing worn around the neck to sometimes cover the face — can be worse for transmission than foregoing a mask altogether. Research by Snopes found this claim to be false and largely misreported by some media outlets. The claim can be traced back to a study published in Science Advances on Aug. 7, 2020. Throughout the course of their research, scientists set out to determine the best methods for testing how to evaluate 14 types of face coverings — not determine which one is the most effective in protecting against transmission. The study was not meant to be a conclusive guide describing which masks to wear, but rather how to test their varied effectiveness. In short, the study findings concluded that the laser-beam method for viewing, recording, and counting respiratory droplets from analyzed face coverings is a quick and easy way to test their effectiveness. But how well each mask worked was not determined —– that would require further, more specific, evaluation, stricter testing mechanisms, and greater control over variables. Now, other scientists can use this same laser-beam method to specifically test for mask effectiveness.

False Claim : Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, George Soros and Jeffrey Epstein are connected with Moderna, Inc., and its efforts to create the coronavirus vaccine.

• Debunk Date :

  08/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, The Meme Aesthetic

The false claim is: "Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, George Soros and Jeffrey Epstein are connected with Moderna, Inc., and its efforts to create the coronavirus vaccine." This conspiracy about Moderna, Gates, Epstein, Fauci and Soros is wrong. The connections the post claims are wrong. Fauci is more than 14 years older than Gates and had already graduated from Cornell and was working at the NIH when Gates was in college. Gates did not attend Cornell and did not room with Fauci. IG Farben is not connected to Moderna. Fauci was never CEO of Moderna. Epstein was not the primary stockholder of Moderna when he died.

False Claim : President Donald Trump put a hold on ALL EVICTIONS through December.

• Debunk Date :

  08/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Adam Steadley

The false claim is: "President Donald Trump put a hold on ALL EVICTIONS through December." No, Donald Trump did not put a hold on evictions through December. An eviction moratorium for properties linked to federal housing financing was included in the CARES Act, a major coronavirus relief bill. The moratorium expired in late July. Trump’s executive order doesn’t extend the moratorium. Instead, it takes a softer approach by telling executive branch officials to think about possible solutions to evictions during the coronavirus pandemic and its related economic downturn. The executive order also says nothing about any December deadline.

False Claim : The coronavirus has a 99.9% recovery rate in Texas.

• Debunk Date :

  08/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "The coronavirus has a 99.9% recovery rate in Texas." Texas representative Allen West made this false claim in a July 27, 2020 interview. The calculation behind West’s “recovery rate” is not accurate. He looked at people who did not die after contracting COVID-19 and compared that figure to the entire population, not just those individuals who have been infected. Experts said his definition of the recovery rate is also misleading, as it counts any person who did not die as having recovered. In reality, studies have shown lasting health impacts on those who contracted the virus but are no longer infectious.

False Claim : Herd immunity has been reached.

• Debunk Date :

  08/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Matthew McBride

The false claim is: "Herd immunity has been reached." No, the U.S. hasn’t achieved herd immunity from COVID-19. We have not reached herd immunity against the coronavirus, and scientists say we aren’t close to achieving it in the United States. Scientists estimate herd immunity will probably be reached when 60% to 70% of the population has been infected.

False Claim : Children are almost immune from this disease.

• Debunk Date :

  08/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  President Donald Trump

The false claim is: "Children are almost immune from this disease." This is false. President Donald Trump made this false claim on August 5, 2020 in a Fox and Friends interview. Children represent about 7.3% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S and less than 0.1% of deaths, according to the CDC. Many children were not exposed to the virus as much as adults because schools shut down nationwide in March. Research in other countries that reopened schools shows children can catch COVID-19. As millions of parents across the United States agonize over whether their children should return to school, President Donald Trump has continued to downplay the chances that children will catch COVID-19.

False Claim : Bill Gates said, “We need to develop a digital certificate that shows who has received all the vaccinations. Only those with all the required vaccinations may travel, visit churches, participate in sports and music events, get a job, etc."

• Debunk Date :

  08/04/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Ona Marie Van Dyke

The false claim is: "That Bill Gates said, 'We need to develop a digital certificate that shows who has received all the vaccinations. Only those with all the required vaccinations may travel, visit churches, participate in sports and music events, get a job, etc.'" Bill Gates didn’t say this about COVID-19 vaccines. This falsity is being shared as a viral image on Facebook.

False Claim : Dr. Anthony Fauci wrote in a 2005 paper published in Virology Journal that hydroxychloroquine was effective in treating SARS.

• Debunk Date :

  08/04/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Social Media

The false claim is: "Dr. Anthony Fauci wrote in a 2005 paper published in Virology Journal that hydroxychloroquine was effective in treating SARS." This is false. In July 2020, social media users posted a meme that included a screenshot of an article excerpt that allegedly demonstrated hydroxychloroquine would be an effective “cure and vaccine” against COVID-19. The claim stems from an opinion piece by Bryan Fischer, former director of the American Family Association, that interpreted a 2005 study on the utility of chloroquine to treat SARS as being relevant to COVID-19 — a disease that did not exist at the time of that paper’s publication. SARS (aka SARS-CoV, which caused epidemics in the early 2000s) and COVID-19 (aka SARS-CoV-2) are both caused by coronaviruses, but that does not mean that both could be treated with the same medication. Similarly, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are related drugs, but that does not mean they are interchangeable. Finally, the excerpted study was limited in scope and based on laboratory results. Fischer attempted to tie Dr. Anthony Fauci to the 2005 study by falsely alleging that it was published in a journal run by the U.S. agency Fauci heads.

False Claim : A photo shows a large crowd in Berlin protesting the "covid hoax".

• Debunk Date :

  08/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Lawrence R. Spencer

The false claim is: "That a a photo shows a large crowd in Berlin protesting the 'covid hoax'." The photo does not show a COVID-19 protest in Berlin. It was taken in August 2019 in Zurich, Switzerland, during the 28th annual techno Street Parade.

False Claim : A common cold can cause a positive COVID-19 test.

• Debunk Date :

  07/31/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Erin Shreckengost

The false claim is: "A common cold can cause a positive COVID-19 test." No, the common cold won’t cause a false positive COVID-19 test. A screenshot from the CDC website that appears out of context is a warning about COVID-19 antibody tests, not viral tests for current infections. Antibody tests check for past infections and might tell you if you had COVID-19. But they are unreliable, so if you test positive, it could mean that you have antibodies from the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, or that you have antibodies from another coronavirus, like a cold. Viral tests for current COVID-19 infections do not give positive results if you have only a common cold. Sometimes social media posts blatantly share misinformation about the coronavirus. Other times, it’s implied. An image currently circulating on Facebook falls in the latter category. It’s a screenshot from the website of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a stateside clearinghouse for information about the virus. "A positive test result shows you may have antibodies from an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. However, there is a chance a positive result means that you have antibodies from an infection with a virus from the same family of viruses (called coronaviruses), such as the one that causes the common cold." This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. The post’s comments make clear that some people are seeing this image and believing that a common cold can cause a false positive on a COVID-19 test.

False Claim : A study from the CDC and the WHO proves face masks do not prevent the spread of a virus.

• Debunk Date :

  07/31/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "A study from the CDC and the WHO proves face masks do not prevent the spread of a virus." No, a CDC-WHO study does not prove that masks do not prevent spread of COVID-19. The study was done on influenza, which spreads in ways similar to COVID-19, but it makes no mention of COVID-19. The study was published by the CDC and supported by WHO, but it was done by the University of Hong Kong. One of the study’s authors told PolitiFact the claim is incorrect.

False Claim : The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing $4,800 in hazard pay to those who have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Debunk Date :

  07/30/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing $4,800 in hazard pay to those who have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic." This is false. In July 2020, a message started circulating on Facebook that claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was providing $4,800 in hazard pay to those who have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic. These posts typically included a brief piece of text followed by a hyperlink . While reading this message may give the impression that FEMA is offering hazard pay to workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those who clicked on the link were quickly made aware that this post was just a joke. The link in the above-displayed message, for instance, does not direct readers to a page on the official FEMA website about hazard pay. Rather, this link directs readers to an image of a gorilla who appears to be holding up its middle finger. A similar hoax meme claims the amount is $1,000.

False Claim : Wearing a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is unnecessary because the disease can also be spread via farts.

• Debunk Date :

  07/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Social Media, The Daily Star

The false claim is: "Wearing a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is unnecessary because the disease can also be spread via farts." This is false. Despite overwhelming evidence that mask use slows the spread of COVID-19, there has been continuous pushback on social media from those who oppose wearing these potentially life-saving face coverings. In July 2020, we came across a strange, new argument in this ongoing debate, as seen in the meme above: There’s no point in wearing a mask because the fumes of a fart can penetrate through underwear and pants, including denim jeans. The meme is ambiguous but appears to be arguing at a minimum that 1.) since the odor of a fart can pass through denim, a deadly virus can penetrate through a cloth mask and/or 2.) that COVID-19 may be transmissible via a fart.

False Claim : The NIH 15 years ago published a study on chloroquine, showing it is effective against COVID-1.

• Debunk Date :

  07/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Bobby Lawrence

The false claim is: "The NIH 15 years ago published a study on chloroquine, showing it is effective against COVID-1." This is false. The 2005 study wasn’t published by the NIH and didn’t prove chloroquine was effective against “COVID-1” because that’s not a real disease. The study found that chloroquine could inhibit the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in animal cell culture, and the authors said more research was needed. There are currently no approved medications or treatments for COVID-19.

False Claim : The seasonal flu kills more people every year in the U.S. than COVID-19 has to date.

• Debunk Date :

  07/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The false claim is: "The seasonal flu kills more people every year in the U.S. than COVID-19 has to date." This is not true. This is a resurgence of a similar misinformation item that was debunked back in May 2020. Throughout the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, countless social media posts, high profile pundits, and even the president attempted to downplay the threat of the virus in the U.S. in various ways, including comparing its death toll to that of the seasonal flu. This claim is false and dangerously downplays the severity of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

False Claim : This virus has a cure, which is called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax, so you don’t need a mask.

• Debunk Date :

  07/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "This virus has a cure, which is called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax, so you don’t need a mask." A video from Breitbart shows a group of doctors airing unproven conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. Before social media platforms removed it, the video was viewed millions of times. President Donald Trump retweeted it. There is no known cure for COVID-19. And public health officials advise everyone to wear face masks in public to prevent the spread of the virus. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved hydroxychloroquine for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. Research on whether the drug could assuage symptoms is not conclusive. Millions of people, including the president of the United States, have seen or shared a video in which a doctor falsely claims there is a cure for the coronavirus, and it’s a medley starring hydroxychloroquine. The video shows several doctors in white coats giving a press conference outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. It persists on social media despite bans from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and it was published by Breitbart, a conservative news site.

False Claim : If a deaf person asks you to remove your mask you are legally required to make an adjustment.

• Debunk Date :

  07/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  fullfact

The false claim is: "If a deaf person asks you to remove your mask you are legally required to make an adjustment." This is incorrect. You are allowed to lower or remove your mask to assist those who lip-read, but it is not a legal requirement. This falsity is being spread in a graphic on social media.

False Claim : The CDC said it made a mistake and reduced its count of Florida COVID-19 cases from 90,000 to 11,000.

• Debunk Date :

  07/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Stay With Trump

The false claim is: "The CDC said it made a mistake and reduced its count of Florida COVID-19 cases from 90,000 to 11,000." No, the CDC did not admit a mistake, and did not reduce its COVID-19 Florida case count. Was it a conspiracy that made Florida a coronavirus hotspot? That’s the suggestion made in a viral image shared by a Facebook account called "Stay with Trump." The image, which includes a photo of comedian Tim Allen smiling, says: "So, now that Trump has said hospitals are to report numbers to WH instead of the CDC, they came out & said they made a mistake in FL and they’ve been counting pneumonia and flu as covid, dropping their # from approx 90,000 to 11,000. Weird how that works, ain’t it?". The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. The Centers for Disease Control did not admit any kind of systematic error in its Florida COVID-19 counts.

False Claim : The Trump administration has had zero unfulfilled equipment and supply requests from state governors.

• Debunk Date :

  07/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  YouTube, Seun Hannity

The false claim is: "The Trump administration has had zero unfulfilled equipment and supply requests from state governors." This is false. No, the Trump administration hasn’t fulfilled every state request for coronavirus supplies. Fox News host Sean Hannity made this false claim on July 21, 2020. Representatives from multiple states said they made requests for coronavirus tests or other critical supplies that the federal government has yet to fill or never filled. Representatives from Oregon, North Carolina and Washington described difficulties scaling up testing and getting protective gear for frontline workers. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, the chair of the National Governors Association, said “it’s obviously not the case” that governors have everything they need.

False Claim : Amish people are not contracting coronavirus because they don't have televisions.

• Debunk Date :

  07/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

The false claim is: "Amish people are not contracting coronavirus because they don't have televisions." This is not true. In July 2020, a number of Facebook memes circulated riffing on the same theme — that Amish people in the United States were not developing COVID-19, because they “don’t have television sets.” TruthOrFiction observed this claim spreading in the form of a variety of memes, typically either outright stating the claim, or depicting two apparently Amish people purportedly discussing a lack of televisions and coronavirus in their communities. A number of Facebook memes claimed that Amish people did not contract coronavirus or develop COVID-19, because “they don’t have televisions” or the internet. The claim was doubly false, as Amish communities experienced outbreaks of COVID-19. The second claim about a lack of televisions and a lack of knowledge of the pandemic was rooted in several misconceptions about Amish people, not to mention televisions. Amish leaders were kept abreast of the pandemic in its early stages, Amish people do use (but often don’t own) devices like cell phones, Amish people read the news, and Amish people practiced social distancing on state recommendations to avert the spread of the virus.

Scam : Scammers are pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and threaten consumers into providing personal information or asking for money.

• Debunk Date :

  07/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  kark

• Sources :

  Phone

Bad actors are again seeking the social security numbers of our most vulnerable Arkansans. The Attorney General’s Office has seen an increase in complaints where scammers are pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and threaten consumers into providing personal information or asking for money. “It’s time to reinforce an important fact: the government will never call consumers requesting financial information,” said Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “If you receive a call claiming to be from the government, requesting personal or financial information, immediately hang up the phone. Let my office do the fighting for you by reporting these illegal calls.”

Sensational Headline : A government employee named Christopher Harrington filed a patent for a CV19-N95 mask in 2015.

• Debunk Date :

  07/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Social Media

The false claim is: "A government employee named Christopher Harrington filed a patent for a CV19-N95 mask in 2015." This is false. In July 2020, a meme was circulated on social media that supposedly showed a man named Christopher Harrington who filed a suspiciously named patent for a mask — CV19-N95 — back in 2015, years before the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The meme went on to claim that Harrington’s patent was denied because Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had filed a similar patent six months earlier. There’s nothing factual about this meme. This graphic was created as a joke to mock the type of conspiracy theories that have plagued the internet during the pandemic, which began in 2019.

False Claim : Use of masks to combat the spread of COVID-19 has transformed the United States into an obedient socialist country.

• Debunk Date :

  07/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

• Sources :

  Facebook, Ryan Thames

The false claim is: "Use of masks to combat the spread of COVID-19 has transformed the United States into an obedient socialist country." This is not true. On July 14 2020, Facebook user Ryan Thames shared the following post, along with a claim that temporary behavior intended to curb the rates of a respiratory-borne virus during a pandemic, such as recommending the widespread use of face masks to cut back on COVID-19 transmission, was indicative that the United States had become a “socialist country”. Information about the image was very scarce online, but a 2012 photography blog post identified it as one of several works by Masao Horino featured in an exhibition that year.

False Claim : The COVID-19 pandemic was planned by the Rockefeller Foundation in Operation Lockstep.

• Debunk Date :

  07/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Social Media

The false claim is: "The COVID-19 pandemic was planned by the Rockefeller Foundation in Operation Lockstep." This is false. In July 2020, several social media users started posting about “Operation Lockstep,” a document allegedly released by The Rockefeller Foundation that showed how global elites had planned to manufacture the COVID-19 pandemic for the last 10 years in order to implement a police state. Like most conspiracy theories, “Operation Lockstep” is based on a small grain of truth: In 2010, the Rockefeller Foundation funded a scenario-planning exercise that envisioned how hypothetical future events could impact the development of technology. This document, however, does not provide any sort of “operation manual” for how to manufacture a global pandemic. Rather, it envisions how the world would be impacted in four different scenarios (including a global pandemic). When we look at this rumor a little closer, it becomes clear that what is being called “Operation Lockstep” has very few similarities to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that much of the fear about this document was manufactured by purveyors of misinformation.

False Claim : We have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world from COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  07/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Verbal

The false claim is: "We have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world from COVID-19." Donald Trump wrong to say U.S. has “one of the lowest mortality rates in the world” from COVID-19. The United States doesn’t have one of the world’s lowest mortality rates from the coronavirus. No fewer than 15 advanced, industrialized nations currently have a lower mortality rate, as do a host of other countries, including Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Russia, Turkey, Argentina, and India. Another measurement called the case-fatality rate, which Trump incorrectly referred to as the “mortality rate,” also doesn’t place the United States at or near the bottom internationally.

False Claim : If you maintain social distancing indoors “there's no reason to have an additional mask on top of that.

• Debunk Date :

  07/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Anthony Sabatini

The false claim is: "If you maintain social distancing indoors “there's no reason to have an additional mask on top of that." Florida lawmaker Anthony Sabatini offered bad advice on masks and social distancing on CNN. Multiple scientists have encouraged people to wear masks in public in addition to other measures including hand washing and social distancing. The CDC recommends that people wear cloth masks in public especially when social distancing is hard to maintain.

False Claim : In June 2020, the city of Toronto banned Catholic churches from carrying out the sacrament of Holy Communion because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Debunk Date :

  07/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The false claim is: "In June 2020, the city of Toronto banned Catholic churches from carrying out the sacrament of Holy Communion because of the COVID-19 pandemic." This is false. As the coronavirus pandemic continued into the summer of 2020, places of worship in Canada adjusted their rituals to fit safety requirements. But rumors spread from right-wing media — bolstered by a tweet from Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham — that restrictions on certain Catholic church rituals were an attack on religious freedom. On July 17, 2020, Ingraham tweeted a July 10 article from conspiracy theorist website Big League Politics arguing that the city of Toronto, Ontario, had banned Catholic churches from administering the Holy Communion, portraying the move as an attack on “religious liberty” and Christianity.

False Claim : Opening the schools is a local determination, but it’s not a state determination.

• Debunk Date :

  07/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Tom Reed

The false claim is: "Opening the schools is a local determination, but it’s not a state determination." Representative Tom Reed made this false statement during a news conference in Buffalo, New York on July 9. Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in March, and subsequently closed schools by executive order. During a state of emergency, the state holds power over local entities, such as school districts.

False Claim : You must apply to get your second stimulus check! I’ve already filed for mine and will be receiving $2,000 a month for the rest of the year.

• Debunk Date :

  07/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "You must apply to get your second stimulus check! I’ve already filed for mine and will be receiving $2,000 a month for the rest of the year." This is not true. Don’t fall for this hoax about monthly stimulus checks.

False Claim : All the books have been removed from the classrooms of a Minnesota middle school because administrators claim that the books cannot be cleaned.

• Debunk Date :

  07/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Chad Lang

The false claim is: "All the books have been removed from the classrooms of a Minnesota middle school because administrators claim that the books cannot be cleaned." This is not true. Books were removed from school because they were outdated, not contaminated by the novel coronavirus. These books were weeded from the school library's collection because they were outdated, according to the principal. This false claim is being shared on social media via an image of books piled in a dumpster.

False Claim : This photo shows Dr. Fauci, Melinda Gates and Barack Obama at the Wuhan Lab in 2015.

• Debunk Date :

  07/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, UFOholic

The false claim is: "This photo shows Dr. Fauci, Melinda Gates and Barack Obama at the Wuhan Lab in 2015." No, this photo doesn’t show Fauci and Obama in Wuhan. This photo shows Barack Obama and Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health in 2014. Melinda Gates is not pictured.

False Claim : New study shows that the flu vaccine is significantly associated with an increased risk of coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  07/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "New study shows that the flu vaccine is significantly associated with an increased risk of coronavirus." This 2017-18 flu season study does not include COVID-19. The study featured in the article is from 2019 and the data for it was collected in 2017-18, so it doesn’t include COVID-19 information. In past fact-checks, experts said this connection between the flu vaccine and other viruses is still speculative.

False Claim : A photograph shows how markings on a surgical mask show the number 666.

• Debunk Date :

  07/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

The false claim is: "A photograph shows how markings on a surgical mask show the number 666." This is not true. A Facebook post attempting to falsely link protection against COVID-19 to Satanism continued to spread on the platform in July 2020 — while also providing a look into how disinformation is laundered across social media platforms. The post by Anayo Emmanuel, which was originally published in April 2020, shows a photograph of a surgical mask with markings they claim represent the number “666,” which according to some interpretations of the Bible’s Book of Revelations, is “the number of the beast”.

False Claim : Only 56 coronavirus deaths a day was enough to collapse the world economy, even though thousands of people die daily from tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and other diseases.

• Debunk Date :

  07/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Meme Right Politics

The false claim is: "Only 56 coronavirus deaths a day was enough to collapse the world economy, even though thousands of people die daily from tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and other diseases." Don’t trust this comparison of daily coronavirus deaths with other diseases. The post used March 9 as its date for coronavirus deaths, which was right before deaths soared. Subsequent daily totals show that coronavirus deaths have become larger than any other disease on the list. The coronavirus spreads through the air, there is no vaccine or treatment, and by now it’s established itself in most countries. So in many cases, limiting casual contact between people, including by economic shutdowns, may be the only effective way of stopping the virus’ spread.

False Claim : FEMA is giving essential workers $1,000.

• Debunk Date :

  07/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Zia Matthews

The false claim is: "FEMA is giving essential workers $1,000." This is a hoax. Just before the July 15 tax deadline, a hoax disguised as good news started spreading on social media. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to Facebook posts, was giving Americans another grand. The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. That’s because the link you’re supposed to click to sign up leads to an image of a gorilla flipping off the camera. FEMA isn’t providing assistance to individuals and families affected by the coronavirus, according to its website.

False Claim : No other country is having a second wave of COVID-19 because they are not trying to unseat a President in November.

