Coronavirus: The Infodemic

Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from other reliable sources here.

Daily Debunk

Claim: COVID-19 vaccines have led to a 6,000% increase in patient deaths.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: PolitiFact

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot

Circulating on social media: Claim that “not a single politician in the world” died of Covid-19 except John Magufuli, a former president of Tanzania known for downplaying the scale of the pandemic.

Verdict: Misleading

Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

Americans' Worry About Catching COVID-19 Drops to Record Low
At the same time Americans' satisfaction with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has surged, their concerns about getting the virus and about the availability of coronavirus tests and hospital services/treatment have fallen to record lows.
-- Gallup, April 6

If You Don’t Have COVID Vaccine Side Effects, Are You Still Protected?
Reactions reflect unique features of an individual’s immune system, not the strength of a response.
-- Scientific American, April 1

COVID Antibodies May Last Days to Years, Depending on Severity of Infection
Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are likely to wane at different rates depending on the severity of the infection, new research suggests.
-- Reuters Health Information, via Medscape, March 31

Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines may block infection as well as disease
Studies suggest fully vaccinated people pose a low risk for transmitting the coronavirus.
-- ScienceNews, March 30

A rare clotting disorder may cloud the world's hopes for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine
[T]he vaccine faces new concerns about safety as an explanation gains ground for the unusual strokes and clotting disorders recorded in at least 30 recipients.
-- Science, March 27

The Coronavirus Variants Don't Seem to Be Highly Variable So Far
SARS-CoV-2 may be settling into a limited set of mutations.
-- Scientific American, March 24

U.S. health body questions AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine trial data
AstraZeneca may have released outdated information on its latest COVID-19 vaccine trial, giving an “incomplete” picture of its efficacy, a leading U.S. health agency said on Tuesday, casting doubt on the shot’s potential U.S. rollout and plunging its developers, once again, into controversy.
-- Reuters, March 23

AstraZeneca: US data shows vaccine effective for all ages
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States, the company announced Monday.
-- Associated Press, March 22

One Year In: How COVID's Toll Compares With Other Causes of Death
Covid has become the country’s third-leading cause of death, and could be on its way to outpacing cancer.
-- PolitiFact, via Kaiser Health News, March 11