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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - February 1


Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks to waiting patients as he visits a COVID-19 vaccination center in Batley, West Yorkshire, Britain February 1, 2021. Jon Super/Pool via REUTERS
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks to waiting patients as he visits a COVID-19 vaccination center in Batley, West Yorkshire, Britain February 1, 2021. Jon Super/Pool via REUTERS

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: Five UK nurses died after COVID-19 vaccination.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Reuters

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Circulating on social media: Posts claiming that tests on a stolen sample of an unspecified vaccine showed it is radioactive enough to cause “disease and genetic damage” and speculating that it could contain radium.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

How do the leading COVID-19 vaccines work? Science explains
As countries like the United States and United Kingdom inoculate their residents with never-before-used vaccine technology, others, including Russia, China, and India, are investing in more traditional approaches, like inactivated coronavirus vaccines.
-- Science, January 29

J&J one-dose Covid vaccine is 66% effective, a weapon but not a knockout punch
Johnson & Johnson said Friday that its single-dose Covid-19 vaccine reduced rates of moderate and severe disease, but the shot appeared less effective in South Africa, where a new coronavirus variant has become common.
-- Stat, January 29

COVID-Overwhelmed Hospitals Strain Staff and Hope to Avoid Rationing Care
There are times when critically ill patients must wait for beds, and some facilities have contingency plans to limit scarce supplies to certain patients.
-- Scientific American, January 27

Elective, but not optional: Orthopedic patients eagerly await surgeries delayed by Covid-19
[F]or some people anticipating operations to ease their pain or halt their disease, hospitals’ decisions about what’s elective involves a grim calculus of how long they can wait.
-- Stat, January 27

Why Even Presidential Pressure Might Not Get More Vaccine to Market Faster
Americans are dying of covid-19 by the thousands, but efforts to ramp up production of potentially lifesaving vaccines are hitting a brick wall.
-- Kaiser Health News, January 26

COVID Can Cause Forgetfulness, Psychosis, Mania or a Stutter
The virus induces neurological symptoms that persist long after the pandemic ends.
-- Scientific American, January 21

COVID-19 Scams: How They Work and How to Avoid Them
While some people are focused on COVID-19 and ways to get through the pandemic, scammers are looking for new ways to profit.
-- Trend Micro Check, December 30

The lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers
Months after infection with SARS-CoV-2, some people are still battling crushing fatigue, lung damage and other symptoms of ‘long COVID’.
-- Nature, September 14

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 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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