• Debunk Date :

  07/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Cheryl Lee

The false claim is: "No other country is having a second wave of COVID-19 because they are not trying to unseat a President in November." No, the US is not alone in facing a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections. Some say the United States is in a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, but many experts believe it is still in the first. The United States is not alone in seeing a resurgence of coronavirus infections. A proud supporter of President Donald Trump sees a political conspiracy behind the recent resurgence in coronavirus cases in the United States.

False Claim : COVID-19 No Longer Be Classified as an Epidemic.

• Debunk Date :

  07/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Just the News

The false claim is: "COVID-19 No Longer Be Classified as an Epidemic." This is false. Seeking to downplay the severity of COVID-19, Just the News, a conservative-leaning website, cited the CDC’s COVIDView weekly report — ending on July 4, 2020 — as the source of their claim that the declining numbers of deaths over the previous few weeks suggested that COVID-19 would cease to qualify as an epidemic in the coming weeks. They said the CDC labels an outbreak as an epidemic if: “… the number of deaths attributable to the disease exceeds a certain percentage of total deaths per week.”

False Claim : In July 2020, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said only .02% of the country's K-12 school students — totaling 14,740 children and teens — are likely to die from COVID-19 when and if schools fully reopen.

• Debunk Date :

  07/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The false claim is: "In July 2020, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said only .02% of the country's K-12 school students — totaling 14,740 children and teens — are likely to die from COVID-19 when and if schools fully reopen." This is false. DeVos did not say this. Critics of the country’s top education official and the president claimed that DeVos had nonchalantly stated the cost of young American’s lives should schools fully reopen during the pandemic. Facebook statuses and tweets went viral among educators, parents and activists.

False Claim : Barack Obama took Hydroxychloroquine in 2008.

• Debunk Date :

  07/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

• Sources :

  Twitter, Mark Levin

The false claim is: "Barack Obama took Hydroxychloroquine in 2008." This is not true. A right-wing radio host and Fox News personality attempted to gin up more conspiracy theories about former United States President Barack Obama by misrepresenting what he claimed was a prescription given to Obama. Mark Levin posted a photograph on Twitter on July 11 2020, showing a prescription for the anti-malarial drug Malarone (proguanil and atovaquone), calling it “Obama’s hydroxychloroquine from 2008.” The origin of the photograph and whether it is even genuine remains unclear. However, atovaquone and proguanil are not the same medications as hydroxychloroquine, and Levin’s claim that Obama took it in 2008 — even assuming, despite Levin’s career of pushing disinformation and propaganda, that this claim was made in good faith — is misleading at best. As the New York Times reported in 2014, Obama and other White House officials were prescribed Malarone that June prior to visiting Myanmar. Suggesting that Obama took it to ward off COVID-19 would also be false because the disease was not reported until December 2019, years after Obama left office.

False Claim : Testing kit for COVID-19 is harmful to brain tissue.

• Debunk Date :

  07/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Testing kit for COVID-19 is harmful to brain tissue." This is false. Explanation: The kit takes samples from nose and throat and does not reach the brain.

Scam : Scam Artists Pose as Contact Tracers to Steal Arkansans’ Identities

• Debunk Date :

  07/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  arkansasag

• Sources :

  text messages

Scam artists have found an opportunity by using the important task of contact tracing to steal money and the identity of Arkansans. In trying to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Arkansas Department of Health is using contact tracing to identify people who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. One way bad actors are impersonating contact tracers is by sending text messages containing a link and claiming that by clicking on the link, the recipient will be contacted about a positive test, but in actuality, the link gives the scam artist direct access to the phone holder’s personal information.

False Claim : New York state “hospitals reporting thousands of fungus lung infections due to wearing a mask!

• Debunk Date :

  07/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Al Lodati

The false claim is: "New York state “hospitals reporting thousands of fungus lung infections due to wearing a mask!" This is false. No, New York state hospitals didn’t report thousands of lung infections caused by face masks. New York hospitals didn’t report this. There’s no evidence wearing a face mask properly causes fungal lung infections.

False Claim : COVID19 PCR tests are scientifically meaningless.

• Debunk Date :

  07/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "COVID19 PCR tests are scientifically meaningless." This is false. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are among the most common and reliable ways to test for the coronavirus. These tests look for the genetic material of the coronavirus in a sample that’s typically taken from a person’s nose or throat. Health care providers use them to confirm whether someone has the disease.

False Claim : COVID-19 vaccinations, which have already killed several youngsters, will be required before children will be allowed to return to school.

• Debunk Date :

  07/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Social Media

The false claim is: "COVID-19 vaccinations, which have already killed several youngsters, will be required before children will be allowed to return to school." This is false. It's difficult to make a nonexistent vaccine mandatory. As of this writing (mid-2020), no effective COVID-19 vaccine exists, nor is it known when (or if) one will become available. Should such a vaccine be produced, whether children will be required to take it before returning to school is a decision that will be made at local levels and based on a variety of factors. No one can assert at this time with any reliability that all schoolchildren everywhere will have to be vaccinated to attend school again.

False Claim : 99% of COVID-19 cases are totally harmless.

• Debunk Date :

  07/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Donald Trump

The false claim is: "99% of COVID-19 cases are totally harmless." President Donald Trump made this false claim during his Fourth of July 2020 celebration speech. Based on identified cases, the CDC shows a cumulative case death rate of 4.5%. About 4% of new cases require hospitalization. Doctors are beginning to see longer term impacts on patients who had mild cases that never sent them to the hospital.

Scam : Impostors are Working Hard to Avoid Work by Stealing Arkansans’ Unemployment Benefits.

• Debunk Date :

  07/02/2020

• Debunked By :

  kark

This is a current scam going around in Arkansas. States have had to adapt quickly to the keep their residents safe from COVID-19 and worked hard to ensure economic resources are easily available. In recent weeks, the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office has received complaints from Arkansans receiving notices that they had applied for unemployment benefits when they had not in fact applied for benefits. In other cases, consumers have received the unemployment funds and are then contacted by the scam artist claiming that a mistake has occurred and asking the consumer to forward the proceeds to them. The unemployment application process is typically an in-person application process, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing has created a new online procedure that requires only a name, date of birth, social security number, and employer verification. This abbreviated procedure, while safer and more simple for applicants, has also meant that scam artists who have fraudulently obtained this personal information on consumers from prior data breaches and identity theft can apply for unemployment benefits on unwary consumers’ behalves. Attorney General Rutledge advises consumers who suspect that their identity has been used to apply for unemployment benefits should immediately: 1) File a police report and then contact the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services’ fraud hotline at 501-682-1058. 2) Report the fraud to your employer. 3) Obtain new copies of their credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies (i.e., Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian) to confirm that no additional lines of credit have been opened in his or her name and consider requesting a fraud alert or a security freeze in order to prevent additional fraudulent activity. 4) If a victim of financial identity theft, apply for an identity theft passport with the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office by submitting a copy of a police report and other relevant information. Identity theft passports are designed to assist consumers in proving their true identities.

False Claim : Nurses submitting coronavirus tests say they all are coming back positive.

• Debunk Date :

  07/02/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Nurses submitting coronavirus tests say they all are coming back positive." This is false. Fact-checkers could find no evidence that labs are deliberately manipulating COVID-19 test results to create false-positives. Similarly unproven claims have been circulating for weeks and echo months-old conspiracy theories. Jeffrey Sebelia, the source of the Facebook post, said it was a “word-of-mouth story” from his mom. He had no further proof to support the claim. While COVID-19 tests may sometimes produce false-positive results, they’re rare. Experts are more concerned about false-negatives. Data currently shows more than 90% of coronavirus tests come back negative.

False Claim : Oklahoma 100% coronavirus test rate after Trump Tulsa rally.

• Debunk Date :

  07/02/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  PoliticusUSA.com, Facebook

The false claim is: "Oklahoma 100% coronavirus test rate after Trump Tulsa rally." No, Oklahoma didn’t have 100% COVID-positive test rate after Trump’s Tulsa rally. A website article quoted MSNBC host Chris Hayes, who later admitted he misread the data.

False Claim : Four kids who took the coronavirus vaccine died immediately.

• Debunk Date :

  07/01/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Kennetta Taylor

The false claim is: "Four kids who took the coronavirus vaccine died immediately." This is false. There is no evidence that children have died because of a COVID-19 vaccine. No vaccine currently in development has been approved for widespread public use. There is no evidence the vaccines in development will contain microchips.

False Claim : A nineteen-year-old developed pleurisy because she wore a mask for extended periods at her job in a grocery store.

• Debunk Date :

  06/30/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

• Sources :

  Facebook, Lena Kovacs

The false claim is: "A nineteen-year-old developed pleurisy because she wore a mask for extended periods at her job in a grocery store." This is not true. This false claim is being shared in a viral Facebook post.

False Claim : Nearly 99% of Covid-19 patients who are vitamin D deficient die, according to a research study.

• Debunk Date :

  06/30/2020

• Debunked By :

  fullfact

• Sources :

  Daily Mail, Express

The false claim is: "Nearly 99% of Covid-19 patients who are vitamin D deficient die, according to a research study." This study is flawed. A study from Indonesia did claim to show this, but there are problems with the study methods that mean it doesn’t prove this is the case. The paper has now been removed by the authors from the online research library it appeared on.

Scam : Fraudulent Face Mask Flyers

• Debunk Date :

  06/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  ADA

There are fraudulent face mask flyers being posted. The Department of Justice has been made aware of postings or flyers on the internet regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of which include the Department of Justice’s seal. These postings were not issued by the Department and are not endorsed by the Department. The Department urges the public not to rely on the information contained in these postings and to visit ADA.gov for ADA information issued by the Department. For more information and technical assistance about the ADA, please contact the ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) and 800-514-0383 (TTY).

False Claim : If you are licensed to carry a concealed weapon, wearing a face covering for coronavirus removes your conceal carry ability.

• Debunk Date :

  06/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Chad Hernandez

The false claim is: "If you are licensed to carry a concealed weapon, wearing a face covering for coronavirus removes your conceal carry ability." This is false. No national law prohibits licensed concealed-carry holders from carrying a weapon and wearing a mask. Some states generally prohibit wearing a mask in public to conceal one’s identity. But states with those laws have said the laws don’t apply to wearing a mask to guard against spreading the coronavirus.

False Claim : The Florida Surgeon General has issued a Public Health Advisory. Everyone should STOP wearing masks as they have now been found to be harmful to your health.

• Debunk Date :

  06/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Sources :

  Facebook, Jeff Cloud

The false claim is: "The Florida Surgeon General has issued a Public Health Advisory. Everyone should STOP wearing masks as they have now been found to be harmful to your health." This is a Facebook meme dated June 24, 2020 that falsely claims the state’s surgeon general recommended that people stop wearing face masks. The inaccurate meme labels itself as an “EMERGENCY ALERT.” The surgeon general actually issued an advisory two days earlier saying everyone in Florida “should wear face coverings in any setting where social distancing is not possible.”

False Claim : In North Carolina, you can be charged with a class H felony for wearing a mask and concealed carrying.

• Debunk Date :

  06/26/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "In North Carolina, you can be charged with a class H felony for wearing a mask and concealed carrying." This is false. A viral Facebook post said "you can be charged with a class H felony for wearing a mask and concealed carrying.” A North Carolina law does prohibit people from covering their faces in public. But that law is currently suspended. And, even if it weren't suspended, experts say it wouldn't affect concealed carry laws.

False Claim : A face mask exempt card allows you to cite the ADA and not wear a mask.

• Debunk Date :

  06/26/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "A face mask exempt card allows you to cite the ADA and not wear a mask." This is false. A ‘face mask exempt card’ doesn’t exempt you from wearing a mask in public. The Justice Department has debunked the claim. The Freedom to Breathe Agency isn’t a real federal agency. The Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability, does not specifically say anything about face masks. While it’s true that businesses are not allowed to ask customers about their disabilities, and there may be some exceptions to the law, governments have broad authority to issue health mandates during a pandemic.

False Claim : OSHA says masks don't work to reduce COVID-19 transmission and violate OSHA oxygen levels.

• Debunk Date :

  06/25/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  greenmedinfo.com, Facebook

The false claim is: "OSHA says masks don't work to reduce COVID-19 transmission and violate OSHA oxygen levels." This is false. No, OSHA does not say that 'masks don’t work' against COVID-19. OSHA recommends that masks be worn to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Masks aren’t a cure to prevent spread of COVID-19, experts say. But they are an effective tool in slowing transmission.

False Claim : COVID-19 cases are up only because of our big number testing.

• Debunk Date :

  06/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "COVID-19 cases are up only because of our big number testing." This is false. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted this on June 23, 2020. Donald Trump is wrong that greater testing is driving coronavirus case load. If increased testing were the only reason for a surge in new cases, the percentage of positive tests should be dropping or at least remaining about the same. That pattern did occur from early April to early June, a period when the availability of testing expanded significantly. However, that’s no longer the case. Since early June, the amount of testing being conducted has continued to reach new highs, yet the positivity rate has risen by a full percentage point.

False Claim : Governor Gavin Newsom has no legal authority to make wearing face coverings mandatory in California.

• Debunk Date :

  06/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Peggy Hall

The false claim is: "Governor Gavin Newsom has no legal authority to make wearing face coverings mandatory in California." This is false. Yes, Governor Newsom has the authority to make masks mandatory In California, legal experts say. Gov. Newsom has broad authority under the California Emergency Services Act to issue health mandates during a pandemic. Two constitutional law experts said Newsom does, indeed, have the power to make face coverings mandatory under that act. They said unless face coverings are shown to be ineffective, Newsom’s requirement should hold up against legal challenges. Top public health officials and recent studies say wearing a face covering is an effective measure for reducing the spread of COVID-19 when people gather.

False Claim : If we stopped testing right now, we'd have very few cases, if any.

• Debunk Date :

  06/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "If we stopped testing right now, we'd have very few cases, if any." This is false. President Donald Trump said this at a June 15 roundtable discussion at the White House. Trump’s take on COVID testing gives short shrift to public health realities. It’s a talking point the administration is emphasizing. Vice President Mike Pence reiterated it during a phone call to Republican governors that evening, recommending they use the argument as a strategy to quiet public concern about surging case tallies in some states. It’s also a variation on a tweet the president sent earlier in the day. The swelling pandemic requires a more aggressive response than the White House has so far outlined. Halting testing wouldn’t eliminate COVID-19 cases. It would conceal them and could fuel an even greater crisis.

Scam : $500 million Pandemic Giveaway Advance Fee Scam Email.

• Debunk Date :

  06/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  hoax-slayer

• Sources :

  Email

There is a $500 million Pandemic Giveaway Advance Fee Scam Email going around. This email purports to be a final notice regarding a large sum of money that you have supposedly won in the “Exxon Mobil Grand Prize Sweepstakes”. According to the email, you have won $9 million via the random selection of your email address and should contact the “Grand Prize Management Team” with your claim details. The message claims that the prize is part of the ‘$500 million Pandemic Giveaway’ email contest. But in fact, the email is just another advance fee scam. You have not won any money. There is no prize. The email has no connection to Exxon Mobil or any promotions or prize draws the company has been involved with. Like all such scams, it is designed to trick people into sending money and personal information to criminals. Those who fall for the ruse and reply with the requested “claimant form” will be asked to send money upfront to cover various – entirely imaginary – fees and charges supposedly associated with the transfer of the “prize”. These demands for money will continue until the victim finally realizes he or she is being conned or runs out of funds. When the scam has run its course, the crooks will disappear with their victim’s money, never to be heard from again. Victims will never get their money back. Nor, of course, will they get the promised 9 million dollar prize, which was never real to begin with. The criminals may also be able to commit identity theft using the personal and financial information sent to them by victims. Like many current scams of various types, this one tries to capitalize on the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Scam : ‘Free Round Trip Tickets from Southwest Airlines’ Facebook Giveaway Scam.

• Debunk Date :

  06/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  hoax-slayer

• Sources :

  Facebook

There is a ‘Free Round Trip Tickets from Southwest Airlines’ Facebook Giveaway Scam going around. According to posts that are currently appearing on Facebook, Southwest Airlines is giving 500 people free round trip flights to their desired destination. Supposedly, for a chance to win, all you need to do is share and comment on the post and then click a link to validate your entry. The posts, which feature images of a Southwest Airlines aircraft, claim that the company is giving away the flights to show appreciation for customer support during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the posts are not associated with Southwest Airlines in any way. No flights are being given away and people who participate have no chance of winning anything at all. The posts are scams designed to trick people into divulging their personal and financial information on a bogus website. If you click the link in the posts, you will be taken to a fraudulent website that claims that you must click a “Validate Entry” button and “fill out a couple of questions” to get your chance to win. However, the button does not open a prize entry form as you might expect. Instead, it opens a second scam website that promises free video streaming of sporting events to people who register. Despite its claims to be free, however, the site insists that you provide your credit card details, ostensibly as a means of verifying your eligibility to join. Many people report that they have been unexpectedly charged fees for “premium” memberships when signing up to such “free” streaming services. Moreover, it can be very difficult to get refunds and unsubscribe from such services. Any service that uses deliberately deceptive promotion schemes such as fake air ticket giveaways should never be trusted with your credit card details or any other personal information. If one of these scam posts hits your News Feed, do not click on it. And let the person who shared it know that the supposed giveaway is a scam. Southwest Airlines is warning people about the scam via its official Facebook Page.

False Claim : George Floyd’s murder was filmed before COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  06/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Sue Ellen Bell

The false claim is: "George Floyd’s murder was filmed before COVID-19." This is false. Floyd’s death wasn’t filmed before the pandemic. George Floyd’s death wasn’t staged, and it wasn’t filmed before the coronavirus pandemic. He died on May 25 after a police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes. Officers and bystanders can be seen wearing masks in video footage taken before Floyd’s death.

False Claim : Testing of a vaccine against COVID-19 caused 61 out of 63 female subjects to become infertile.

• Debunk Date :

  06/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

The false claim is: "Testing of a vaccine against COVID-19 caused 61 out of 63 female subjects to become infertile." This is not true. 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 infertile after receiving the Coronavirus vaccine.”

False Claim : A track and trace app is being automatically downloaded onto phones.

• Debunk Date :

  06/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  fullfact

The false claim is: "A track and trace app is being automatically downloaded onto phones." This is incorrect. What has been added is an API, which can help Covid-19 tracking apps function. The claim that the app has been automatically downloaded is incorrect. What has been added to both Android and Apple phones is the Exposure Notification API. This is not an app itself—it’s an underlying technology developed by Apple and Google that allows coronavirus tracking apps made by public health bodies to work across devices.

Scam : Fake Avan Motorhome Giveaway.

• Debunk Date :

  06/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  hoax-slayer

• Sources :

  Facebook

A fake Avan Motorhome Giveaway scam is going around on Facebook. Various posts currently appearing on Facebook are claiming that you can win an Avan Ovation Motorhome just by sharing and commenting. Some versions ask you to click a link to register as well as share and comment. The posts, which originate on several different Avan related Facebook Pages, feature a gallery of images depicting one of the motorhomes. Avan is an Australian based company that sells a range of campers, caravans, and motorhomes. However, the circulating prize posts have no connection to Avan and those who participate have no chance of winning anything at all. In fact, the posts are typical Facebook giveaway scams designed to promote fraudulent Facebook Pages by building popularity and like-numbers. Like many other current scams, some of the fake Avan posts are attempting to capitalize on the COVID-19 pandemic. Links in some versions of the posts open a fake website that invites you to click a button to register in the supposed prize draw. However, clicking opens a dodgy website that claims that you can sign up to get free access to books, magazines and music. To get the supposedly free access, the site insists that you enter a valid credit card, ostensibly as a means of verifying your account. Many people report that their credit cards have been charged when they sign up for these supposedly free services. Any service that is willing to promote itself via deliberately deceptive tactics such as fake Facebook giveaways certainly should not be trusted with your credit card details or any other personal information. Some of the fake Avan Facebook Pages have already been removed. However, others are being created to replace them. If one of these bogus motorhome giveaway posts crosses your news feed, don’t be tempted to participate. You have precisely zero chance of winning the promised motorhome and, by participating, you will be helping scammers gain new victims and conduct fraudulent activities.

False Claim : An unusually high number of places specifically reported that they had exactly 322 new COVID-19 cases.

• Debunk Date :

  06/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

The false claim is: "An unusually high number of places specifically reported that they had exactly 322 new COVID-19 cases." This is not true. On June 14 2020, posts asking readers to do a web search for the phrase “322 COVID” began circulating (particularly in QAnon circles), with an implication that the act would reveal that the novel coronavirus was a “scamdemic” and a hoax. In addition to forums and message boards, Twitter users quickly urged others to “Google ‘322 COVID'”. It didn’t take very long for posts urging people to “Google ‘322 COVID'” to begin appearing everywhere, seemingly impressing social media users with the quickly obtained supporting search results. It’s unclear how or why the specific number of “322” was derived for the claim (although there are hints in the conspiracy theorist crowd at connections to Bible verses and the Skull & Bones fraternity), but searching most numbers between 200 and 400 and “COVID” returned similar results. Each report of 322 COVID-19 cases seen in the results occurred in a state (of which there are 50) or a county (of which there are 3,141), across 96 days of a pandemic between March 11 and June 14 2020. It’s true searching “322 COVID” yielded a number of case reports from those counties and states, but the same was true for nearly any number between 200 and 400 on any given day during the COVID-19 pandemic.

False Claim : N95 masks block few, if any COVID-19 particles due to their size.

• Debunk Date :

  06/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "N95 masks block few, if any COVID-19 particles due to their size." This claim that N95 masks can’t stop COVID-19 particles due to size is nonsense. This attempt to discredit a fundamental piece of protective gear used and studied around the globe fails to account for several fundamental scientific principles. The COVID-19 particle is small, but it always exists bonded to larger particles of water, protein, mucus and other materials expelled by breathing, coughing, etc. These are all well above the 0.3 micron size of the N95 filter. The N95 filter also filters particles smaller than 0.3 microns very efficiently because particles under that size have a high amount of erratic movement and are electrostatically drawn to the mask fibers.

Scam : Fake Qantas Facebook Page Promising Free Flights.

