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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - September 1


A woman wears a protective face mask due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the Murtala Mohammed International airport in Lagos, Nigeria March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File Photo
A woman wears a protective face mask due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the Murtala Mohammed International airport in Lagos, Nigeria March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File Photo

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: Nigeria accounts for 5 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Africa.

Verdict: True

Read the full story at: FactCheckHub

Social Media Disinfo

Manuel Negrete holds the anti-parasite drug ivermectin after buying it with a medical prescription at a local pharmacy in Santa Cruz, Bolivia May 19, 2020. REUTERS/Rodrigo Urzagasti.
Manuel Negrete holds the anti-parasite drug ivermectin after buying it with a medical prescription at a local pharmacy in Santa Cruz, Bolivia May 19, 2020. REUTERS/Rodrigo Urzagasti.

Circulating on social media: Claim that ivermectin, a drug used to treat animal parasites like heartworm and roundworm, was proven to be a potential cure for coronavirus.

Verdict: Mostly False

Read the full story at: Snopes

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

Scientists see downsides to top COVID-19 vaccines from Russia, China
They are based on a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say.
-- Reuters, August 31

Scientists are reporting several cases of Covid-19 reinfection — but the implications are complicated
It’s possible that these early cases of reinfection are outliers and have features that won’t apply to the tens of millions of other people who have already shaken off Covid-19.
-- Stat, August 28

Does a face mask protect me, or just the people around me?
It likely provides protection for both.
-- Associated Press, August 27

Can mosquitoes spread the coronavirus?
No. While mosquitoes can spread some diseases, most notably malaria, experts say COVID-19 is not among them.
-- Associated Press, August 25

The coronavirus may shut down the immune system’s vital classrooms
In many infections, the immune system builds so-called germinal centers in the spleen or lymph nodes to train cells that make antibodies, but the structures fail to develop in some COVID-19 cases.
-- Science, August 25

Lockdown Let the Earth Breathe. What Do We Do Next?
COVID-19 could be a turning point in climate activism—but only if we play it right.
-- The Walrus. August 24

Is convalescent plasma safe and effective? We answer the major questions about the Covid-19 treatment.
-- Stat, August 23

Long-Haulers Are Redefining COVID-19
Without understanding the lingering illness that some patients experience, we can’t understand the pandemic.
-- The Atlantic, August 19

Watch: Antibodies, immunity, and what they mean for Covid-19, explained
The immune system is no wimp. When pathogens cause illness, it kicks into high gear. Cells work together to tag, kill and gobble up invaders as they fight the infection.
-- Stat, May 5

The race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide
Eight ways in which scientists hope to provide immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
-- Nature, April 28

The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections

COVID19 Infodemics Observatory

Agence France Presse

Snopes

BuzzFeed

Factcheck.org

Associated Press

Washington Post

TruthOrFiction

Mapping the COVID-19

Reliable Coronavirus Information

World Health Organization

U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Federation of American Scientists

Emergency Physicians

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine​

Pan American Health Organization

Google COVID‑19 Information & Resources

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