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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - December 3


FILE PHOTO: A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus.
FILE PHOTO: A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus.

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 is a hoax, it cannot cause pneumonia and the vaccine will contain a microchip.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Reuters

Social Media Disinfo

South Korean President Moon Jae-in wearing a mask salutes to a national flag at an emergency meeting on economic response to the coronavirus outbreak at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, March 30, 2020
South Korean President Moon Jae-in wearing a mask salutes to a national flag at an emergency meeting on economic response to the coronavirus outbreak at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, March 30, 2020

Circulating on social media: Claim that South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced the country had procured enough doses of China-made Covid-19 vaccines to vaccinate 45 million people.

Verdict: Misleading

Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

The Covid-19 vaccines are a marvel of science. Here’s how we can make the best use of them
It appears science may have found the Covid-19 pandemic’s off-ramp.
-- Stat, December 2

How Iceland hammered COVID with science
The tiny island nation brought huge scientific heft to its attempts to contain and study the coronavirus. Here’s what it learnt.
-- Nature, November 25

The Surprising Mental Toll of COVID
The rise in depression and anxiety is even worse than expected, especially among young adults.
-- Scientific American, November 24

Coronavirus Infection Trajectories
Which countries are seeing the most new cases?
-- Information is Beautiful, November 23

Mysteries of COVID Smell Loss Finally Yield Some Answers
Explanations begin to arise at the molecular level for this vexing but commonplace symptom.
-- Scientific American, November 18

Health systems are using AI to predict severe Covid-19 cases. But limited data could produce unreliable results
[M]ost of the efforts are being developed in siloes and trained on limited datasets, raising crucial questions about their reliability.
-- Stat, November 18

‘They’ve been following the science’: How the Covid-19 pandemic has been curtailed in Cherokee Nation
While the United States flounders in its response to the coronavirus, another nation — one within our own borders — is faring much better.
-- Stat, November 17

Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is strongly effective, early look at data show
The news comes exactly a week after results from Pfizer and BioNTech, which announced broadly similar results.
-- Stat, November 16

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

HealthCheck

COVID19 Infodemics Observatory

Agence France Presse

Snopes

BuzzFeed

Factcheck.org

Associated Press

Washington Post

TruthOrFiction

Mapping COVID-19 Casualties

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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