• Debunk Date :

  06/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  hoax-slayer

• Sources :

  Facebook

There is a fake Qantas Facebook Page Promising Free Flights. This is a scam. According to this Facebook post, Australian airline Qantas is giving away free flights in exchange for commenting and sharing. Supposedly, the giveaway is to thank loyal customers for their support as COVID-19 restrictions ease and flights resume. The post promises that 500 people who share and comment on the post by a specified date and time will get a free round trip flight to their desired destination. The post, which was published via a Facebook Page named “Qantas Air” features several photos of a Qantas aircraft. Despite its appearance, however, the post has no connection to Qantas and those who participate have no chance whatsoever of winning any free flights. In fact, the post is a typical giveaway scam designed to promote a bogus Facebook Page. After the supposed entry deadline on the scam post has passed, new versions of the scam with new dates will likely appear. Facebook scammers create these bogus giveaways as a means of increasing the like-numbers and potential reach of their fraudulent Pages. Once the scam Pages have become a lot more popular via such fake giveaways, they can be used to launch further scams that, this time, can reach a much larger audience. Or, in some cases, the scam Facebook Page may be sold to other scammers who will repurpose it for their schemes. Be wary of any post that claims that you can win valuable prizes such as flights, holidays, or cars just by liking, sharing, and commenting. Currently, many such scams are attempting to capitalize on the COVID-19 pandemic.

False Claim : Wearing masks for the coronavirus decreases oxygen intake, increases toxin inhalation, shuts down immune system, increases virus risk, scientifically inaccurate, effectiveness not studied.

• Debunk Date :

  06/12/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Peter Curti

The false claim is: "Wearing masks for the coronavirus decreases oxygen intake, increases toxin inhalation, shuts down immune system, increases virus risk, scientifically inaccurate, effectiveness not studied." This is false. Studies show that masks can curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Experts say the face coverings do not cause health problems.

False Claim : There was no delay or cover-up in the Chinese government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

• Debunk Date :

  06/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  polygraph

The false claim is: "There was no delay or cover-up in the Chinese government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak." Ma Xiaowei, director of the National Health Commission, said this. This is false. Evidence shows Chinese authorities initially covered up the outbreak, even censoring citizens who discussed the disease on social media.

False Claim : Tijuana is the most heavily infected place anywhere in the world.

• Debunk Date :

  06/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Sources :

  President Donald Trump

The false claim is: "Tijuana is the most heavily infected place anywhere in the world, as far as the plague is concerned." This is false. President Donald Trump made the inaccurate statement in remarks June 5 at a roundtable on supporting America’s fishermen in Bangor, Maine. You don’t have to look very far from the Mexican city to find a place with a much higher infection rate: the city of San Diego, California, right across the border.

False Claim : The Government knows where we are at all times thanks to an application that Google has installed on our phones.

• Debunk Date :

  06/04/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  WhatsApp

The false claim is: "The Government knows where we are at all times thanks to an application that Google has installed on our phones." This is false. This false claim originated from WhatsApp and is circulating in Spain, but can quickly spread to other countries. Explanation: These are hoaxes. The Spanish government has not installed any application on its citizens' phones without their knowledge. What appears on Android phones is technical documentation explaining how a potential exposure notification app would work if it were installed.

False Claim : Suicide rates are skyrocketing now.

• Debunk Date :

  06/04/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Tim Murtaugh

The false claim is: "Suicide rates are skyrocketing." This is false. There's no data to back claim of 'skyrocketing' suicides during shutdown. Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, made this false claim during a May 26 interview on Newsradio WRVA in Richmond.

Scam : Coronavirus Compensation Advance Fee Scam

• Debunk Date :

  06/02/2020

• Debunked By :

  hoax-slayer

• Sources :

  Email

This a scam email going around. According to this email, “administrator and management” have decided to award all of their email users with a coronavirus compensation payment. Supposedly, you have been selected to receive a “lump amount” of $250,000 USD and should contact the “payment remittance center” to claim your payment. However, it hardly needs to be said that the email is just a crudely rendered scam designed to trick gullible recipients into sending money to criminals. The email is not from any legitimate organisation and is not associated with any legitimate Community Bank. If you fall fro the ruse and contact the “transfer office”, you will be told that you are required to pay various fees upfront before your award money can be processed. The scammers will invent various excuses as to why the payment of these fees is required and must be paid in advance. If you go ahead and send money, the crooks will ask you to send even more until you either run out of funds or realize that you are being conned. After they have stolen as much of your money as they can, the scammers will simply go silent and you will no longer be able to contact them. You will never get any of your money back. Nor, of course, will you ever get the promised compensation payment, which never existed in the first place. And, to make matters worse, the scammers may have managed to trick you into sending them a large amount of your personal and financial information. They may be able to use this information to steal your identity. Advance fee scams like this one continue to be very common and, sadly, they continue to gain new victims. The best thing to do with such messages is to hit the delete key.

False Claim : Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine released 4,300 prisoners and is now warning residents of a possible crime wave.

• Debunk Date :

  05/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Joseph Hirsch

The false claim is: "Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine released 4,300 prisoners and is now warning residents of a possible crime wave." This is false. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has not released 4,300 prisoners due to COVID-19 and there’s no evidence that he warned residents of a possible crime wave. Ohio has released 129 inmates early due to COVID-19, according to DeWine’s staff.

False Claim : This is what Bill Gates and George Soros want to do… secretly stick you with a chip while testing you for the coronavirus--the Dems have a bill on the House floor ready to vote on it to require this.

• Debunk Date :

  05/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, John Barno

The false claim is: "This is what Bill Gates and George Soros want to do… secretly stick you with a chip while testing you for the coronavirus--the Dems have a bill on the House floor ready to vote on it to require this." This is a new spin on a common false claim. No, there’s no plot to microchip people during COVID-19 tests. Social media users have shared a lot of misinformation about a possible vaccine against COVID-19, including allegations that Americans will be microchipped if they’re vaccinated.

Scam : FTC warns college students of scams relating to coronavirus checks.

• Debunk Date :

  05/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  MSN

• Sources :

  Email

This is an active situation. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning college students about coronavirus-related phishing scams in which the scammers are pretending to have information about their direct payments from the IRS. "Maybe you or your friends have gotten an email claiming to be from the 'Financial Department' of your university. The email tells you to click on a link to get a message about your COVID-19 economic stimulus check - and it needs to be opened through a portal link requiring your university login," Ari Lazarus, a consumer education specialist at the FTC said in a blog post on the agency's website. "Don't do it." "It's a phishing scam," Lazarus added. "If you click to 'log in,' you could be giving your user name, password, or other personal information to scammers, while possibly downloading malware onto your device." The FTC said students who spot emails that look like they are phishing scams can report them to the Anti-Phishing Working Group - which includes internet service providers, security vendors, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies - at reportphishing@apwg.org as well as to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Scam : Scam artists are contacting local business owners by email and phone, pretending to be affiliated with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

• Debunk Date :

  05/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  arkansasag

• Sources :

  Phone, Email

Scam artists are contacting local business owners by email and phone, pretending to be affiliated with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a loan program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the CARES Act. While these loans have been the lifeline for many businesses and their employees, the scams can result in even greater losses and financial peril. If you get an email that looks like it is from the SBA or your bank, do not click on any links. Instead, go directly to the organization's website for information. The government will never ask you to pay up front and it will not call to ask for your Social Security, bank account or credit card number. Be cautious about companies that offer to expedite or facilitate your ability to get PPP loans. If you are considering using an online provider or lender, stick with those you already know and trust. Be wary of companies you've never heard of or that call or send you emails out of the blue. Check the spelling of email and website addresses, as scammers frequently utilize addresses that appear similar to legitimate ones in order to deceive. For more information, or if you suspect a PPP government-assistance scam, contact the Arkansas Attorney General’s office at (800) 482-8982 or oag@ArkansasAG.gov or visit ArkansasAG.gov.

False Claim : The flu didn't kill any Americans this year.

• Debunk Date :

  05/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, John Formato

The false claim is: "The flu didn't kill any Americans this year." This is false. Americans have died from the flu and COVID-19. While COVID-19 has made assessing flu fatalities more complicated, thousands of Americans have died from influenza during the pandemic.

False Claim : Every fourth American is against taking anti-COVID-19 vaccine.

• Debunk Date :

  05/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  polygraph

• Sources :

  News Front

The false claim is: "Every fourth American is against taking anti-COVID-19 vaccine." This is false. On May 21, the pro-Kremlin news site News Front covered a survey commissioned by Reuters. The News Front story, published in Russian, was headlined “Every fourth American is against taking anti-COVID-19 vaccine.” The headline is false. News Front downplayed findings showing support for a coronavirus vaccine in the survey, which polled 4,428 U.S. adults between May 13 and May 19. The News Front story equated lack of interest in a vaccine with opposition. “While pharmaceutical corporations are involved in a race for the development of a vaccine against the coronavirus, it has transpired that the fourth of Americans are not interested in it,” it stated. In fact, that characterization muddies the results as reported by Reuters, which said that 14% of those surveyed “said they were not at all interested in taking a vaccine, and 10% said they were not very interested. Another 11% were unsure.” Being uninterested or uncertain does not necessarily indicate resistance. The survey showed majority support for a coronavirus vaccine and strong support for vaccinations that have worked against other diseases.

False Claim : If we use the masks for too long, we risk developing a tumor.

• Debunk Date :

  05/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  YouTube, Facebook

The false claim is: "If we use the masks for too long, we risk developing a tumor." Explanation: According to an "independent researcher" the masks cause hypercapnia preparing our body to have a tumor. Certified masks are made to avoid hypercapnia, otherwise the doctors and nurses who use it every day should always feel bad. This false claim originated from Youtube and Facebook.

False Claim : Bing Liu, a researcher who was about to discover a vaccine for COVID-19, was murdered in the US.

• Debunk Date :

  05/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  Instagram

The false claim is: "Bing Liu, a researcher who was about to discover a vaccine for COVID-19, was murdered in the US." This is false. Explanation: Although a researcher named Bing Liu was killed in the US on May, he was not about to discover a vaccine for COVID-19. Instead, he was a computer scientist who was working with biologists on a research "towards understanding the cellular mechanisms of COVID-19 infection", according to the BBC. Authorities in the US claim that there's "zero evidence" the crime had anything to do with the research.

Scam : Massive COVID-19 Excel Phishing Attack

• Debunk Date :

  05/26/2020

• Debunked By :

  blog

• Sources :

  Email

Microsoft this week warned about a massive phishing attack that started on May 12. The campaign sends emails that look like they are from the "Johns Hopkins Center", and they have an Excel attachment that claims to be US deaths caused by the Coronavirus. If your user opens that infected "Excel doc", the file downloads a macro and runs the NetSupport Manager Remote Admin Tool. This is actually a legit remote support product, but it can also be used for criminal purposes, specifically to download malware on a targeted device. When installed, it allows the bad guys to gain complete control over the infected machine and execute commands on it remotely. So, don't click on any files within unsolicited emails.

False Claim : COVID-19 is a bacteria causing death due to thrombosis.

• Debunk Date :

  05/26/2020

• Debunked By :

  english

The false claim is: "COVID-19 is a bacteria causing death due to thrombosis." This viral message makes numerous false claims, all of which are false. The viral message on social media regarding COVID-19 claims that Italian doctors have found that WHO has hatched a conspiracy to mislead people about the disease, vaccinate everyone and reduce world population. The message further claims that Italian doctor’s have finally found a cure for the virus. The viral message further goes on to claim that coronavirus is not a virus but bacteria, and antibiotics can cure COVID-19. Additionally, it also says that the major cause of death in COVID-19 is thrombosis or blood clot and not pneumonia. It further says that intensive care units and ventilators are never needed to treat COVID-19 patients. According to the message China already had the cure for the virus but they did not disclose it so the elderly of the world could get effected and die which would reduce the population to a great extent. The message has multiple claims regarding treatments, nature of the disease, its origin and root cause of death. The message claims to be an authentic information by the Ministry of Health, Italy.

False Claim : CBS News tried to pass off a photograph taken in Ukraine in 2016 as a picture of a U.S. child afflicted with a coronavirus-related disease in 2020.

• Debunk Date :

  05/26/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The false claim is: "CBS News tried to pass off a photograph taken in Ukraine in 2016 as a picture of a U.S. child afflicted with a coronavirus-related disease in 2020." This is false. On May 24, 2020, the notoriously unreliable Gateway Pundit website published an article claiming that a “CBS Evening News” report about a “mystery illness possibly tied to COVID-19” affecting children in the New York City area deceptively used a 2016 photograph showing a child from Ukraine suffering from a coxsackievirus infection. Gateway Pundit’s claim was entirely wrong. The photograph that the site claimed was a 2016 picture depicting an infant in Ukraine suffering from a coxsackievirus infection had actually been posted online several years earlier, in a 2009 blog entry about the use of steroids in treating children with Kawasaki’s disease. That picture obviously wasn’t taken in 2016, and the blog post in which it appeared made no reference to Ukraine or coxsackievirus. Moreover, the CBS News report did not in any way make deceptive use of this image by wrongly presenting it as a picture of a child being treated in New York City in 2020, as Gateway Pundit falsely suggested. The report simply used the photograph as a visual example of what Kawasaki symptoms look like by briefly displaying it while the narrator mentioned that the unknown illness currently “putting otherwise healthy children in the hospital” in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic “resembles Kawasaki disease”. It appears that, with their usual disregard for journalistic standards, Gateway Pundit relied upon an unverified third-party tweet to issue a baseless accusation, without making any attempt whatsoever to verify the content of that tweet or the source(s) on which it was based.

False Claim : COVID-19 is an acronym for a program aimed at reducing the world’s population, with the aid of Artificial Intelligence.

• Debunk Date :

  05/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  WhatsApp

The false claim is: "COVID-19 is an acronym for a program aimed at reducing the world’s population, with the aid of Artificial Intelligence." This is a false message circulating on WhatsApp. The false claim continues on to falsely claim that the program would have been presented at the World Economic Forum 2020, in Davos (Switzerland).

False Claim : Coronavirus multiplies in sewage and pouring bleach in the sewage water would help.

• Debunk Date :

  05/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  Facebook, WhatsApp

The false claim is: "Coronavirus multiplies in sewage and pouring bleach in the sewage water would help." It is untrue that the novel coronavirus grows and multiplies in sewers, and pouring harmful chemicals into sewers will have harmful effects.

False Claim : Prolonged use of face masks causes hypoxia.

• Debunk Date :

  05/23/2020

• Debunked By :

  verafiles

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Prolonged use of face masks causes hypoxia." This is false. The use of face masks does not cause hypoxia nor excessive intake of carbon dioxide. Masks are designed to allow proper breathing and oxygenation.

False Claim : An image of a cactus-shaped antenna claiming that it is a 5G antenna and that they hide them so that “people do not realize that they are radioactive and emit electromagnetic frequency waves”.

• Debunk Date :

  05/23/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  Social Media

An image of a cactus-shaped antenna claiming that it is a 5G antenna and that they hide them so that “people do not realize that they are radioactive and emit electromagnetic frequency waves”. Explanation: The photo is not current, nor is it a 5G antenna. It is not taken either in Colombia or in Mexico, but in Arizona, United States in 2009.

False Claim : Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl was diagnosed with COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/23/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  noticiasrge.blogspot.com

The false claim is: "Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl was diagnosed with COVID-19." This is false. Explanation: No legitimate news organization has reported on the Foo Fighters frontman recently getting sick, much less contracting COVID-19.

False Claim : "The COVID-19 future vaccine will come with the ID — a mark - The ID tells everyone you are free of COVID."

• Debunk Date :

  05/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "The COVID-19 future vaccine will come with the ID — a mark - The ID tells everyone you are free of COVID." This is false. No, the COVID-19 vaccine wouldn’t come with a ‘mark’. A study that started in 2016 looked at using invisible dye to help doctors in developing countries track vaccination histories, but there are no plans to require such an identifier with a future COVID-19 vaccine. The false claim also includes the additional falsity of stating that "COVID) stands "Certification of Vaccination ID". The truth: COVID-19 stands for "coronavirus disease 2019".

False Claim : If you're refused service at a store for not wearing a mask call the department of health and report the store [because] Masks are suggested, not required.

• Debunk Date :

  05/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Mark Chipchosky

The false claim is: "If you're refused service at a store for not wearing a mask call the department of health and report the store [because] Masks are suggested, not required." This was found in a post that falsely claims people should report Pennsylvania stores that refuse to serve maskless customers. Essential businesses in many states require that all employees and customers wear masks while inside the store. They must do so by law. The Pennsylvania Health Department, whose number was included in the post, said that businesses that are not following guidance regarding wearing a mask are what should be reported. Posts on Facebook are urging people to report stores that refuse service to customers who try to enter without wearing masks.

False Claim : A bottle of hand sanitizer will spontaneously combust if left in a hot car.

• Debunk Date :

  05/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook

The false claim is: "A bottle of hand sanitizer will spontaneously combust if left in a hot car." This is false.

Scam : Criminals Are Exploiting the COVID-19 Pandemic via Money Laundering Job Scams.

• Debunk Date :

  05/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  hoax-slayer

• Sources :

  Email

This is an ongoing scam. Criminals Are Exploiting the COVID-19 Pandemic via Money Laundering Job Scams. Amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, authorities are warning people not to fall for money mule “employment opportunities” that may come their way via email and the Internet. With many people around the world unexpectedly unemployed or unable to work due to COVID-19, criminals suddenly have a much larger pool of potentially vulnerable victims to target. In the current lockdown environment, a seemingly easy to do and well-paid “work from home” job offer may seem very enticing. Especially if recipients are struggling to make ends meet because they have lost their jobs or are unable to work due to the virus. Many of these “work from home” job scams are designed to trick people into laundering money derived from criminal activities. These scams are certainly not new. In fact, they have been around for decades. But, as noted, COVID-19 means that there are suddenly many more people who may be susceptible to such scams and have no prior knowledge of how the scammers operate. Victims may receive an email or social media message or see a job-board post advertising employment as a “customer agent” or “payment assistant” for what is claimed to be an international company. Supposedly, successful applicants can work from home and need no prior experience. And, the job offers a high income for minimal work. The message will claim that the company needs someone to process payments due to issues with international transactions or some such excuse. To that end, the “workers” will be asked to process funds through their own bank accounts, deduct a percentage as their “wage”, and then send the reminder back to the company via a money transfer service such as Western Union or by posting or delivering cash. In fact, the funds that the victims handle will be the proceeds of crime. By using this tactic, criminals can effectively “launder” their ill-gotten gains.

False Claim : If you have had a flu shot in the last 3-5 years, you will probably test positive for COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "If you have had a flu shot in the last 3-5 years, you will probably test positive for COVID-19." This is false. Flu shots aren’t causing false positive COVID-19 tests. This is a twist on other similar false claims made in the recent past. Medical experts say the flu vaccine isn’t causing false positives for people who take COVID-19 tests. Politifact reached out to medical experts about the post. Davidson Hamer, a global health and medicine professor at Boston University as well as a faculty member of the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory, called it "nonsense." "Coronaviruses have a completely different antigenic (surface protein and glycoprotein structure) from influenza viruses," he told PolitiFact in an email. "They both cause similar syndromes but they are distinct classes of viruses and there is no evidence that I am aware of that would lead to cross reactions between immune responses to the two vaccines."

Mislead : A warning label on a box of disposable masks shows that they are ineffective at protecting against the spread of COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The misleading claim is: "A warning label on a box of disposable masks shows that they are ineffective at protecting against the spread of COVID-19." This is false. The mask box label in the viral image is legitimate, but people are misinterpreting it. The N95 respirator offers the most protection against viral particles for the wearer because it can filter very small aerosol particles. But other masks, like the ones in the photo or homemade fabric masks, are effective in reducing the spread of the disease because they help stop asymptomatic individuals from unknowingly spreading the disease.

False Claim : People will refuse the COVID-19 vaccine because it will include tracking microchips, the Gates Foundation is now spending billions to ensure that all medical and dental injections and procedures include the chips.

• Debunk Date :

  05/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Sam Powell

The false claim is: "Due to the large number of people who will refuse the forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine because it will include tracking microchips, the Gates Foundation is now spending billions to ensure that all medical and dental injections and procedures include the chips." This is false. No, the Gates Foundation isn’t pushing microchips with all medical procedures. The United States isn’t developing a vaccine with a chip to track people, Democrats aren’t pushing for "an implanted microchip in humans and everyone to be vaccinated," and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, did not say every American should be microchipped."

False Claim : If you look at the one (hydroxychloroquine) survey, the only bad survey, they were giving it to people that were in very bad shape. They were very old. Almost dead.

• Debunk Date :

  05/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Donald Trump, rev.com

The false claim is: "If you look at the one (hydroxychloroquine) survey, the only bad survey, they were giving it to people that were in very bad shape. They were very old. Almost dead." This is false. Trump said this, but he is wrong that hydroxychloroquine studies only gave drug to dying patients. Trump spoke as though there was only one study that found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine, and said it only looked at people “that were in very bad shape,” almost dead. There have been three studies, and all found no link between hydroxychloroquine and reduced deaths. All studies filtered out the impact of underlying health problems.

False Claim : If you paid rent in March or April, they got to give you your money back.

• Debunk Date :

  05/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Queen Quita Watson

The false claim is: "If you paid rent in March or April, they got to give you your money back." This is false. No, there’s no COVID-19 law that requires rent (or mortgage) refunds. A bill has been introduced in the House that would require rent and mortgage payment refunds, as well as forgiveness on future payments, while COVID-19 remains a national emergency. But no action has yet been taken on the bill.

False Claim : Bill Gates Explains That The COVID Vaccine Will Use Experimental Technology And Permanently Alter Your DNA.

• Debunk Date :

  05/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Bill Gates Explains That The COVID Vaccine Will Use Experimental Technology And Permanently Alter Your DNA." This is false. This is a blog post that is wrong on what Bill Gates said about COVID-19 vaccine. Bill Gates explained in his own blog post that there were many different types of vaccines being tested to create a COVID-19 vaccine, including experimental RNA and DNA vaccines. There is still no way of knowing what the COVID-19 vaccine will look like. We’ve seen many social media posts lately that falsely claim Bill Gates is responsible for, or will somehow profit from, COVID-19.

False Claim : New evidence shows that wearing a face mask can help coronavirus enter the brain and pose more health risk.

• Debunk Date :

  05/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

The false claim is: "New evidence shows that wearing a face mask can help coronavirus enter the brain and pose more health risk." This is not true. On May 18 2020, ScienceTimes.com posted a story with a frightening and shocking headline: “New Evidence Shows Wearing Face Mask Can Help Coronavirus Enter the Brain and Pose More Health Risk, Warn Expert.” The page picked up quite a lot of traffic and attention before it was quietly revised — but traces of the original remained on Facebook and Twitter and spread through secondary sources.

False Claim : Autopsies prove that COVID-19 is a blood clot, not pneumonia, and ought to be fought with antibiotics and the whole world has been wrong in treating the so-called” pandemic.

• Debunk Date :

  05/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Autopsies prove that COVID-19 is a blood clot, not pneumonia, and ought to be fought with antibiotics and the whole world has been wrong in treating the so-called” pandemic." No, COVID-19 won’t respond to antibiotics, despite findings from new autopsies. The novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19 is a virus. Viruses do not respond to antibiotic treatment; antibiotics work only on bacterial infections. COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness that in some cases causes pneumonia. Another effect, according to the autopsies in Italy, is lung damage caused by blood clotting. But that doesn’t change the fact that COVID-19 is caused by a virus.

False Claim : States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis.

• Debunk Date :

  05/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." The chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and some of his colleagues stated this in a letter to President Donald Trump. This is false. The New York pension fund does not need a federal bailout. New York's pension system is one of the best-funded in the nation and has not asked for federal funds. Illinois' pension fund is one of the worst-funded in the nation, while California is about average. Economic shutdowns related to the pandemic have severely diminished tax revenues, which pay for many state services.

False Claim : Wearing face masks is more harmful to your health than going without one.

• Debunk Date :

  05/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Wearing face masks is more harmful to your health than going without one." This is false. There’s no evidence that wearing standard masks is harmful to your health. There’s no evidence that wearing standard masks, such as surgical masks or ones made of fabric, is harmful to the general public. Some people with preexisting respiratory conditions may be at risk with prolonged use of tight-fitting masks, like N95 respirators. Those masks aren’t recommended for the general public.

False Claim : Dr. Fauci says every American should be microchipped.

• Debunk Date :

  05/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Jim Worrall

The false claim is: "Dr. Fauci says every American should be microchipped." This is not true. Dr. Fauci didn’t say Americans should be “microchipped”. There is no evidence that Dr. Anthony Fauci has said every American should be "microchipped." Fauci has suggested Americans might someday carry certificates of immunity to COVID-19. Similar claims that Democrats and others are pushing microchips to fight the coronavirus have been debunked.

False Claim : Kitchen worker in viral video is potentially spreading coronavirus by blowing into food containers.

• Debunk Date :

  05/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  docs

• Sources :

  Facebook, Bajan Ras

The false claim is: "Kitchen worker in viral video is potentially spreading coronavirus by blowing into food containers." This is false. The viral video of a kitchen worker blowing on food wrappers is at least three years old. This video appeared online as early as 2017.

False Claim : If masks prevent coronavirus, governors would have given them to prison inmates instead of releasing them.

• Debunk Date :

  05/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Lija Granan

The false claim is: "If masks prevent coronavirus, governors would have given them to prison inmates instead of releasing them." The truth is that states do use masks to contain COVID-19 in prisons. Experts agree that wearing facial coverings in close settings provides some measure of protection against spreading the coronavirus. Despite a claim on Facebook, New York, Michigan and California prisons all are providing masks to inmates, as well as staff, as part of their COVID-19 response. Certain groups of inmates are being freed early as a way to try to limit the spread of COVID-19. They include pregnant women with less than six months left on sentences for nonviolent offenses, and other inmates who are either over 60 with health issues or months away from being eligible for parole.

False Claim : Bill Gates admits his COVID-19 vaccine might kill nearly 1 million people.

• Debunk Date :

  05/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  The Clover Chronicle

The false claim is: "Bill Gates admits his COVID-19 vaccine might kill nearly 1 million people." This is false. Bill Gates did not say a COVID-19 vaccine could kill nearly 1 million people. The Gates Foundation is trying to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Gates spoke theoretically about how many people might suffer side effects from a vaccine, not about how many might die from it.

False Claim : Hydroxychloroquine cures this ‘virus.’ It just so happens this is the treatment used for radiation sickness!!

• Debunk Date :

  05/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Ashley Bird

The false claim is: "Hydroxychloroquine cures this ‘virus.’ It just so happens this is the treatment used for radiation sickness!!" This is false. Hydroxychloroquine is not proven to treat COVID-19 or radiation sickness. There is no cure or vaccine for the novel coronavirus. Some studies have found that hydroxychloroquine could help alleviate symptoms associated with COVID-19, but the research is not conclusive. Health officials have not listed hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for radiation sickness.

False Claim : Hospitals get paid $750 for patients who die from the flu, $17,500 for COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Mick Bazsuly

The false claim is: "Hospitals get paid $750 for patients who die from the flu, $17,500 for COVID-19." This is false. No, there aren’t set amounts hospitals are paid for deaths from flu vs COVID-19. Amounts paid to hospitals can vary based on the payer; private insurers typically pay much more than Medicare. Medicare pays hospitals based primarily on the diagnosis, and the amount is not affected by whether a patient dies. The $17,500 corresponds to an average of what Medicare might pay for one type of COVID-19 patient. Experts said no hospitalization would generate a payment as low as $750.

False Claim : Only certain face masks are effective and others, such as cloth masks, are not.

• Debunk Date :

  05/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Katt Butler

The false claim is: "Only certain face masks are effective and others, such as cloth masks, are not." This is not true! Face masks, including homemade ones, are effective COVID-19 protection, experts say. N95 masks offer the most protection from viral particles, health officials say, but they should be reserved for health care workers who are in direct contact with infected patients. Mask effectiveness varies, but claims that cloth masks provide 0% protection aren’t accurate. More studies need to be done to examine variables such as the material and fit of the mask, the wearer, and the environment. Health officials largely agree that wearing any kind of face mask, coupled with social distancing and frequent hand-washing, is more protective than going unmasked. Face masks have become a controversial symbol of the fight against COVID-19.

False Claim : Martial arts movie star Chuck Norris has died from the COVID-19 coronavirus disease.

• Debunk Date :

  05/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The false claim is: "Martial arts movie star Chuck Norris has died from the COVID-19 coronavirus disease." This is false. In May 2020, Snopes readers inquired about a rumor circulating on social media that caused them to fear the actor known for fighting Bruce Lee in the 1972 martial arts film “The Way of the Dragon” and battling bad guys in the TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger” had succumbed to the COVID-19 coronavirus disease. Norris, 80, is alive and well, but he has been the target of death hoaxes in the past. In 2012, scammers used a Norris death hoax as a vehicle to circulate a survey scam on Facebook.

False Claim : The government of Italy is calling for the arrest of Bill Gates.

• Debunk Date :

  05/18/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  YouTube

The false claim is: "The government of Italy is calling for the arrest of Bill Gates." This is mostly false. What's True: While giving a speech, a single Italian politician called for former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates to be arrested. What's False: This position has not been endorsed by the Italian government as a whole. In May 2020, a video started to circulate online that supposedly showed an Italian politician calling for the arrest of Bill Gates, the former Microsoft CEO who has been at the center of several conspiracy theories due to his foundation’s work to develop a vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic. This video was frequently shared on social media with the caption, “Italian Government call for arrest of Bill Gates”. This is a genuine video of an Italian politician calling for Gates’ arrest. However, a single politician’s opinion does not equate to the entire Italian government calling for action. In fact, this view has been condemned by Italian government officials (one can hear this politician being told “enough” and to be quiet during the video).

False Claim : The $100B contact tracing bill is about controlling/tracking population, not about coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  05/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Ben Swann

The false claim is: "The $100B contact tracing bill is about controlling/tracking population, not about coronavirus." This claim that the federal contact tracing bill is not for COVID-19 is false. A Facebook post claims new federal legislation to support contact tracing “is about controlling/tracking population, not about coronavirus.” The bill strictly targets the novel coronavirus. It would provide $100 billion to organizations that do COVID-19 contact tracing and testing, or that offer services to people who are isolating at home. Contact tracing has become a key strategy of the White House plan to reopen states that went into shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. The process tasks public health workers with learning as much as they can about whom a patient has been in contact with, so they can be notified about their potential exposure. While it does raise some privacy concerns, contact tracing has been used to slow the spread of other diseases, such as SARS and HIV. It’s a common strategy in public health agencies across the country.

False Claim : The government in Oklahoma is planning to detain people unless they can show proof of vaccination.

• Debunk Date :

  05/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  YouTube, FireThunderTV

The false claim is: "The government in Oklahoma is planning to detain people unless they can show proof of vaccination." This is false. In mid-May 2020, Facebook users began circulating a years-old video in which a man claimed the government was scheming to forcibly round up unvaccinated people. The video circulated widely without any indication as to when it was filmed and with the words “Heads up Oklahoma” edited in, leading some to think it pertained to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic, specifically in the state of Oklahoma. The video, which has been on YouTube since 2009, featured Greg Evensen, a blogger who described himself as a former Kansas State Trooper. In the video, Evensen discussed a government “edict of mandated vaccinations.” Evensen’s comments appear to be a variation on a cross between two long-standing conspiracy theories. One theory centers on the mass detention of Americans — in most iterations the detention is to take place in camps created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). And the other theory centers on activists who believe vaccines are harmful, and that a nefarious conspiracy exists to force them on the public. His remarks were made during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic of 2009. Because the video was made in 2009 and has nothing to do with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (for which there is no vaccine, anyway, as of this writing), and because the statements made in the video allude to unfounded conspiracies that have not come to pass, Snopes rated this claim “False.”

False Claim : The Obama administration did not leave any kind of game plan for something like this.

• Debunk Date :

  05/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "The Obama administration did not leave any kind of game plan for something like this." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell alleged that the Obama administration did not provide the Trump administration with any information about the threat of a possible pandemic during a May 11 Team Trump Facebook Live video discussion with Lara Trump. "They claim pandemics only happen once every 100 years, but what if that is no longer true? We want to be ready, early, for the next one. Because clearly, the Obama administration did not leave any kind of game plan for something like this," said McConnell. Evidence counters McConnell claim that Obama team left no pandemic ‘game plan’ for Trump. Numerous Obama administration officials dismissed this statement. Ronald Klain, who was Obama’s Ebola response coordinator, tweeted a link to the plan. Kayleigh McEnany, White House press secretary for President Donald Trump, held up a hard copy of the Obama “pandemic playbook” during a May 14 press availability on the White House lawn.

False Claim : 93% of the (COVID-19) cases in the state of Illinois have come from Chicago.

• Debunk Date :

  05/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Darin LaHood, Twitter

The false claim is: "93% of the (COVID-19) cases in the state of Illinois have come from Chicago." Darin LaHood, a Republican who represents Illinois’ 18th Congressional District, said this on May 1 after Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker acknowledged some regions may be ready to reopen sooner than others depending on when they pass their peak. LaHood overstates Chicago’s share of Illinois COVID-19 cases. Arguing his region of the state should be allowed to start reopening, the congressman said Chicago accounts for nearly all cases of the novel coronavirus in Illinois. But state public health data show the city makes up less than half of the state’s total.

False Claim : Gates Foundation stands to make nearly £31.5 billion on a coronavirus vaccine in U.K.

• Debunk Date :

  05/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Gates Foundation stands to make nearly £31.5 billion on a coronavirus vaccine in U.K." There is no evidence the Gates Foundation will profit from a coronavirus vaccine. The £31.5 billion figure was calculated by multiplying an estimated cost per vaccine times the population of the United Kingdom. The estimated vaccine cost comes from a Daily Mail story, but we could find no other evidence to back it up. The Gates Foundation has pledged millions of dollars to companies developing potential coronavirus vaccines. There is no evidence that the charity stands to profit from them. The source of the Facebook post is a website that has published false conspiracy theories in the past.

False Claim : $3 trillion for federal coronavirus stimulus packages is "being borrowed basically from China.

• Debunk Date :

  05/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "$3 trillion for federal coronavirus stimulus packages is "being borrowed basically from China." That’s the claim of Kentucky Republican Rand Paul, the first senator known to have been stricken by COVID-19, made on Fox News' "America's Newsroom". No, U.S. isn’t expected to borrow heavily from China to pay for COVID-19 stimulus. Experts say the Federal Reserve is likely to be the largest source of funds for the $3 trillion. China is expected to buy little, if any, of the debt, because it does not have the money to lend.

False Claim : It’s not the coronavirus that’s killing people. It is the economy.

• Debunk Date :

  05/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Steven Baker, TikTok

The false claim is: "It’s not the coronavirus that’s killing people. It is the economy." This is a false TikTok claim that high unemployment is killing more people than the coronavirus. A TikTok video said skyrocketing unemployment is killing people, not the coronavirus. The researcher whose work lies behind the stat in the video said that’s a complete misreading of his results. The link between recessions and future deaths is complicated, and the unprecedented current crisis makes predictions even harder.

False Claim : Children are not at risk unless they have an underlying medical issue.

• Debunk Date :

  05/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Children are not at risk unless they have an underlying medical issue." Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai said this. It is not true. Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai argued that children are largely protected from the ravages of the coronavirus because of their youth and would be safe if they return to school in the fall. A new study published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics found that roughly one in five children with serious cases of coronavirus had no underlying medical conditions. In New York City, 52 children sickened with the coronavirus have developed a serious condition called pediatric multi-symptom inflammatory syndrome.

False Claim : U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it's "okay to eat pets" if food runs scarce.

• Debunk Date :

  05/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  BIZ News, Facebook

The false claim is: "U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it's "okay to eat pets" if food runs scarce." This is false. On May 9, 2020, the BIZ News website published a story reporting that U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., stated that it was “okay to eat pets” if food runs scarce. The story circulated on Facebook. Ocasio-Cortez did not make these comments, which have not been quoted or referenced in any legitimate news sources. BIZ News is a junk news website with a track record of fabricating inflammatory quotes and attributing them to Democratic political figures, including a fake quote attributed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stating that senior citizens were “not entitled to Social Security.”

False Claim : Under an 1866 Supreme Court ruling, stay-at-home orders are illegal and can be disregarded with impunity.

• Debunk Date :

  05/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Bill Dalessandro

The false claim is: "Under an 1866 Supreme Court ruling, stay-at-home orders are illegal and can be disregarded with impunity." No, that’s not a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. This false claim is being spread in a post on Facebook. The post misattributed a quote from a 1935 Illinois Supreme Court decision about Chicago judicial salaries. The original quote refers to the Illinois Constitution and the laws that created the Municipal Court of Chicago, not the U.S. constitution. The Supreme Court has ruled in the past that the rights of a citizen can be restricted by the state for the “common good” during a health crisis.

False Claim : House bill H.R. 6666 will give the government the power to forcibly remove your family members from your home and quarantine them[.] That includes your children.

• Debunk Date :

  05/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

The false claim is: "House bill H.R. 6666 will give the government the power to forcibly remove your family members from your home and quarantine them[.] That includes your children." Viral posts on social media falsely claim that a House bill would “give the government the power to forcibly remove” children from their homes. That’s not true. The bill actually provides $100 billion to fund COVID-19 contact tracing efforts. The bill — the COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act — outlines a $100 billion program to be managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to “eligible entities,” such as health centers and clinics, universities and nonprofit organizations. The federal money would be used by those organizations “to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID-19, to trace and monitor the contacts of infected individuals, and to support the quarantine of such contacts, through— (1) mobile health units; and (2) as necessary, testing individuals and providing individuals with services related to testing and quarantine at their residences.” Those provisions support the concept of contact tracing, a public health technique that, as we’ve previously explained, involves identifying those who have had contact with an infected person so that those people can be warned and ideally tested or quarantined.

Mislead : U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams has said that the general public should not wear or buy masks to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease.

• Debunk Date :

  05/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The misleading claim is: "U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams has said that the general public should not wear or buy masks to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease." What's True: In public statements in early 2020, the surgeon general had recommended against the general public buying or wearing masks. What's False: However, in light of new evidence from the CDC, he changed his views and has since argued in favor of people wearing cloth facial coverings in public settings. On May 7, one Facebook post from Ohio State Rep. Nino Vitale’s Facebook account shared a Newsmax article that included Adams’ past comments. That post was re-shared more than 700 times, along with the hashtags #EndMedicalDictatorship #FreedomAndLiberty.

False Claim : The 1969 Woodstock music festival occurred during a pandemic as lethal as COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Social Media

The false claim is: "The 1969 Woodstock music festival occurred during a pandemic as lethal as COVID-19." What's True: The Woodstock music festival took place in August 1969. The H3N2 influenza pandemic lasted between the winter of 1968 and the early months of 1970. What's False: The 1968 pandemic does not compare to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of lethality. Also, Woodstock did not take place during one of the Pandemic's seasonal peaks, but in the summer of 1969 when there was practically no reported H3N2 flu activity in the United States.

False Claim : You should wear gloves in public to protect against COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  MSN

• Sources :

  Verbal

The false claim is: "You should wear gloves in public to protect against COVID-19." This is false. No, you should not be wearing gloves in public. The glove guidance for the general public is simple from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Don’t. “CDC doesn’t recommend the general public use gloves. Gloves can be a source of contamination, even for the wearer, if not properly removed,” spokeswoman Kate Grusich said in an email. “COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets that can land on surfaces. If the wearer touches a variety of surfaces during the day while wearing the same pair of gloves, contamination can definitely be transmitted from one surface to another.” The CDC’s online guide for glove use recommends wearing them when cleaning or caring for someone who is sick. It expressly notes gloves are a bad choice for running errands. “The best way to protect yourself from germs when running errands and after going out is to regularly wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol,” the website says.

False Claim : Young people have a greater chance of being killed by the HPV vaccine than COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/12/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Young people have a greater chance of being killed by the HPV vaccine than COVID-19." This is false. COVID-19 vs. HPV vaccine: COVID is more deadly. State Rep. Jeff Shipley wrote that young people have a higher risk of dying from the HPV vaccination than of COVID-19. No deaths have ever been linked to the HPV vaccine. While young people are less at risk of dying of COVID-19 than older adults, some younger people have died from the virus. Iowa state Rep. Jeff Shipley, R-Fairfield, is telling Iowans he wants younger Iowans to get back to work as the state begins to reopen, tweeting April 28 that "seeing so many young people afraid of re-opening the economy because of the virus...Someone should tell them they have a greater chance of being killed by the HPV vaccine than COVID-19."

False Claim : Dr. Anthony Fauci's name appears on 4 U.S. patents for a key glycoprotein used to create the current COVID-19 epidemic.

• Debunk Date :

  05/12/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Dr. Anthony Fauci's name appears on 4 U.S. patents for a key glycoprotein used to create the current COVID-19 epidemic." This is false. This was stated by conspiracy theorist Jerome R. Corsi in an attempt to spread the false claim about Fauci, patents, and COVID-19. Jerome Corsi, a conservative author and conspiracy theorist, wrote on his blog that Dr. Anthony Fauci’s name appears on four patents for a protein linked to the novel coronavirus. Three of the patents Corsi cited are active. They deal with a potential treatment for HIV and are owned by the Department of Health and Human Services. There is no credible evidence that COVID-19 is related to HIV or was created in a lab. The coronavirus’ genetic makeup precludes the possibility that it was man-made. Corsi is a conservative author and conspiracy theorist. He has made baseless allegations about former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and spread misinformation related to QAnon, a broad right-wing conspiracy theory. As a friend of Roger Stone, a former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump, Corsi was part of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into 2016 election meddling.

False Claim : Letter from California authorities warns residents who receive state assistance benefits must get tested for COVID-19; if parents test positive, children will be placed in temporary foster care.

• Debunk Date :

  05/12/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Social Media

The false claim is: "A letter from California authorities warns that residents who receive state assistance benefits will no longer be eligible for them if they don't get tested for COVID-19; further, if parents test positive, children in their household who test negative will be placed in temporary foster care until their parents/guardians recover." This is false. In early 2020, a fake letter claiming to be from the California Health and Human Services Agency, Department of Social Services (CDSS), circulated online, spreading false information about the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease on families who receive state benefits. The letter appeared to be composed on official CDSS letterhead and signed by California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Mark Ghaly. The letter goes on to state that children with COVID-19 positive parents will be temporarily placed in foster care. This is not true. Adults who test positive for COVID-19 will not be separated from their children (who cannot be sent to foster care over an illness), and recipients of state assistance will not face suspension of their benefits if they fail to get tested. This testing is also not mandatory for recipients of state benefits. CDSS has stated that this letter is categorically false.

False Claim : Americans without disabilities can legally use a federal ADA "loophole" to avoid wearing a mask in stores that require them.

• Debunk Date :

  05/12/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The false claim is: "Americans without disabilities can legally use a federal ADA "loophole" to avoid wearing a mask in stores that require them." This is mostly false. What's True: Businesses that require customers to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic are required to accommodate people who may not be able to wear masks due to a medical condition. What's False: Americans without disabilities are not protected under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Further, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) does not pertain to customers at a grocery store. In April 2020, as major stores such as Costco started requiring customers to wear masks in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease, a message started to circulate on social media that appeared to encourage Americans to lie about having medical conditions in order to exploit a “mask loophole.” These “mask loophole” posts sometimes opened with the declaration “Don’t want to wear a mask? Try this!” and ended with “What have you got to lose?” They were frequently accompanied by one of two images supposedly showing flyers issued from the U.S. Department of Justice that could be presented to stores to explain that these people were “exempt” from these rules. However, these flyers were not issued, endorsed, or distributed by the Department of Justice, and the advice relayed in the “mask loophole” flyer is both legally and morally questionable.

False Claim : Pandemic-related shutdown orders are unconstitutional, and persons arrested for violating them can collect damages.

• Debunk Date :

  05/12/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

The false claim is: "Pandemic-related shutdown orders are unconstitutional, and persons arrested for violating them can collect damages." This is false. As Americans in various U.S. cities began demonstrating in April 2020 for the relaxation of social distancing and lockdown restrictions enacted to blunt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease, some protesters claimed that such restrictions were unconstitutional infringements of individual rights. One example of such claims was a social media post that asserted that citizens arrested for violating shutdown orders could “win damages in court” because “the constitution supersedes any other law”.

Scam : Instance of attempted phishing, hackers sent an email that looks like an official email from Microsoft Teams, but a button in the email to “open” Teams was actually a malicious URL that downloaded malware to the user’s computer.

• Debunk Date :

  05/12/2020

• Debunked By :

  theverge

• Sources :

  Email

Instance of attempted phishing, hackers sent an email that looks like an official email from Microsoft Teams, but a button in the email to “open” Teams was actually a malicious URL that downloaded malware to the user’s computer. If you received an email like this, do not click on the link!

Scam : Hackers are also sending phishing emails posing as the World Health Organization with an attached file that downloads malware when clicked.

• Debunk Date :

  05/12/2020

• Debunked By :

  theverge

• Sources :

  Email

Hackers are also sending phishing emails posing as the World Health Organization with an attached file that downloads malware when clicked, Check Point Research said. The report also included the text of two emails soliciting donations for the WHO and the United Nations, but requesting that the donations be sent to “several known compromised” bitcoin wallets.

False Claim : H.R. 6666 provides $100 billion to entities that perform COVID-19 testing but prohibits them from allowing any non-vaccinated persons into their facilities.

• Debunk Date :

  05/11/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Social Media

The false claim is: "H.R. 6666 provides $100 billion to entities that perform COVID-19 testing but prohibits them from allowing any non-vaccinated persons into their facilities." What's True: H.R. 6666 creates grants for health care, school-based, academic, and nonprofit entities to run mobile testing sites and hire staff to perform diagnostic tests and contact tracing. What's False: The bill does not require participating entities to "only allow people into their facilities that have the COVID-19 vaccination [and] are tested and tracked." On May 1, 2020, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois introduced the Testing, Reaching, and Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act to the U.S. House of Representatives, a piece of legislation that was assigned the ominous-sounding number H.R. 6666. The intent of H.R. 6666, as summarized on GovTrack, is as follows: This bill would provide $100 billion in grants to faith-based organization, clinics, medical centers, and other organization which perform testing for COVID–19, tracing of exposure to COVID–19, or services for individuals who are isolating at home. The funding could be used to pay their staff or purchase personal protective equipment to protect their staff. No provision in this bill would make testing or quarantining mandatory. The bill includes privacy protections for the medical information of individuals that would limit how grantee organizations could share information collected with the federal government.

False Claim : Remdesivir is far more expensive than hydroxychloroquine, which is why it is being promoted.

• Debunk Date :

  05/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  usatoday

• Sources :

  Facebook, Edward Imhoff

The partly false claim is: "Remdesivir is far more expensive than hydroxychloroquine, which is why it is being promoted." This is not true. A viral claim on social media says: "Hydroxychloroquine 60¢ a pill, remdesivir $1000 a dose. Now do you see why they are pushing the New Drug and not the old one?" This Facebook post got more than 90,000 shares within six days of being posted, and attracted more than 1,500 comments. The author of the post, Edward Imhoff, did not respond to a Facebook message asking him to disclose the source for his information. USA Today found the claim that remdesivir is being promoted over hydroxychloroquine because it is more expensive and, by implication, brings in more profit for the drugmaker to be PARTLY FALSE. The price of 60 cents a pill for hydroxychloroquine cited in the post can be considered generally true. But remdesivir is being promoted not for its price – that is false – but because it is proving more effective. Patients were sickened or died from use of hydroxychloroquine. Further, the price of remdesivir is uncertain because it has not been offered as a treatment for coronavirus beyond the donation its maker, Gilead Sciences, made to the government.

Mislead : Mike Pence was caught on a hot mic delivering empty boxes of personal protective equipment to a nursing home and pretended they were heavy.

• Debunk Date :

  05/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Twitter

The mislead is: "Mike Pence was caught on a hot mic delivering empty boxes of personal protective equipment to a nursing home and pretended they were heavy." On a "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Episode Kimmel shed bad light on Pence by cutting a clip of Pence joking about carrying empty boxes for the camera short. After Pence made this joke he did not touch the boxes, rather he closed the doors to the van. In the video it cuts short before he closes the van and walks off.

False Claim : Black cats in Vietnam are being killed and consumed as a COVID-19 cure.

• Debunk Date :

  05/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Black cats in Vietnam are being killed and consumed as a COVID-19 cure." This is false. Cats are eaten in Vietnam, but there is no evidence of widespread killing and consuming of black cats as a treatment for COVID-19. The news service that first published a story on the claim withdrew its story after questions were raised about how widespread any such practice is.

False Claim : New autopsy reports suggest Jeffrey Epstein most likely died from COVID-19 complications.

• Debunk Date :

  05/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "New autopsy reports suggest Jeffrey Epstein most likely died from COVID-19 complications." This is false. There’s no new autopsy report linking Jeffrey Epstein’s death to COVID-19.

False Claim : Georgia Governor Brian Kemp mandates that restaurants reopen.

• Debunk Date :

  05/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Georgia Governor Brian Kemp mandates that restaurants reopen." This is false. Worries for restaurant owners are real, but a post saying Georgia Gov. mandated reopening goes too far. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s order said that restaurants can reopen if they follow 39 rules, including that employees wear face masks. Many Atlanta-area restaurants have chosen not to reopen their dining rooms due to concerns about health and safety. Many restaurants have sued their insurers after being denied business interruption insurance claims.

False Claim : Media outlets reported that the same boy died 3 times from the coronavirus, in 3 countries.

• Debunk Date :

  05/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Lee Hughes

The false claim is: "Media outlets reported that the same boy died 3 times from the coronavirus, in 3 countries." This is false. News outlets did not use photo of same boy to report on 3 COVID deaths. The photo in the viral Facebook post is of Vitor Rafael Bastos Godinho, a 14-year-old Portuguese boy who died after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. He is correctly identified in all the stories that use the image.

False Claim : "The Plandemic," a video made to look like a professional news interview but in reality peddling long-debunked falsehoods about the coronavirus has spread widely on social media since May 4, 2020.

• Debunk Date :

  05/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  buzzfeednews

This is a 30-minute video that strings together numerous false claims. "The Plandemic," a video made to look like a professional news interview but in reality peddling long-debunked falsehoods about the coronavirus has spread widely on social media since May 4, 2020. The video features a woman, Judy Mikovits, who claims to have worked with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the immunologist at the helm of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Now, as the fate of nations hang in the balance, Dr. Mikovits is naming names of those behind the plague of corruption that places all human life in danger,” says the narrator of the 30-minute video, in which Mikovits falsely claims that masks can make wearers sick, that sand from the beach can build up coronavirus immunity, and that as-yet-uninvented vaccines for the virus that has killed at least 75,000 people in the US are dangerous. Mikovits has long been a figure in anti-vaccination communities, and has been attempting to insert herself into the COVID-19 pandemic narrative since late March, according to data from social media tracking tool BuzzSumo, with her breakout moment coming on May 6, two days after the video was initially published to Vimeo and YouTube. On Thursday, May 7, 2020, Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo all said they are removing the video from their platforms. But the video’s spread has been swift. Aside from the video platforms, it could be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even LinkedIn. Produced by a company called Elevate, "The Plandemic" deftly weaves together several strands of rumors that have circulated since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak

False Claim : We’ve still had more deaths to the flu this year than we've had COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "We’ve still had more deaths to the flu this year than we've had COVID-19." No, the flu hasn't killed more people than coronavirus. North Carolina Lt. Governor Dan Forest, a Republican, is running for governor against Democratic incumbent Roy Cooper and has criticized Cooper's stay-at-home order as too heavy-handed. In an interview on April 24, Forest said coronavirus deaths hadn't topped flu deaths for the year. He cherry-picked from the CDC's prediction that flu deaths could be as low as 24,000 or as high as 62,000. Forest then compared that 62,000 estimate to the CDC's ongoing tally of coronavirus deaths -- a comparison experts say is unfair and inaccurate.

False Claim : There was no real scientific basis for believing that social distancing would be necessary, since it had never been studied.

• Debunk Date :

  05/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "There was no real scientific basis for believing that social distancing would be necessary, since it had never been studied." Fox News host Laura Ingraham falsely claimed this on her TV show on May 4, 2020. Experts in public health and epidemiology said Ingraham’s claim is wrong. There’s plenty of science behind social distancing. Two influential 2007 studies looked at the 1918 influenza pandemic and found that places with layered and sustained social distancing policies were generally better off. The coronavirus is believed to spread mainly among people in close contact.

False Claim : Dr. Anthony Fauci has known for 15 years that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine will not only treat a current case of coronavirus but prevent future cases.

• Debunk Date :

  05/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Dr. Anthony Fauci has known for 15 years that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine will not only treat a current case of coronavirus but prevent future cases." This is false. Don’t fall for conspiracy theories about Dr. Anthony Fauci and hydroxychloroquine. An article published by a website run by an anti-LGBTQ political organization claims Dr. Anthony Fauci knew in 2005 that hydroxychloroquine was effective against human coronaviruses. The article cites a 2005 study that found a related drug, chloroquine, could inhibit the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. There is no known treatment, cure or vaccine for the novel coronavirus or SARS. While some early research suggests hydroxychloroquine could treat COVID-19 symptoms, other studies have found no discernible effect.

False Claim : The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention significantly lowered the COVID-19 death toll.

• Debunk Date :

  05/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

The false claim is: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention significantly lowered the COVID-19 death toll." Claims on social media have been spreading the falsehood that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention significantly lowered the COVID-19 death toll. There has been no such reduction. These claims confuse two different measures of the number of deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regularly updates two different lists that track deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. One list, referred to as “provisional deaths,” counts death certificates. The other list counts confirmed and probable cases. The list that counts death certificates shows a lower number partly because official documentation takes days or weeks to produce. So that number lags behind other methods of counting the death toll. But several claims based on a faulty comparison of those two lists have been spreading the falsehood that the CDC has “adjusted” or “reduced” the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S. This message — made explicit in some posts and implicit in others — furthers the conspiracy theory that the pandemic was planned or is a hoax.

False Claim : Churches are required by the local government to record and register lists of attendees for tracking purposes in Kansas City, Missouri.

• Debunk Date :

  05/05/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  lc.org, toddstarnes.com

The false claim is: “Churches are required by the local government to record and register lists of attendees for tracking purposes in Kansas City, Missouri." This is false. In early May 2020, various websites and commentators claimed that Kansas City, Missouri, was ordering churches to turn over lists of attendees to the government. The commentary posted by evangelical groups implied that the measures persecuted Christians, with one of the more sensational takes gaining online traction. The city is not requiring establishments, including churches, to keep lists of attendees for mandated government surveillance purposes, and the city’s measures are voluntary, limited, and only aimed at notifying people in the event of COVID-19 exposure.

False Claim : A sprawling conspiracy theory proves numerous individuals and organizations schemed to promote the drug Remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment over the purportedly highly effective Hydroxychloroquine.

• Debunk Date :

  05/05/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: “A sprawling conspiracy theory proves numerous individuals and organizations schemed to promote the drug Remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment over the purportedly highly effective Hydroxychloroquine." This is false. In May 2020, as the drug Remdesivir was being explored as a potential treatment for the COVID-19 coronavirus disease, a widespread social media post posited a sprawling conspiracy involving U.S. biopharmaceutical company Gilead, China, the international medical organization Unitaid, George Soros, Bill Gates, the World Health Organization, Hillary Clinton, and National Institute of Allergy, and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci. The theory holds that together they were trying to suppress the supposedly highly effective drug Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 in favor of Remdesivir.

False Claim : The flu vaccine doesn’t work because the flu has not been eliminated.

• Debunk Date :

  05/05/2020

• Debunked By :

  fullfact

The false claim is: "The flu vaccine doesn’t work because the flu has not been eliminated." This is incorrect. The flu vaccine prevents illness and deaths. However, it can only protect against some of the ever-changing viruses that cause the flu. A post shared on Facebook claims that the flu vaccine “clearly doesn’t work” because “the flu shot hasn’t eliminated the flu”. This, the post claims, contradicts reports that “we can’t get rid of Covid-19 without a vaccine”. The post ends by asking readers to consider not getting the new coronavirus vaccine when it arrives. However, the argument that this post appears to be making—that we shouldn’t rely on a Covid-19 vaccine because people still die from the flu, which does have a vaccine—doesn’t add up. Unlike influenza, Covid-19 is caused by one single virus: officially called the “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2”, or SARS-CoV-2. That means that any Covid-19 vaccine, in contrast to the flu vaccines, will therefore have to target just one virus. That means it won’t face some of the challenges the annual flu vaccines face in predicting which of the many viruses in circulation to target.

False Claim : “I see no time in the history of this country when perfectly healthy people have been basically confined to their homes or only able to do essential things as in Kansas City or St. Louis.”

• Debunk Date :

  05/04/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: “I see no time in the history of this country when perfectly healthy people have been basically confined to their homes or only able to do essential things as in Kansas City or St. Louis.” Missouri state Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin stated this in a Facebook post on March 22, 2020. It is false. Healthy people have been confined before COVID-19, contrary to lawmaker’s claim. Many cities during the Spanish flu outbreak enacted similar restrictions. And in Missouri, based on St. Louis’ efforts to combat the 1918 flu pandemic, this "time in history" did occur. People were restricted on what they could do. Public gatherings were prohibited. Closed or canceled non-essential businesses, in-person churches and sports events also occurred then and now.

False Claim : The CDC recommends that only people with COVID-19 symptoms should wear masks.

• Debunk Date :

  05/01/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "The CDC recommends that only people with COVID-19 symptoms should wear masks." Until a change on April 3, this was the CDC's advice. However, now they advise all to wear face masks especially in areas where it is dificult to social distance.

False Claim : President Donald Trump is selling coronavirus-themed commemorative coins through the White House Gift Shop.

• Debunk Date :

  05/01/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "President Donald Trump is selling coronavirus-themed commemorative coins through the White House Gift Shop." This is false. The gift shop selling COVID-19 coins is not from the White House. WhiteHouseGiftShop.com is selling COVID-19-themed commemorative coins for around $100. The gift shop has a historical connection with the White House that dates back to the Truman administration, but it was taken over by a private company. The federal government is not affiliated with the shop and isn’t involved in any of its products or operations, its owner says. Headlines going around social media are leading some people to wrongly believe that President Donald Trump is trying to profit from the pandemic by selling COVID-19-themed commemorative coins.

False Claim : Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Target and Costco have not had any reported (coronavirus) cases in the news.

• Debunk Date :

  05/01/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Target and Costco have not had any reported (coronavirus) cases in the news." This is false. Employees at big retailers have contracted COVID-19, and some have died. News reports from across the country have documented COVID-19 cases and deaths involving employees at all of these companies.

False Claim : Madagascar is the first country to succeed in finding a cure for COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  05/01/2020

• Debunked By :

  apnews

The false claim is: “Madagascar is the first country to succeed in finding a cure for COVID-19." This is false. THE FACTS: Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has been promoting an herbal drink called Covid Organics as a remedy for COVID-19, but there’s no scientific evidence to show it’s effective. Posts claiming the drink can “wipe out the virus at any stage” circulated on social media after some students returning to school in Madagascar were given face masks and a small bottle of the herbal extract to drink before going to class. Medical experts are critical of the drink, noting there are no scientific tests to indicate it would be effective against the novel coronavirus, according to AP reporting. Social media posts touting the drink emerged in late April. The U.S. National Institutes of Health also warned against the use of alternative medicines — including certain herbal therapies and teas — for treating or preventing COVID-19, saying there was no evidence they work and some may be unsafe.

False Claim : Wuhan lab was funded by Obama in 2015 and that is where COVID-19 was created.

• Debunk Date :

  04/30/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "President Trump just announced that the ‘biological’ lab in Wuhan where the COVID-19 virus was created was ‘funded’ by President Barak (sp) Hussein Obama in 2015 to the tune of $3,800,000 American dollars!" This is false. The Obama administration did not provide $3.8 million to Wuhan virology lab. A virology lab in Wuhan received about $600,000 over five years from the U.S. government. Some of the money came while Trump was president. The grant was part of an effort to spot viruses in wildlife that might jump and infect humans. The best genetic analysis to date says the virus that causes COVID-19 was not created in a lab.

False Claim : Pope Francis is calling on all the faithful of his church to take the Malagasy remedy against COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  04/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Pope Francis is calling on all the faithful of his church to take the Malagasy remedy against COVID-19." This is false. The pope has not said this.

False Claim : Adding pepper to your soup or other meals can prevent or cure COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  04/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  WHO

• Sources :

  Twitter, InksNation

The false claim is: "Adding pepper to your soup or other meals can prevent or cure COVID-19." Hot peppers in your food, though very tasty, cannot prevent or cure COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is to keep at least 1 metre away from others and to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. It is also beneficial for your general health to maintain a balanced diet, stay well hydrated, exercise regularly and sleep well.

False Claim : Houseflies can transmit coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  04/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  WHO

The false claim is: "Houseflies can transmit coronavirus." To date, there is no evidence or information to suggest that the COVID-19 virus transmitted through houseflies. The virus that cause COVID-19 spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. You can also become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth before washing your hands. To protect yourself, keep at least 1-metre distance from others and disinfect frequently-touched surfaces. Clean your hands thoroughly and often and avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.

False Claim : Quotes Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as saying, “Now is not the time to live by the Constitution, it’s time to put that damn thing in a shredder.”

• Debunk Date :

  04/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Quotes Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as saying, 'Now is not the time to live by the Constitution, it’s time to put that damn thing in a shredder.'" According to poltifact, there’s no evidence that Whitmer made this comment.

Mislead : The U.S. economic downturn due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in early 2020 was forcing the United States Postal Service to close.

• Debunk Date :

  04/29/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Facebook

The misleading claim is: "The U.S. economic downturn due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in early 2020 was forcing the United States Postal Service to close." What's True: A decline in mail deliveries — a leading source of revenue for the agency — due to business shutdowns during the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic is hurting USPS. The leader of the Postal Service said it could "run out of cash" by the end of September 2020. What's Undetermined: It is unclear how, or to what extent, those drops in revenue are adding to an already-troubled financial situation for the Postal Service, due in large part to a congressional mandate on how it funds employees' benefits, not COVID-19. Additionally, it's unknown how the lack of cash could affect USPS service or its mail carriers, and whether USPS leaders are seriously making plans to shut down the agency in its entirety.

False Claim : Ultraviolet Radiation is administered into the body as a disinfectant to kill bacteria and viruses and this has been used for a while now.

• Debunk Date :

  04/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "Ultraviolet Radiation is administered into the body as a disinfectant to kill bacteria and viruses and this has been used for a while now." This is not true. UV radiation is not a common way to kill viruses and bacteria in the body. Health experts say there is no evidence that injecting ultraviolet light into the body would kill viruses like the novel coronavirus. There is no scientific evidence to support alternative health treatments like ultraviolet blood irradiation.

False Claim : Vaping reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  04/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  TokTok, @juniorjohnson37

The false claim is: "Vaping reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19." This is false. Vaping does not reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. An article from Scientific American says vaping could increase your risk of coronavirus infection since experts say that smoking suppresses immune function. The University of California San Francisco said that smokers could actually take longer to recover from respiratory infections. And the National Institute on Drug Abuse warns that vaping harms cells, and could potentially diminish your ability to respond to infection.

Scam : COVIDSafe App Hoax Message Being Distributed.

• Debunk Date :

  04/28/2020

• Debunked By :

  hoax-slayer

• Sources :

  Text, Social Media

News outlets in Australia are reporting on a hoax message that falsely claims to have been sent by the newly released COVIDSafe app. The circulating message is reportedly being sent to random recipients via text message and screenshots of the notification are also being shared on social media. The text of the notification claims that the COVIDSafe App has detected you are now +20km from your nominated home address. It instructs you to call a phone number to register your reason for traveling within 15 mins of receiving the SMS. However, the message is fake and was not sent by the COVIDSafe app or the Australian Government. The Australian Government’s COVIDSafe app is somewhat controversial and has raised concerns among privacy advocates. However, the app is not designed to track the movements of people in the way implied in the fake message and there is no evidence to indicate that it is doing so. When installing the app, you do provide a postcode but you do not nominate a home address. And the app does not police lockdown or social distancing regulations. That is not its purpose. Although this report of a scam originates from Australia, these types of scams tend to quickly spread to other countries, so be careful.

False Claim : The flu vaccine can cause people to test positive for coronavirus

• Debunk Date :

  04/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "The flu vaccine can cause people to test positive for coronavirus." This is false. There is no known connection between the flu vaccine and the novel coronavirus. The flu vaccine will neither give a person immunity to the virus nor make them more susceptible to it. Since coronavirus is not in the flu shot, it also will not affect whether a person tests positive for it or not.

False Claim : Maatje Benassi, a US Army reservist, is the coronavirus patient zero.

• Debunk Date :

  04/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  CNN

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  YouTube, George Webb

The false claim is: "Maatje Benassi, a US Army reservist, is the coronavirus patient zero." Maatje Benassi, a US Army reservist and mother of two, has become the target of conspiracy theorists who falsely place her at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, saying she brought the disease to China. The false claims are spreading across YouTube every day, so far racking up hundreds of thousands of apparent views, and have been embraced by Chinese Communist Party media. Despite never having tested positive for the coronavirus or experienced symptoms, Benassi and her husband are now subjects of discussion on Chinese social media about the outbreak, including among accounts that are known drivers of large-scale coordinated activities by their followers. The claims have turned their lives upside down. The couple say their home address has been posted online and that, before they shut down their accounts, their social media inboxes were overrun with messages from believers of the conspiracy. It wasn't until March, months after the first reported coronavirus cases in China, that conspiracy theorists turned their focus to Maatje Benassi. The baseless theory began with her participation in October in the Military World Games, essentially the military Olympics, which was hosted by Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus outbreak began last year. Maatje Benassi competed in the cycling competition there, suffering an accident on the final lap that left her with a fractured rib and a concussion. Despite the crash, Benassi still finished the race, but it turned out to be the start of something worse. While hundreds of athletes from the US military took part in the games, Maatje Benassi was plucked out of the group and given a starring role in the conspiracy theory.

False Claim : The government must have planned the coronavirus pandemic because the coronavirus relief bill had been introduced three years earlier.

• Debunk Date :

  04/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Terry Tillaart

The false claim is: "The government must have planned the coronavirus pandemic because the coronavirus relief bill had been introduced three years earlier." This is false. The early date on the CARES Act is due to a legislative quirk, not a plot. The introduction date of the legislation that ultimately became the CARES Act doesn’t signify anything about when the government knew about the coronavirus pandemic. Tax-related bills need to originate in the House. But to speed the passage of coronavirus relief, the senators who drew up the CARES Act used a common workaround by which they stripped out the text of an existing House-passed bill and inserted the new text into it. The House bill they used was introduced in 2019, and was unrelated to the coronavirus. The post misstated the introduction date.

Scam : Package delivery phishing scams use coronavirus lures.

• Debunk Date :

  04/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  bleepingcomputer

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Email

As people socially isolate and work from home, shopping online and home deliveries have increased. Scammers are capitalizing on this by creating new scams using Coronavirus delivery issues as a lure to get people to visit malicious links or open malware. In a new report by Kaspersky, researchers see a new wave of phishing scams that utilize a COVID-19 theme and impersonate well-known shipping carriers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. In one of the emails seen by Kaspersky, attackers impersonate DHL and state a package was being held due to the government lockdown during the Coronavirus crisis. It then prompts the users to make corrections to the attachment shipping document, which will then install the Bsymem Trojan. Another email found by BleepingComputer pretends to be from FedEx and states that due to the Coronavirus "lock-down", a package is being held at the warehouse. They then prompt the user to click on a phishing link to reschedule for pick up. Last but not least, threat actors are also sending UPS phishing scams using the same theme as the one we saw with FedEx. In emails seen by Kaspersky, attackers are pretending to be from UPS customer service and state that a package is being held for pick up due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The recipient is then prompted to open the attachment to see instructions on how to pickup the package. This attachment is a malware executable that will download and install the Remcos Remote Access Trojan (RAT). Once infected, the attacker will have full access to the victim's computer. Everyone should be extremely suspicious of any unsolicited emails they receive that mention the Coronavirus pandemic. This advice includes emails about stimulus payments, SBA loans, shipping issues, termination letters, payroll reports, and alleged information from the CDC or the WHO.

False Claim : Elisa Granato died shortly after being administered a trial vaccine for COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  04/27/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  News NT, Facebook, Twitter

The false claim is: "Elisa Granato died shortly after being administered a trial vaccine for COVID-19." This is false. On April 23, 2020, Elisa Granato became one of the first people to take part in a trial for a potential COVID-19 vaccine at Oxford University. The following day, false reports started to circulate on social media that claimed she had died from the vaccination. While Granato truly took part in a vaccine trial for COVID-19, she has not died.

False Claim : In 1986, the founder of the Times Square Church prophesied that he saw “a plague coming on the world and the bars and church and government will shut down,” with New York City especially hard hit.

• Debunk Date :

  04/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "In 1986, the founder of the Times Square Church prophesied that he saw “a plague coming on the world and the bars and church and government will shut down,” with New York City especially hard hit." No, Pastor David Wilkerson did not predict that the COVID-19 pandemic would shut down the economy. The Times Square Church, where David Wilkerson was founder, stated that there was no record of him ever predicting this in any of his sermons, books or speeches. A Facebook post from the Jerusalem Prayer Team, an American Christian-Zionist organization says a 1986 prophecy foretold of a plague like COVID-19 hitting New York City. The post says that David Wilkerson, the late founder of the Times Square Church, told Mike Evans, the leading pastor of the Jerusalem Prayer Team, the following: "I see a plague coming on the world and the bars and church and government will shut down. The plague will hit New York City and shake it like it has never been shaken. The plague is going to force prayerless believers into radical prayer and into their Bibles and repentance will be the cry from the man of God in the pulpit. And out of it will come a third Great Awakening that will sweep America and the world." There is no evidence that Wilkerson, who died in 2011, actually made this prediction. PolitiFact reached out to the Times Square Church, the non-denominational church that Wilkerson established in 1987, and a spokesperson there said, "The church is not aware of Pastor David ever writing that in any of his books or sermons."

False Claim : Inhaling steam of orange peels and sea salt will kill the coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  04/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

The false claim is: "Inhaling steam of orange peels and sea salt will kill the coronavirus." A post going viral on social media claimed that boiling orange peel, onion and sea salt and inhaling it for 15 minutes would kill the corona virus. Vishwas News investigated this and found that the viral post was fake.

False Claim : WHO releases report claiming vegetarians haven’t contracted the coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  04/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  poynter

• Sources :

  Facebook, Hindustani Hindu

The false claim is: "WHO releases report claiming vegetarians haven’t contracted the coronavirus." World Health Organization (WHO) hasn’t released any report claiming vegetarians haven’t contracted coronavirus. The viral post is fake.

Scam : "Blessing Looms" scam

• Debunk Date :

  04/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  content

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Social Media

Scammers use the “Blessing Looms” scam by posting it on social media and ask unwary readers to pay an entry fee (e.g., $100) with the promise that, as more people pay to build the pot of money by paying the entry fee, the participant will also get a payout (as much as $800) of that money. The surest way to identify these scams is if they promise large payouts in return for small investments, if they tell factually unsupported “success stories” of happy customers, or if they explain that future results rely on bringing in new participants to the scheme. Attorney General Rutledge has identified several tips for Arkansans to use in protecting themselves against Ponzi schemes: 1) If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Know that large sums of money generally do not result from small investments. 2) Consult the terms of use for Facebook and other social media platforms and report such scams as these platforms may prohibit schemes like this one. 3) Safeguard banking and financial information in order to prevent theft due to scams. 4) When using the internet, ensure that you are using a verified, secure, and encrypted website when sharing any personal or financial information online. Instead of clicking embedded links, consider typing the company’s actual URL website address in the search bar. 5) Do not disclose personal information to an unknown person online because it could result in identity theft or the opening of other accounts in their name. For more information, contact the Arkansas Attorney General’s office at (800) 482-8982 or oag@ArkansasAG.gov or visit ArkansasAG.gov.

False Claim : Injecting or ingesting disinfectant may cure COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  04/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Location :

  Global

The false claim is: "Injecting or ingesting disinfectant may cure COVID-19." DO NOT DO THIS! U.S. President Donald Trump suggested during a White House briefing that injecting disinfectants could treat COVID-19. The U.S. president's comments prompted doctors and the makers of household disinfectants to issue statements urging people not to ingest or inject cleaning products.

False Claim : In 2009's H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, 1.4 billion people were sickened globally, and nearly 600,000 died.

• Debunk Date :

  04/24/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

The false claim is: "In 2009's H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, 1.4 billion people were sickened globally, and nearly 600,000 died." This is not true. Under “tweets that didn’t age well,” on April 2 2020 pundit Bill Mitchell criticized measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 — claiming that the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic infected 1.4 billion people worldwide and killed almost 600,000. Mitchell tacked on a claim that “we wrecked the economy” over COVID-19, implying that economic downturns were avoidable without social distancing — which is an opinion that is not necessarily grounded in any facts.

False Claim : While western countries have been busy fighting the new coronavirus, international terrorism has stopped.

• Debunk Date :

  04/23/2020

• Debunked By :

  fullfact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Noshad Khan

The false claim is: "While western countries have been busy fighting the new coronavirus, international terrorism has stopped." This is not true. There have been multiple terror attacks around the world in March and April this year, leaving hundreds of people dead.

False Claim : Former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy penned a text suggesting that COVID-19 was part of a conspiracy against U.S. President Donald Trump.

• Debunk Date :

  04/23/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Facebook, Mary Ann Cannon

The false claim is: "Former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy penned a text suggesting that COVID-19 was part of a conspiracy against U.S. President Donald Trump." This is not true. U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy did not write the post. In April 2020, multiple Facebook posts reproduced a screed suggesting that the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic was part of some political conspiracy between China and Democrats to unseat U.S. President Donald Trump, attributing the words to Trey Gowdy, a former U.S. representative from South Carolina who chaired the House Oversight Committee and the House Benghazi Committee. However, Snopes found no evidence that this text originated with Gowdy. It had been circulating online for at least a month without attribution before it came to be credited to Gowdy, and Gowdy himself posted a message of his own to Facebook on April 22, 2020, disclaiming authorship of it: “Just want to alert folks there is a fraudulent post attributed to me circulating on social media. Not the first time, likely not the last. We have enough going on in our country right now without propagating misinformation. Stay safe and strong.”

False Claim : Joe Diffie’s death was labeled as a COVID-19 death and it wasn’t!

• Debunk Date :

  04/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Facebook, Tony Phillips

The false claim is: "Joe Diffie’s death was labeled as a COVID-19 death and it wasn’t!" This is false. Joe Diffie died from COVID-19 complications. Country music singer Joe Diffie died on March 29 from complications related to COVID-19, according to news reports from Rolling Stone, among others. But a widely shared Facebook post claims, without evidence, that he died from something else. On March 27, Joe Diffie posted a statement on his verified Facebook page that said: "I am under the care of medical professionals and currently receiving treatment after testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). My family and I are asking for privacy at this time. We want to remind the public and all my fans to be vigilant, cautious and careful during this pandemic."

False Claim : Kennedy Center, PBS donated to Democrats after getting COVID-19 stimulus money.

• Debunk Date :

  04/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Facebook, Bob Rowe

The false claim is: "Kennedy Center, PBS donated to Democrats after getting COVID-19 stimulus money." No, Kennedy Center and PBS didn’t pay COVID-19 kickbacks. The Kennedy Center and a nonprofit that funds PBS received money from the $2 trillion federal stimulus law in response to the coronavirus. Both Kennedy and PBS are nonprofits that are prohibited by law from making political donations. Federal election records show they have not made any such donations.

False Claim : Nigerians are burning Chinese stores.

• Debunk Date :

  04/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  Nigeria

• Sources :

  Facebook, Bobby Sharpe

The false claim is: "Nigerians are burning Chinese stores." This is false. Video footage posted on Facebook shows a popular Nigerian market that caught fire. We found no evidence that the market was set on fire to retaliate against Chinese people. A video showing billowing, black plumes of smoke as a building burns was posted on Facebook on April 19 with an ominous message: "Nigera… citizens burning Chinese stores in retaliation of what’s happening in China with blacks…" Some people commenting on the video quickly deemed it "fake news." Rather, they said the video showed a fire at a market in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo state in Nigeria. There are many markets in Ibadan, but a Facebook post with the same video published four days earlier, on April 15, identifies it as a fire at the Dugbe market. A news report published the same day also included the video and said that shop owners tried and failed to put the fire out themselves.

False Claim : This is COVID-19, not COVID-1, folks. You would think that people charged with the World Health Organization facts and figures would be on top of that.

• Debunk Date :

  04/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  polygraph

• Location :

  Global

The false claim is: "This is COVID-19, not COVID-1, folks. You would think that people charged with the World Health Organization facts and figures would be on top of that." President Donald Trump’s advisor, Kellyanne Conway stated this during a "Fox & Friends" interview on April 15, 2020. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway implied that the WHO had 18 prior versions of the disease to prepare for COVID-19. This is false. According to the WHO, the designation “COVID-19” stands for Coronavirus Disease 2019, the year it was discovered. It does not refer to the 19th disease or virus. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there are not 19 but only seven known human coronavirus strains. Four cause only mild to moderate symptoms, similar to the common cold. The CDC states that most people will be infected with these common coronaviruses in their lifetime, and most will recover. The other three coronaviruses originated as animal infections and caused widely reported outbreaks of serious disease after jumping to humans. They are Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), in 2002-2003; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), 2012-now; and SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. The first severe human coronavirus outbreak was caused by SARS in China. It infected more than 8,000 people, killing nearly 800. Countries hit hard included China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The WHO released a consensus document on SARS in November 2003 to better understand how the disease worked. The agency, an arm of the United Nations, took steps to coordinate the study and response to future outbreaks. It established a SARS Risk Assessment and Preparedness Framework by October 2004. MERS is an ongoing coronavirus infection that has resulted in some 2,400 cases and 858 deaths since 2012. The virus has mostly been contained in the Mideast. COVID-19 is the largest severe coronavirus outbreak, with 2.4 million infected and almost 150,000 dead (as of April 22, 2020).

False Claim : A coronavirus vaccine has existed since 2001.

• Debunk Date :

  04/22/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "A coronavirus vaccine has existed since 2001." This is false. A viral image on Facebook falsely suggests a vaccine exists for the novel coronavirus by referencing a photo of a vaccine for a coronavirus that infects dogs. The two viruses are not the same. The image was shared in various corners of Facebook, including in a group dedicated to the QAnon conspiracy theory. One user’s popular post claimed that a “CORONA VIRUS VACCINE EXIST SINCE 2001″ and “WE ARE BEING PLAYED BY THOSE ON THE TOP.” But the vaccine label in the photo clearly states “Canine Coronavirus Vaccine.” Like other instances of misinformation that have appeared since the outbreak began, the posts advance a false claim that centers on the term “coronavirus.” The term refers to a family of viruses, but they’re not all the same. The novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2 — which causes COVID-19 — was first reported in China in late 2019. The product in the viral photo is Nobivac 1-Cv, a vaccine sold by a subsidiary of Merck & Co. It protects dogs from the canine coronavirus, or CCV, a virus that typically causes a mild gastroenteritis, or inflammation in the intestines, in infected dogs. It was first identified in 1971. As factcheck.org wrote when debunking similar posts dealing with a vaccine for cows, experts say it is not safe for humans to attempt to vaccinate themselves with animal vaccines.

Mislead : U.S. millionaires will each receive an average of $1.7 million in stimulus payments via the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

• Debunk Date :

  04/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Facebook, Twitter

The misleading claim is: "U.S. millionaires will each receive an average of $1.7 million in stimulus payments via the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act." This is a misleading claim. What's True: Provisions in the CARES Act changed a 2017 tax law in a way that will largely benefit Americans who earn $1 million or more annually, according to a nonpartisan congressional body. Per calculations using that body's data, those wealthy Americans each could reap a tax benefit of $1.7 million on average with the change. What's False: However, U.S. millionaires won't receive stimulus payments based on their income under the CARES Act. Only workers who earn $75,000 annually or less (or families that make up to $150,000 annually) will receive one-time checks for the max amount under the federal stimulus package. Instead, CARES provisions temporarily enable wealthy Americans to report tax losses that they previously could not.

False Claim : Wisconsin’s in-person election has caused a “surge” in new coronavirus cases.

• Debunk Date :

  04/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "Wisconsin’s in-person election has caused a “surge” in new coronavirus cases." There is no proof (yet) of a post-election “surge” in Wisconsin coronavirus cases. State health officials say they haven’t yet seen evidence the election changed the trajectory of coronavirus in Wisconsin. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have actually dropped in Wisconsin since April 13 — the date cited in the story.

Mislead : Arkansas is doing very well in terms of per capita testing.

• Debunk Date :

  04/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  nwahomepage

• Location :

  US

The misleading claim is: "Arkansas is doing very well in terms of per capita testing." Governor Hutchinson stated this believing Arkansas to be testing 60-90 people per one thousansd while in reality it is 6-9.

False Claim : "Hot mic" video from a White House coronavirus briefing revealed a far lower "real" case-fatality rate, as well as the existence of a vaccine provided to the government and the press corps (but not you.)

• Debunk Date :

  04/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "'Hot mic' video from a White House coronavirus briefing revealed a far lower 'real' case-fatality rate, as well as the existence of a vaccine provided to the government and the press corps (but not you.)" People may have misinterpretted a "hot mic" coversation. They may have thought that the vaccines that were mentioned were vaccines for COVID-19 when they in fact are not.

False Claim : [I]f it(COVID-19) was as infectious as they’re telling us that it is, these(respirators) would all be in use and everybody would be dying and we’re not seeing that, okay? This is unbelievable – every bit of this has been created, okay?

• Debunk Date :

  04/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  CDC

• Location :

  Global

The false claim is:"[I]f it(COVID-19) was as infectious as they’re telling us that it is, these(respirators) would all be in use and everybody would be dying and we’re not seeing that, okay? This is unbelievable – every bit of this has been created, okay?" This person is downplaying the mortality rate of COVID-19 when 41,758 out of 776,093 infected people have died due to this disease.

False Claim : Children 'Do Not Die' of COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  04/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  polygraph

• Location :

  Russia

The false claim is: "Children 'Do Not Die' of COVID-19." The claim is false. Elena Malysheva, Russia’s star doctor and veteran host of popular TV program “Zdoroviye” (Health) on state-owned Channel 1, called COVID-19 a “miracle of miracles.” In a viral vlog shared on Facebook by the TV Center news agency on April 17, Malysheva said: "This virus is a miracle of miracles, a miracle of miracles! Children do not die, do not get ill, do not end up in intensive care up to 20 years old." The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated in a report published on April 6 that among 149,082 (99.6%) reported COVID-19 cases for which age was known, 2,572 (1.7%) were among children younger than 18 years. Of those, an estimated 5.7- 20 percent were hospitalized, 0.58-2.0 percent were placed in an intensive care unit and three died.

False Claim : Democrats are on vacation until May 4 and “refuse to come back” to sign a bill to help small businesses.

• Debunk Date :

  04/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Facebook, Tim Belk

The false claim is: "Democrats are on vacation until May 4 and “refuse to come back” to sign a bill to help small businesses." This is false. Democrats aren’t ‘refusing’ to return from vacation. All of Congress is in recess. Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are in recess until May 4 to avoid transmitting the coronavirus. No political party has refused to come back.

False Claim : My wife is suffering from coronavirus and she is pregnant. The doctor said she won’t survive it.

• Debunk Date :

  04/21/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "My wife is suffering from coronavirus and she is pregnant. The doctor said she won’t survive it." This is a hoax. An image of a woman in labor, wearing an oxygen mask and grimacing while a man supports her from behind, was taken in January 2019. But it has recently been shared on Facebook with false information linking it to the coronavirus. No, this isn’t a photo of a pregnant woman with COVID-19. More than 205,000 people have shared the post since it was published on April 19. At least one other account has posted the same photo and a similar message, only the woman is identified as "his wife." The truth: The image was posted on Instagram by Lane B Photography on Jan. 14, 2019, nearly a year before the first case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, was reported.

Scam : CVS email scam

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Email

A scam email is going around purporting to be from CVS pharmacy promising a free $50 reward card after you click on the image embedded in the email. Do not click on the image! This scam email is from the address account@reportsmenu.com

False Claim : COVID-19 binds itself to patients’ hemoglobin.

• Debunk Date :

  04/20/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

• Sources :

  Reddit, WhatsApp, La Prensa

The false claim is: "COVID-19 binds itself to patients’ hemoglobin." This is not true. The conspiracy theory pushing the idea that COVID-19 binds itself to patients’ hemoglobin has spread beyond English-language websites, and it is now targeting readers on social media and news organizations in Spanish. This version of the claim, presented as an “important update” and attributed to Dr. Hany Mahfouz, has not only been circulated on Reddit, but also covered as actual news by outlets in Argentina and Colombia (although the latter site, El Espectador, presented it as a “questionable” hypothesis.) The news site Maldita.es, which is based out of Spain, further reported that the message was also spread on Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp.

False Claim : News photo from stay-at-home protest was doctored to add Confederate flag

• Debunk Date :

  04/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "News photo from stay-at-home protest was doctored to add Confederate flag." The claim is false because "[t]here’s no forensic evidence that the image was doctored," remarks to Poltifact. According to them the metadata does not indicated the use of Photoshop either.

False Claim : SARS-CoV-2, the virus that led to the global coronavirus pandemic, is "man-made" and is the result of an attempt to manufacture a vaccine against the AIDS virus in a Chinese laboratory

• Debunk Date :

  04/19/2020

• Debunked By :

  timesofindia

• Location :

  Global

The false claim is: "SARS-CoV-2, the virus that led to the global coronavirus pandemic, is "man-made" and is the result of an attempt to manufacture a vaccine against the AIDS virus in a Chinese laboratory". French virologist and medicine Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier has claimed that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that led to the global coronavirus pandemic, is "man-made" and is the result of an attempt to manufacture a vaccine against the AIDS virus in a Chinese laboratory. Montagnier, however, is a controversial figure that has attracted criticism from a section of the scientific community. Another French virologist Étienne Simon-Lorière of the Institut Pasteur in Paris rubbished Montagnier's claim, saying that his claim "does not make sense. These are very small elements that we find in other viruses of the same family, other coronaviruses in nature,” Étienne told AFP. The theory that the Covid-19 originated from genetic manipulation has been circulating in social media for quite some time. However, China has refuted allegations that the coronavirus may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory, citing the World Health Organization and other medical experts.

False Claim : There are “360,000 (deaths) a year from swimming pools. But we don’t shut the country down for that.”

• Debunk Date :

  04/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Dr. Phil McGraw, Fox News

The false claim is: "There are '360,000 (deaths) a year from swimming pools. But we don’t shut the country down for that.'" Celebrity psychologist Phil McGraw, known to his TV viewers as "Dr. Phil," argued for reopening the economy on Fox News, rattling off a string of statistics about other causes of death that don’t require statewide shutdowns. Phil “Dr. Phil” McGraw said there are 360,000 annual deaths in the U.S. from swimming pools. He’s since said he was citing the worldwide number and “misspoke.” According to the CDC, there were 3,709 U.S. deaths from accidental drowning or submersion in 2017. Not all drowning deaths occur in swimming pools. Drowning is not infectious or contagious, and deaths from it are spread over time.

False Claim : U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted in November 2009 that "Obama's handling of this whole pandemic has been terrible!" and that he "would never let thousands of Americans die from a pandemic while in office."

• Debunk Date :

  04/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Location :

  US

The false claim is:"U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted in November 2009 that 'Obama's handling of this whole pandemic has been terrible!' and that he 'would never let thousands of Americans die from a pandemic while in office.'" Donald Trump had never made that tweet according to Twitter archives.

Scam : Virus Warning: This Mask can Add An Extra Layer Of Protection…

• Debunk Date :

  04/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  BBB

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Email

The Scam is: "Virus Warning: This Mask can Add An Extra Layer Of Protection… " This is a spam email. The domain is from an untrusted vendor that was registered less than 6 months ago and appears to be in Nassau, Bahamas" The registration info on the website is kept private, due to lack of transparency, a scam is highly likely - too include click bait to install malicious hardware on computers.

Mislead : Drink a hot mixture of lemon, ginger, clove, honey, cinnamon, and water as a COVID and flu remedy.

• Debunk Date :

  04/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  WHO

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  YouTube

The misleading claim is: "Drink a hot mixture of lemon, ginger, clove, honey, cinnamon, and water as a COVID and flu remedy." While some western, traditional or home remedies may provide comfort and alleviate symptoms of COVID-19, there is no evidence that these remedies can prevent or cure the disease. However, there are several ongoing clinical trials that include both western and traditional medicines. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings are available.

False Claim : ‘Secret Muslim’ Bill Gates Created Coronavirus to Kill Christians.

• Debunk Date :

  04/17/2020

• Debunked By :

  thebiznews

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Website

The false claim is: "‘Secret Muslim’ Bill Gates Created Coronavirus to Kill Christians" The story was published by a satiracal website meant to pardody genuine news websites and is therefore false.

Scam : Scam product: "COVID-19 management program"

• Debunk Date :

  04/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  sandiegouniontribune

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Dr. Jennings Ryan Staley

A San Diego physician sold an undercover FBI agent a “COVID-19 management program” that included an anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump, claiming the drug and his program could both cure COVID-19 and prevent someone from contracting it, federal prosecutors alleged Thursday. Dr. Jennings Ryan Staley, who runs Skinny Beach Med Spa in Carmel Valley, allegedly called his treatment — which included the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine — a “magic bullet” and “miracle cure” that was “perfectly engineered,” according to an FBI agent’s probable cause statement. Staley allegedly advertised the treatment as a “concierge medical package” that costs $3,995 for a family of four, and allegedly shipped the undercover agent a package containing hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, generic versions of Xanax and Viagra, and azithromycin — an antibiotic often called a Z-Pak that’s used to treat sexually transmitted infections and other conditions — which Trump has also promoted as a potential coronavirus treatment. “It’s preventative and curative. It’s hard to believe, it’s almost too good to be true,” Staley told the undercover FBI agent during an April 3 phone call, according to court documents. “But it’s a remarkable clinical phenomenon.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, but on March 28 authorized its use on a limited, emergency basis. The FDA authorized the use of hydroxychloroquine only from the Strategic National Stockpile, and only for hospitalized COVID-19 patients “for whom a clinical trial is not available, or participation is not feasible.” Prosecutors say Staley obtained his hydroxychloroquine by smuggling it from China and allegedly said patients could take it to cure COVID-19 or ward off the disease.

Scam : Scam Text: "Someone who came in contact with you tested positive or has shown symptoms for COVID-19 & recommends you self-isolate/get tested. More at COVID-19anon.com/alert"

• Debunk Date :

  04/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  wistv

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Text

The scam is: "Someone who came in contact with you tested positive or has shown symptoms for COVID-19 & recommends you self-isolate/get tested. More at COVID-19anon.com/alert." This link is a phishing scam to retrieve personal information. It does not originate from an official agency.

Scam : Text message scam - contact tracing

• Debunk Date :

  04/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  wjla

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Facebook, Text

Police are warning cell phone users of a new text message scam during the coronavirus pandemic. The Thomaston Police Department in Maine posted on Facebook a photo of the alert being sent to people in a text message. The message was sent to someone in Maine from an Indiana area code telling them they need to self-isolate because they came in contact with someone who tested positive or has shown symptoms for coronavirus. The alert also tells you to get tested. "If you receive a text message like the one pictured, DO NOT click the link!"police wrote on Facebook. "It is not a message from any official agency. It is however a gateway for bad actors to find their way into your world." Police said it could be a phishing scam to get your personal information. The BBB said scammers have also been targeting seniors with text messages posing as the U.S. Department of Health, and telling them they need to take a mandatory online COVID-19 test in order to receive the recently approved government stimulus payment.

False Claim : All Vegas hotels but Trump’s have donated food, rooms in COVID response.

• Debunk Date :

  04/16/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "All Vegas hotels but Trump’s have donated food, rooms in COVID response." This is false due to the fact that Trump's Vegas hotels were not the only ones not donating, only 36 Vegas hotels were making an effort to help.

False Claim : Corona is so bad, this guy died twice!

• Debunk Date :

  04/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "Corona is so bad, this guy died twice!" There were people who misinterpreted news reports as representing the same person as two different people, where as the news outlets were simply focusing on seperate parts of his life.

False Claim : Hydroxychloroquine is "a cure that doesn't make anyone rich and doesn't give anyone more power or control."

• Debunk Date :

  04/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  CNN

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Twitter, Facebook

The false claim is: "Hydroxychloroquine is 'a cure that doesn't make anyone rich and doesn't give anyone more power or control.'" Hydroxychloroquine does not in fact cure COVID-19 according to health professionals.

Scam : Walmart is giving away free groceries worth $250 to everyone this week to support the nation

• Debunk Date :

  04/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  corporate

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  WhatsApp

The scam is: "Free groceries from Walmart sent via WhatsApp"

Scam : You can call a 1-800 number and enter your social security number to check on the status of the relief check the federal government is sending as part of the economic recovery bill.

• Debunk Date :

  04/15/2020

• Debunked By :

  apnews

• Sources :

  Facebook

The scam claim is: "You can call a 1-800 number and enter your social security number to check on the status of the relief check the federal government is sending as part of the economic recovery bill." THE FACTS: Social media users are posting hoax 1-800 numbers, urging people to call and check the status of their checks. The Internal Revenue Service isn’t currently accepting phone calls because of the coronavirus. False posts containing 800 numbers vary slightly; one text post, for example, says all you need to do is call the number and check using “the last 4 of your SS.” Another says to enter the last four digits of a social security number along with a zip code. In reality, people who typically do not file a tax return, such as Social Security recipients, can visit a new tool on the IRS site to fill out a form that will allow the government to directly deposit the checks into your bank account. And on Wednesday, the IRS announced it was launching a “Get My Payment” site, where people can check the status of their relief check by entering basic, personal information including their social security number. The IRS has warned Americans of scam artists who might try to swindle you out of your relief check through fraudulent emails, text messages, websites or social media posts that request your banking or personal information. Such scams might describe the checks as “stimulus check” or “stimulus payment”; the official term the government is using to describe the money is “economic impact payment.”

False Claim : Stimulus checks will later be taxed or you will automatically owe $1,200 next tax season.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  katv

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "Stimulus checks will later be taxed." Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s spokesperson Scott Hardin confirmed that the check will not be taxed by the state or federal government. This false claim is also being spread nationally. The national false claim is: "The federal payments from the COVID-19 stimulus package is just an advance on your next tax return--Next year, you’re automatically going to owe $1,200 come tax season." This is false. The Internal Revenue Service says the payment “will not reduce your refund or increase the amount you owe when you file your 2020 tax return next year.” The IRS has begun dispersing money from the $2 trillion COVID-19 economic stimulus package. But memes and videos on social media are spreading misleading messages about made-up consequences for those who receive the payments. A common claim in these posts is that payouts from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act — which provides $1,200 lump-sum payments to most individuals making less than $75,000 a year — will either reduce future tax refunds or will have to be paid back. One viral video originally posted on TikTok has been taken down from that site, but continues to circulate on Facebook, making the claim: “See, what they don’t tell you is that this is just an advance on your next tax return… Next year, you’re automatically going to owe $1,200 come tax season.” That’s not true. The claim in the video appears to stem from a misunderstanding of the language in the law, which uses a tax credit as the vehicle to get stimulus payments to individuals. Factcheck.org has debunked this and other false claims about the COVID-19 stimulus checks: https://www.factcheck.org/2020/04/stimulus-checks-wont-reduce-future-tax-refunds/

Scam : The federal government will text you or email you asking for your banking account information.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  katv

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Text, Email

The scam claim is: "The federal government will text you or email you asking for your banking account information." The federal government is not asking citizens for their banking information. If you filed taxes last year and received a direct deposit, the stimulus check will go directly into your bank account. If you did not file taxes or use direct deposit, you will get a check in the mail in the coming weeks.

False Claim : There is no need for the quarantine and stay-at-home orders currently in place across the country

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  leadstories

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  YouTube, Facebook

The false claim is: "There is no need for the quarantine and stay-at-home orders currently in place across the country." In a viral YouTube video with over 5 million views, Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, who received his Ph.D. in biological engineering, claimed that the stay-at-home orders and quarantines are unnecessary. Local authorities and the White House coronavirus task force; however, show that measurements, such as stay-at-home orders, flatten the curve.

False Claim : COVID-19 originates from sexual contact.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  columbiamissourian

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "Televangelist Pat Robertson stated some young people “are doing all kinds of unnatural things with their sex organs. When people do that, they transfer all kinds of chemicals from ladies’ private parts and that’s where I think the (corona)virus came from.” The quote was published on a satirical website meaning that Pat Robertson did not state the aforementioned quote. This false quote has circulated through platforms such as Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook.

False Claim : The Asian, Hong Kong, swine and bird flus each killed more people than coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Sources :

  Facebook, Kerryann McKenzie

The false claim is: "The Asian, Hong Kong, swine and bird flus each killed more people than coronavirus." This is false. It is too soon to compare number of COVID deaths to past outbreaks. Most of the numbers listed in a viral Facebook post are wrong. Regardless, it’s too soon to compare the number of COVID-19 deaths to deaths from longer-running pandemics.

False Claim : A form of therapy involving nebulized hydrogen peroxide can prevent the user from contracting COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

The false claim is: "A form of therapy involving nebulized hydrogen peroxide can prevent the user from contracting COVID-19." This is not true. A self-proclaimed “health activist” with a history of incurring warnings over his practices from the federal government used Twitter to push another questionable treatment idea involving COVID-19 (also called SARS-CoV-2 or “the coronavirus.”) “Nebulized hydrogen peroxide therapy is an inexpensive and simple way to treat most viral respiratory illnesses,” Joseph Mercola wrote on April 9 2020. “All you need is a nebulizer with a face mask that covers your mouth and nose, and common household hydrogen peroxide, available at most grocery stores and pharmacies.” In a separate tweet, he added: “Ideally you would use food grade hydrogen peroxide (12 percent) but then dilute to between .5 percent-3 percent,” directing users to a YouTube video he said would explain his claim. But in reality, Mercola conceded in the 30-minute video that there is no evidence to support it. Mercola argues in the video that nebulized peroxide helps beat the disease because “it will act as a topical local disinfectant where the viruses reside,” adding, “this is probably one of the reasons why sauna therapy works so effectively.” In reality there is no evidence to suggest that “saunas” or high-temperature environments can deter the disease. The video is currently featured on Mercola’s website, which has a long history of promoting conspiracy theories and unproven “cures.”

False Claim : COVID-19 is caused by an overactive, dysfunctional, weakened immune system that overreacts, and that's what causes damage to the body.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  leadstories

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  YouTube, Facebook

The false claim is: "COVID-19 is caused by an overactive, dysfunctional, weakened immune system that overreacts, and that's what causes damage to the body." In a viral YouTube video with over 5 million views, Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, who received his Ph.D. in biological engineering, claimed that an overactive, dysfunctional, weakened immune system that overreacts. There is no evidence to support any of these claims.

False Claim : Doctors are "cooking the books" and wildly inflating the numbers of people who have died as a result of the coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  leadstories

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  YouTube, Facebook

The false claim is: "Doctors are "cooking the books" and wildly inflating the numbers of people who have died as a result of the coronavirus." In a viral YouTube video with over 5 million views, Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, who received his Ph.D. in biological engineering, claimed that an doctors have wildly inflacted the number of COVID-19 deaths. This claim has been debunked multiple times.

False Claim : Dr. Fauci was planted by the "Deep State" and is working for "Big Pharma."

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  leadstories

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  YouTube, Facebook

The false claim is: "Dr. Fauci was planted by the "Deep State" and is working for "Big Pharma."" In a viral YouTube video with over 5 million views, Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, who received his Ph.D. in biological engineering, claimed that Dr. Fauci was planted by the "Deep State," wants to mandate vaccines, and is working for "Big Pharma". There is no evidence to support any of these claims.

Sensational Headline : Federal Judge allows surgical abortions during COVID-19 pandemic.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  thehill

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  NewsBreak.com

The false claim is: "Federal Judge allows surgical abortions during COVID-19 pandemic" It appears as a simple typo in the title or possible an attention grabbing headline.

False Claim : Hunter Biden May Have Helped Bring Coronavirus to U.S.

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  thebiznews

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Website, Facebook, Twitter

The false claim is: "Hunter Biden May Have Helped Bring Coronavirus to U.S." The story was published by a satiracal website meant to pardody genuine news websites.

False Claim : ID2020, Micro-Chip Implants, Forced Vaccinations = Bill Gates

• Debunk Date :

  04/14/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Location :

  US

The false claim is:"ID2020, Micro-Chip Implants, Forced Vaccinations = Bill Gates" The user claimed that Bill Gates is causing or will cause micro-chip Implants and forced vaccinations. This is not true becasue as factcheck.org stated, "The Gates Foundation has advocated for expanded testing and has funded vaccine research, but neither of those involves implanted microchips." There is also no evidence of forced vaccinations or the intent to do so.

False Claim : CEOs got advance notice of COVID, then resigned to dump stock.

• Debunk Date :

  04/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "CEOs got advance notice of COVID, then resigned to dump stock." Although it is true that there was a change in leadership, they were not related to COVID-19 and none of the CEOs were given advanced notice. One CEO did sell a large amount of stock; however, there is no evidence suggesting a relation to COVID-19.

False Claim : Church services can’t resume until we’re all vaccinated, says Bill Gates.

• Debunk Date :

  04/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Website

The false claim is: “Church services can’t resume until we’re all vaccinated, says Bill Gates.”

False Claim : Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer bans buying US flags during lockdown.

• Debunk Date :

  04/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Website, Twitter, Facebook

The false claim is: "Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer bans buying US flags during lockdown." This is false because according to Whitmer’s office: “No, Governor Whitmer is not banning buying US flags.”

False Claim : Russians are Immune to Coronavirus

• Debunk Date :

  04/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  medium

• Location :

  Russia

The false claim is: "Russians are Immune to Coronavirus." This is false. The Russian news community was found to have employed a sophisticated network of Social Media users to push misinformation regarding possible COVID-19 medication and vaccines. In a series of stories that broke in early April, major Russian media sites such as Vesti and RIA repeatedly claimed that the Russian population is immune to Coronavirus due to their use of the Description Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine since the 1950’s. Standard Russian disinformation tactics of mass dissemination and repetition, across VKontakte and Twitter, spread news of a “successful” COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Russian Government’s Research Center (also known as Vector). The narrative was pushed with a sense of urgency to counter conversations spread over Telegram that alleged that “coronavirus was created in the Vector laboratory in the science city of Koltsovo near Novosibirsk.” This rumor was started by the video maker, Alexander Thorne, who has since been a target of a Russian government’s investigation.

False Claim : Any virus that originated from nature has its remedy and cure from nature. Only viruses made in laboratories require vaccines.

• Debunk Date :

  04/13/2020

• Debunked By :

  asiaone

The false claim is: "Any virus that originated from nature has its remedy and cure from nature. Only viruses made in laboratories require vaccines." THE FACTS: Vaccination has been used to protect against viruses that have originated from nature for years. Widely shared posts online are making false statements about viruses. The Facebook and Instagram posts, which have been shared thousands of times, are attempting to sow doubt around the coronavirus as researchers rush to develop a vaccine against it. Human viruses like measles and polio have originated in nature and require vaccines, said Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University. “To say that any virus that originated from nature has its remedy in nature, ignores the fact that all human viruses came from nature, and that we have made vaccines for many of them,” he said in an email. “I am unaware of any remedy from nature that prevents infection with any human virus.” The vaccine for yellow fever has been around since the 1930s, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The virus, which is found in the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America, is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes. “We have science and medicine to thank for the protection we have against many virus infections,” Rancaniello said.

False Claim : A collective applause in India created "cosmic level sounds waves" which were detected by NASA satellites and made the coronavirus "retreat".

• Debunk Date :

  04/11/2020

• Debunked By :

  BBC

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  WhatsApp

The false claim is: "A collective applause in India created "cosmic level sounds waves" which were detected by NASA satellites and made the coronavirus "retreat"." A message with this false claim spread through the online messaging app WhatsApp. It stated that when Indians took part in collective applause to celebrate the nation's emergency services in March, it caused "cosmic level sound waves" that made the coronavirus "retreat".

False Claim : A Harvard professor has just been arrested for creating the coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  04/11/2020

• Debunked By :

  BBC

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "Charles Lieber has just been arrested in the United States for manufacturing the coronavirus and selling it to China." Lieber was charged in January 2020 for lying about connections to China, but not for manufacturing or selling the new coronavirus to China.

False Claim : Amazon-founder Bezos sent a message to Africans stating that face masks made in America and Europe contain toxic material.

• Debunk Date :

  04/11/2020

• Debunked By :

  BBC

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Facebook, Instagram

The false claim is: "Amazon-founder Bezos sent a message to Africans stating that face masks made in America and Europe contain toxic material." Identical posts on Facebook and Instagram falsely claimed that Amazon-founder Bezos advised Africans to avoid wearing certain face masks made in the US and Europe because they contained toxic substances. The same bogus post in French has been copied and pasted by hundreds of accounts. The original one appears to be from an account in DR Congo set up in January and has been shared more than 30,000 times.

False Claim : Britain has pulled out of a 5G contract with Chinese internet company Huawei after testing kits were contaminated with coronavirus.

• Debunk Date :

  04/11/2020

• Debunked By :

  BBC

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Facebook and Twitter

The false claim is: "Britain has pulled out of a 5G contract with Chinese internet company Huawei after testing kits were contaminated with coronavirus." This misinformation has been shared thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter in English, Arabic, Portuguese and French. However, Britain's deal with Huawei is still in place. There is no evidence testing kits have been contaminated with coronavirus.

False Claim : Bill Gates is being sued by India over the deaths of girls resulting from vaccinations

• Debunk Date :

  04/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Bill Gates is being sued by India over the deaths of girls resulting from vaccinations." This is a false claim being spread in a meme on Facebook.

False Claim : If you ask Amazon’s Alexa about the origin of the coronavirus pandemic, it says “the government planned” it.

• Debunk Date :

  04/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  wusa9

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "If you ask Amazon’s Alexa about the origin of the coronavirus pandemic, it says 'the government planned' it." This is false. Amazon directly confirmed that this was not an actual Alexa response. A spokesperson also explained how users can make customized responses from Alexa, a feature similar to a reminder or when the device is set up to say a specific thing on a specific day or time, or after saying a specific phrase.

False Claim : Robin Vos wore protective gear that election workers he forced to work do not have

• Debunk Date :

  04/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Robin Vos wore protective gear that election workers he forced to work do not have." This is false. Robin Vos is the Republican speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly. A Facebook post criticized Vos’ access to a mask, gloves and gown while working the polls on Election Day, saying others didn’t have the same protective equipment. But other poll workers in Burlington wore the same gear. At the same time, some poll workers across the state only had access to masks and gloves.

False Claim : The Coronavirus infection on a US aircraft carrier jeopardises the invasion of Venezuela.

• Debunk Date :

  04/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  euvsdisinfo

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  mundo.sputniknews.com

The false claim is: "The Coronavirus infection on a US aircraft carrier jeopardises the invasion of Venezuela." This conspiracy thoery is part of a recurrent Russian disinformation narrative about constant US plots to undermine Latin American governments.

False Claim : The coronavirus pandemic is exaggerated to turn countries into fascist hygiene dictatorships.

• Debunk Date :

  04/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  euvsdisinfo

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Website

The false claim is: "The coronavirus pandemic is exaggerated in order to turn countries into fascist hygiene dictatorships." An unfounded conspiracy theory, sharing a recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about governments and big pharmaceutical companies using coronavirus in order to establish dictatorships and to expand profits.

Scam : Tiny home and free groceries giveaway scams

• Debunk Date :

  04/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

A scam "tiny home" giveaway with a post that reads: "Due to the coronavirus, we decided to give this $100,000 tiny house to someone who shares and comments 'ME' by 8pm, Thursday! Like our page for updates!" An account associated with the network posted on the Facebook feeds of so-called "winners" and instructed them to follow a suspect link in order to claim their prize. That link directs users to an external website with a large "register now" button. Clicking that button directs users to a deceptive Majerstars website. This network also promotes another scam offering "free groceries due to the Coronavirus."

False Claim : Using the "African method" of sitting over a steaming cooking pot can help you avoid contracting COVID-19.

• Debunk Date :

  04/10/2020

• Debunked By :

  truthorfiction

• Sources :

  YouTube

The false claim is: "Using the "African method" of sitting over a steaming cooking pot can help you avoid contracting COVID-19." This is not true. Stories about people beating COVID-19 through “traditional” remedies continue to spread online in spite of warnings from health officials. For example, a post from news site NewsOne features what it claims is a “viral video.” In reality, the three-minute clip embedded in the story had now amassed more than a few thousand views since being uploaded to YouTube on April 3 2020. The video, promoting what it calls an “African method” which purportedly helps people avoid contracting the virus, shows a young man under a blanket at first, before emerging and revealing that he was sitting over a large cooking pot with steam emanating from it.

False Claim : A pandemic occurs exactly every 100 years

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "A pandemic occurs exactly every 100 years." This is false. Pandemics like COVID-19 haven’t hit exactly every 100 years. A Facebook post suggests pandemics occur with synchronicity every 100 years, in 1720, 1820, 1920 and 2020. There wasn’t a pandemic in 1720. The years listed for the next two pandemics are wrong. Many more pandemics have occurred outside of a neat timeline.

False Claim : A powder in Germany can kill coronavirus on contact and for 14 days

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US, Germany

The false claim is: "A powder in Germany can kill coronavirus on contact and for 14 days". This is false. During a live interview U.S. House member Louie Gohmert falsely claimed that "a powder has been developed that, when mixed with water, is being used in Germany as a mist. Health care workers go through a misting tent going into the hospital and it kills the coronavirus completely dead not only right then, but any time in the next 14 days that the virus touches anything that’s been sprayed, it is killed." This is not true. Germany health officials from three federal agencies in the country said no such product or disinfecting stations are being used at hospitals in the country. No product appears to exist that meets the parameters Gohmert identified in his statement. Most disinfectants have a limited window of effectiveness, ranging from 5 seconds to 15 minutes.

Mislead : Bill Gates and other globalists, in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, are reportedly working to push tracking bracelets and invisible tattoos to monitor Americans during an impending lockdown

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The partly false claim is: "Bill Gates and other globalists, in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, are reportedly working to push tracking bracelets and invisible tattoos to monitor Americans during an impending lockdown." This post about Bill Gates' work on vaccine tracking distorts the research and the timeline. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded research into invisible ink technology that could accompany vaccines to strengthen vaccination record-keeping in developing countries. MIT began its research in July 2016, years before the first cases of the novel coronavirus emerged. There’s no evidence Bill Gates is pushing for tracking bracelets, or that the MIT research has anything to do with “tracking Americans” amid the pandemic.

Mislead : Coronavirus patients are dying alone in hospitals

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  usatoday

• Location :

  US

The partly false claim is: "Coronavirus patients are dying alone in hospitals." Hospital accommodations for coronavirus patients range from designating specific units for COVID-19 treatment, asking retired staff to return to work and limiting visitor interaction. Though regulations vary by hospital and by state, to prevent more community spread, hospitals in all 50 states, and across the world, bar visitors. There is no sweeping regulation that prohibits visitors, but many hospitals implemented a no-visitor policy.

False Claim : In Italy, they have thrown their money in the streets as a message to the world

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US, Italy

The false claim is: "In Italy, they have thrown their money on the streets. A clear message to the whole world that money is not enough when health is in danger." The photos that accompany this false claim show money on the streets of Venezuela in 2019, not Italy in 2020. These photos show devalued Venezuelan bolivars in Venezuela in the spring of 2019. In Italy, some people are reportedly struggling to feed their families because they’ve run out money.

False Claim : People are handing out masks doused with chemicals which knocks you out cold so they can rob you.

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US, United Kingdom

The false claim is: "People are handing out masks doused with chemicals which knocks you out cold so they can rob you." This false claim is being spread in a viral image. A widespread warning about thieves knocking out their victims with face masks lacks evidence. This warning has surfaced in countries including the United States and the United Kingdom, but we found no credible reports to back it up.

False Claim : Rudy Giuliani bought $2M in shares of Novartis, a primary supplier of hydroxychloroquine in early February

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Twitter, @Wiseronenow

The false claim is: "Rudy Giuliani bought $2M in shares of Novartis, a primary supplier of hydroxychloroquine in early February." Novartis is a Swiss pharmaceutical company that manufactures hydroxychloroquine. It has donated 30 million doses to the U.S. While Novartis paid Giuliani a speaker’s fee in 2006, there is no publicly available evidence that he currently has a financial stake in the company. He has denied having one in press reports.

False Claim : The novel coronavirus hasn't killed anyone under 25 nationwide

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  CNN

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

The false claim is: "The novel coronavirus hasn't killed anyone under 25 nationwide." This is false. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made this false claim. In reality, the CDC reports on its website that four people between the ages of 15 and 24 and one person between the ages of one and four have died. CNN has also reported on the death of a newborn in Connecticut on April 1 and an infant in Illinois last month whose death is being investigated as possibly caused by the virus. Young people can also serve as carriers of the virus, transmitting to the elderly and people with underlying conditions - those most at risk.

False Claim : There are few novel coronavirus cases in malaria countries because of the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine.

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  President Donald Trump

The false claim is: "There are few novel coronavirus cases in malaria countries because of the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine." Falsely citing “studies,” President Donald Trump has suggested that there are few novel coronavirus cases in “malaria countries” because of the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. But no such studies exist, and the drug is not widely used for malaria in much of the world. Trump has aggressively promoted hydroxychloroquine for weeks, despite limited evidence at this point that it is safe or effective to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. And he has latched on to indications it could be working — even if the basic facts undermine his argument.

Mislead : While all COVID-19 news has been going on, the U.S. Government has been sneakily trying to remove end-to-end encryption” which means “the government will be able to see all of your messages and listen to all of your calls

• Debunk Date :

  04/09/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The partly false claim is: "While all COVID-19 news has been going on, the U.S. Government has been sneakily trying to remove end-to-end encryption” which means “the government will be able to see all of your messages and listen to all of your calls." A bill currently being considered by Congress, called the EARN IT Act, would make it easier for law enforcement to demand information from technology companies about certain users of their services. The bill wouldn’t grant unlimited access. Any request would have to be premised on a link to suspected child exploitation. Whether the government would try to push past those boundaries in practice is hotly debated between civil libertarians and law enforcement.

False Claim : The COVID-19 death toll is exaggerated because "the state" has instructed that anyone who didn't die by a gun shot wound or car accident is to be listed as a coronavirus victim

• Debunk Date :

  04/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "The COVID-19 death toll is exaggerated because 'the state' has instructed that anyone who didn't die by a gun shot wound or car accident is to be listed as a coronavirus victim." This is false. Viral posts wrongly suggest that the COVID-19 death toll is exaggerated because “the state” has instructed that “anyone who didnt die by a gun shot wound or car accident” be listed as a coronavirus victim. Experts say there is no such default classification — and that the U.S. death count is probably underestimated.

False Claim : 59 people die as pastor gives them dettol to drink in church to prevent coronavirus

• Debunk Date :

  04/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US, Kenya

The false claim is: "59 people die as pastor gives them dettol to drink in church to prevent coronavirus." This is false. There’s no evidence 59 people died from drinking the cleaning product Dettol to prevent the coronavirus. In 2016, a South African pastor had his congregation drink Dettol to heal their sicknesses, newspaper reports said. We found no news coverage of people dying as a result.

Scam : Free coupon scam for Dominos pizza

• Debunk Date :

  04/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  snopes

• Sources :

  Facebook

The scam claim is: "The Domino's pizza chain is offering coupons for two free large pizzas to social media users who fill out an online survey." This is a scam. Users who click on the offer are taken to an external website where they are instructed to answer survey questions in order to receive their coupons. After completing the questionnaire, however, users are then required to click a button to share the "offer" with their Facebook friends before they could retrieve their coupons. Those who complied by spamming their friends were then allowed to click a "Receive the Coupon" button, but there was no actual coupon to receive. Like innumerable other "free merchandise" offers on Facebook, this offer was another variation of a common scam.

False Claim : Inhaling steam from the hot water in an aluminum kettle will allow you to survive a coronavirus infection

• Debunk Date :

  04/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  WHO

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "Inhaling steam from the hot water in an aluminum kettle will allow you to survive a coronavirus infection." This post was found being shared on Facebook. The false claim continues on to state that one also needs to take hot baths that contain a small amount of menthol, and that one should immediately stop drinking cold water and only drink hot water.

False Claim : Maps show a correlation between confirmed COVID-19 cases and where 5G wireless service has been installed.

• Debunk Date :

  04/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  apnews

• Location :

  Global

• Sources :

  Facebook, Twitter, @Prana201

The false claim is: "Maps show a correlation between confirmed COVID-19 cases and where 5G wireless service has been installed." This is false. There’s no evidence that 5G, fifth generation wireless is related to or causes COVID-19. Both maps simply highlight densely populated parts of the U.S. THE FACTS: Photos of the two maps placed side by side are being used on social media posts to suggest they show a correlation between 5G networks and coronavirus hot spots. One map claims to show where confirmed coronavirus cases are located in the U.S., while the other map claims to show where 5G technology was installed. Both are highlighted around population centers.

False Claim : Mass vaccination for COVID-19 in Senegal (West Africa) was started yesterday (4/8) and the first 7 children who received it died on the spot.

• Debunk Date :

  04/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  factuel

The false claim is: "Mass vaccination for COVID-19 in Senegal (West Africa) was started yesterday (4/8) and the first 7 children who received it died on the spot". The Senegalese authorities have denied this claim. According to them, no vaccine exists to date against Covid-19. The videos with these false claims show images filmed on March 26 of a crowd in front of a house in the suburbs of Dakar, where the crowd thought that a representative in cosmetic products administered a vaccine against the coronavirus.

False Claim : North Carolina & Virginia State line is closed. Nothing in or out.

• Debunk Date :

  04/08/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "North Carolina & Virginia State line is closed. Nothing in or out." No, North Carolina didn't shut down its borders to prevent coronavirus. A Facebook post said North Carolina's border with Virginia was closed. Some North Carolina local governments have restricted travel. But NC and Virginia have not blocked travel across the border.

False Claim : Goodwill used the pandemic to fire all of their employees instead of laying them off

• Debunk Date :

  04/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "Goodwill used the pandemic to fire all of their employees instead of laying them off." This is false. Some Goodwill employees have been laid off and furloughed because of the pandemic. More than 96% of Goodwill stores have closed because of state regulations in response to the spread of COVID-19. Goodwill employees have been laid off and furloughed across the country. . In Northern and Central Arizona, a majority of employees at Goodwill stores were laid off. Other Goodwill operations are ongoing. Scores of Americans have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the jobless rate to its highest point since the Great Depression. As of April 2, nearly 10 million people had filed for unemployment insurance.

Scam : Suspicious direct mail alert!

• Sources :

  direct mail

There is a suspicious direct mail item being circulated via direct mail (US postal service) that asks residents to provide their personal information that promises to give the recipient more benefits. The mailer wants recipients to return a form filled out with: name, address, age, and phone number. This suspicious mailer has a return address of: Processing Center P.O. Box 2968 Thomasville, GA 31799-9966. DO NOT send your personal information to anyone! The IRS will have your personal information on file.

False Claim : The Chinese are destroying the 5G poles as they are aware that it is the thing triggering the corona symptoms

• Debunk Date :

  04/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US, China, Hong Kong

The false claim is: "The Chinese are destroying the 5G poles as they are aware that it is the thing triggering the corona symptoms." This false claim is being spread in a viral video. No, this video doesn’t show people in China destroying 5G poles. The video shows Hong Kong protesters tearing down “smart” lampposts because they feared they could be used to collect personal data from citizens. Unfounded conspiracy theories about 5G and the coronavirus are infesting social media and leading some people to attack cellphone towers. In the United Kingdom, according to USA Today, several cell towers were set on fire. But a recent Facebook post claiming to show footage of people in China destroying towers in connection with the coronavirus is wrong. The news actually did show this footage — back in August 2019 when it reported on anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong. As Reuters then reported, the video shows protesters tearing down "smart" lampposts "over fears they could be used to collect personal data from citizens." The lampposts, which have sensors and closed-circuit TV cameras, were installed as part of a smart-city initiative to monitor illegal waste dumping sites and traffic.

False Claim : The Kennedy Center contributed to democrats after they were allocated money in the COVID-19 stimulus package

• Debunk Date :

  04/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Sources :

  Facebook, Twitter

The false claim is: "The Kennedy Center contributed to democrats after they were allocated money in the COVID-19 stimulus package." This is not true. Online posts falsely claim that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts donated $5 million to Democrats after it was allocated $25 million in the COVID-19 stimulus package. The center has not given any political contributions; it’s prohibited by law.

False Claim : Walmart has adopted ‘staggered shopping’ based on age

• Debunk Date :

  04/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

The false claim is: "Walmart has adopted ‘staggered shopping’ based on age." This is false. A viral post circulating on Facebook falsely claims that Walmart, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, has instituted a “staggered shopping schedule” that allows only certain age groups on specific days. The store has started a weekly “senior shopping event,” but no other restrictions based on age.

False Claim : You can buy a USB stick that will protect you from harmful 5G radiation and prevent infection from the coronavirus

• Debunk Date :

  04/07/2020

• Debunked By :

  buzzfeednews

The false claim is: "You can buy a USB stick that will protect you from harmful 5G radiation and prevent infection from the coronavirus." It doesn't. 5G conspiracy theorists are using fears about the coronavirus to make money. For $350, they’ll sell you a USB stick they claim protects you from harmful 5G radiation and prevents infection from the coronavirus.

False Claim : Rivers in Oklahoma are full of catfish carrying coronavirus

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "Rivers in Oklahoma are full of catfish carrying coronavirus." This is false. The Facebook post spreading this false claim is a hoax. The hoax post includes a faked logo of a local TV news organization.

False Claim : The campaign predicting hundreds of thousands of deaths by COVID-19 is a lie.

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  euvsdisinfo

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Website

The false claim is: "The campaign predicting hundreds of thousands of deaths by COVID-19 is a lie." An unfounded conspiracy theory, sharing a recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about "secret elites" controlling world leaders.

False Claim : The government is closing businesses to stop the spread of coronavirus even though the numbers are nothing compared to H1N1 or Ebola; our government is up to something

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false narrative is: "The government is closing businesses to stop the spread of coronavirus even though "the numbers are nothing compared to H1N1 or Ebola. Everyone needs to realize our government is up to something ..." A few days after President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus a national emergency and cautioned against gathering in groups, a Facebook post accusing the government of being “up to something” went viral in Pennsylvania. Any suggestion that the coronavirus isn’t real or that it’s part of a government conspiracy is a ridiculous claim. The deadly virus is killing Americans right now, and abiding by unprecedented orders to stay home is the best way to halt its spread.

False Claim : The NBA is asking Donald Trump to resign or they will never play again

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "The NBA is asking Donald Trump to resign or they will never play again." This is a fake news story that is being shared on Facebook. The fake story claims the NBA is considering canceling its season not because of the coronavirus, but because President Donald Trump is still in office. The article, published on a website called "NewYork One News" on April 5, says players "held a secret vote" prior to the start of the season to suspend games until Trump is removed or voted out of office. As evidence, it cites anonymous sources. "Since much of the league is made up of Hollywood actor and musician wannabes, these millionaire crybabies overwhelming voted to approve the measure," reads the story, which has been shared in pro-Trump and Fox News fan groups on Facebook. The article was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.

False Claim : The virus can only be spread through the air, when people cough or sneeze

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  baptisthealth

The false claim is: "The virus can only be spread through the air, when people cough or sneeze." Some scientific experts believe that COVID-19 can be spread not just from an infected person coughing or sneezing but also from merely talking or breathing. In an April 1 letter to the White House, Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chairman of the Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats for the National Academy of Sciences, stated, “Currently available research supports the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus) could be spread via bioaerosols generated directly by patients’ exhalations.” Social distancing of at least six feet from other people should be sufficient to protect you, Dr. Fauci says. Additionally, and even more concerning, the virus can remain viable on surfaces for variable periods of time, according to Dr. Fauci – from a few hours for cloth to up to two or three days for hard surfaces like stainless steel and certain types of plastic. “People also continually touch their nose or mouth,” Dr. Fauci says. “They shake hands with people, they grab a doorknob – that’s also the way it’s transmitted.”

False Claim : They are doing coronavirus tests before getting on and off airlines and trains

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  Donald Trump

The false claim is: "They are doing coronavirus tests before getting on and off airlines and trains." This is not true. During an April 1, 2020 White House briefing, Donald Trump falsely stated, "Now, they’re doing tests on airlines — very strong tests — for getting on, getting off. They’re doing tests on trains — getting on, getting off." The CDC is not testing passengers for COVID-19 as they get on or off airplanes and trains. The federal government is screening certain passengers at 13 airports. Screening can include looking for symptoms, but it’s not the same as a test.

False Claim : Bill Gates, Rockefeeler and others aspire to a population reduction.

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  euvsdisinfo

• Location :

  US

The false claim is: "Bill Gates, Rockefeeler and others aspire to a population reduction." A misinformation article states that Bill Gates, Rockefeller and others are working toward a world depopulation goal and may kill those surving the pandemic with toxic vaccines. This is an unfounded conspiracy theory, sharing a recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about "secret elites" controlling world leaders.

False Claim : COVID-19 can be spread through food

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  baptisthealth

The false claim is: "COVID-19 can be spread through food." Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Before preparing or eating food, however, the CDC advises that you always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds for general food safety. You should also wash your hands throughout the day, especially after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, or going to the bathroom.

False Claim : COVID-19 can be spread through swimming pools and hot tubs

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  baptisthealth

The false claim is: "COVID-19 can be spread through swimming pools and hot tubs." There is no evidence that the Coronavirus Disease 2019, COVID-19, can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs, states the CDC. But there is a caveat: “Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.”

False Claim : If I wear a mask, I can continue doing everything I normally do, without the need to practice social distancing

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  CDC

The false claim is: "If I wear a mask, I can continue doing everything I normally do, without the need to practice social distancing." This is false. It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus. CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure. The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

False Claim : Only people with visible symptoms of COVID-19 are capable of spreading the virus

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  baptisthealth

Only people with visible symptoms of COVID-19 are capable of spreading the virus." This is not true. One of the reasons why COVID-19 has spread around the globe so easily is that a person can be exposed to the virus but not show any symptoms for up to 14 days. A new study calculates that the median incubation period for COVID-19 is just over five days and that 97.5% of people who develop symptoms will do so within 11.5 days of infection. This week, CDC director, Robert Redfield, M.D., told NPR that “one of the [pieces of] information that we have pretty much confirmed now is that a significant number of individuals that are infected actually remain asymptomatic. That may be as many as 25 percent.”

False Claim : People with lupus who take hydroxychloroquine aren’t catching coronavirus

• Debunk Date :

  04/06/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Location :

  US

• Sources :

  President Donald Trump

The false claim is: "People with lupus who take hydroxychloroquine aren’t catching coronavirus." President Donald Trump once again touted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. This time, the president falsely claimed that “people with lupus” who take hydroxychloroquine “aren’t catching this horrible virus.” While it’s too early to say whether or not hydroxychloroquine has any protective effects, it’s not true that no lupus patients have developed the disease. In fact, the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance’s registry of COVID-19 patients with rheumatologic disease had 110 validated patients, as of April 2, and 17% of them have lupus.

False Claim : Face masks don't work

• Debunk Date :

  04/05/2020

• Debunked By :

  theguardian

• Sources :

  @maryjanebern, @asvpxblu

The false claim is: "Face masks don't work." Wearing a face mask is certainly not an iron-clad guarantee that you won’t get sick – viruses can also transmit through the eyes and tiny viral particles, known as aerosols, can penetrate masks. However, masks are effective at capturing droplets, which is a main transmission route of coronavirus, and some studies have estimated a roughly fivefold protection versus no barrier alone (although others have found lower levels of effectiveness). If you are likely to be in close contact with someone infected, a mask cuts the chance of the disease being passed on. If you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, or have been diagnosed, wearing a mask can also protect others. So masks are crucial for health and social care workers looking after patients and are also recommended for family members who need to care for someone who is ill – ideally both the patient and carer should have a mask.A face mask isn’t guaranteed to keep you from getting sick, but the protection is better than nothing. A mask can help capture some droplets that carry the virus. And it’s important to note that wearing a mask isn’t just about protecting yourself; it can also help keep you from passing viruses to others. This coronavirus seems to be spread even by people who aren’t showing symptoms. As of Friday morning, April 3, the White House coronavirus task force was formalizing new guidance to recommend that many Americans wear face coverings of some kind — even T-shirts or bandannas — when going outside or to places like grocery stores or pharmacies. Even if you’re wearing a mask, make sure to follow social distancing and hygiene guidelines recommended by public health officials; for instance, stay at least 6 feet from other people, wash your hands often and don’t touch your face. Make sure you know how to use your mask and keep it clean. Wash your hands thoroughly before touching it. Medical-grade masks — particularly N-95 masks, which are the most effective but are in short supply — should be reserved for medical professionals who deal directly with sick patients.

Mislead : A 5G law passed while everyone was distracted with the coronavirus pandemic and lists 20 symptoms associated with 5G exposure

• Debunk Date :

  04/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

• Location :

  US

The misleading claim is: "A 5G law passed while everyone was distracted with the coronavirus pandemic and lists 20 symptoms associated with 5G exposure." In this misleading claim, the Facebook user refers to Public Law No. 116-129 and claims the government is taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to distract from the installation of 5G cellular data towers. The technology is the latest upgrade to speed up wireless internet connections. President Donald Trump signed a law March 23 that tasks the federal government with securing 5G data networks. It does not explicitly provide for the installation of more cell towers. While some experts are concerned about the potential health effects of 5G, there is no evidence to support the symptoms listed in the post. Misinformation about the health effects of 5G can be traced to a 2019 propaganda campaign promoted by Russian state television.

False Claim : A woman's hands caught fire due to the alcohol contained in the sanitizer

• Debunk Date :

  04/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The hoax claim is: "This lady here applied sanitizer to her hands/forearms & went to the kitchen to cook. The moment she turned on the gas stove, her hands caught fire due to the alcohol contained in the sanitizer." This Facebook post has the ingredients of a hoax. Fact-checkers could not find the original photo through reverse image searching, and they found no news reports about it. Hand sanitizer is flammable because of its alcohol content. But the fire risks are low when the product is applied properly and given time to dry.

False Claim : Exposing yourself to the sun or to temperatures higher than 77F (25C) degrees will prevent COVID-19

• Debunk Date :

  04/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  WHO

• Sources :

  Email

The false claim is: "Exposing yourself to the sun or to temperatures higher than 77F (25C) degrees will prevent the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)." This is not true. You can catch COVID-19, no matter how sunny or hot the weather is. Countries with hot weather have reported cases of COVID-19. To protect yourself, make sure you clean your hands frequently and thoroughly and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

Scam : Fake companies purporting to sell face masks in large quantities are scamming people

• Debunk Date :

  04/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  buzzfeednews

This is an active situation. Fake companies purporting to sell face masks in large quantities are scamming people out of large amounts of money. These scam companies create fake websites and forge operating licenses. A citizen attempting to help the Mongolian governmet obtain much-needed masks was scammed out of $13,000 for the 100,000 masks that they ordered back on March 4, 2020. The same thing happened to a citizen in Athens. These scam companies even send fake invoices to their victims. Do not order products from untrusted, unverified websites!

False Claim : House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted criticism of the Trump administration's restriction on travelers from China to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus

• Debunk Date :

  04/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Sources :

  Facebook, YouTube

The false claim is: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted criticism of the Trump administration's restriction on travelers from China to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus." This is not true. A viral video makes the bogus claim that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Jan. 31 tweet criticized the Trump administration’s restriction on travelers from China to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Her tweet was unrelated to those travel restrictions.

False Claim : If you catch COVID-19, you will have it for life.

• Debunk Date :

  04/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  WHO

The false claim is: "If you catch COVID-19, you will have it for life." This is not true. You can recover from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Catching the new coronavirus DOES NOT mean you will have it for life. Most of the people who catch COVID-19 can recover and eliminate the virus from their bodies. If you catch the disease, make sure you treat your symptoms. If you have cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early – but call your health facility by telephone first. Most patients recover thanks to supportive care.

False Claim : In Chicago, Covid-19 actually LOWERED the death rate

• Debunk Date :

  04/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  politifact

The false claim is: "In Chicago, Covid-19 actually LOWERED the death rate." No, the coronavirus did not cause the death rate to drop in Chicago. A Facebook post shared over 2,000 times claimed that COVID-19 lowered the death rate in Chicago. But an analysis of cases from the Cook County Medical Examiner suggests the opposite. Deaths in Chicago increased in March 2020 compared to previous years, despite a decline in murders.

False Claim : In New York, every contaminated corpse belongs to the state and will be incinerated without any wakes or memorial services

• Debunk Date :

  04/03/2020

• Debunked By :

  factcheck

• Sources :

  Facebook

The false claim is: "In New York, every contaminated corpse belongs to the state and will be incinerated without any wakes or memorial services." A viral Facebook post about COVID-19 falsely claims that in New York “every contaminated corpse belongs to the state” and will be incinerated without any “wakes or memorial services to pay your last respects.” This is not true. The state is allowing funeral services with limited visitors; cremation is not mandated.