Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from other reliable sources here.
Daily Debunk
Claim: 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.”
Verdict: False
Read the full story: "Dr. Phil’s faulty point about the coronavirus and swimming pools," PolitiFact.
Social Media Disinfo
Circulating on social media: Claim that Microsoft owns patent "666," which involves inserting microchips into people to mine their activity for cryptocurrency purposes.
Verdict: Mostly False
Read the full story at: "Does Microsoft Own Patent ‘666’ About Implanting Microchips in People?" -- Snopes
Factual Reads on Coronavirus
A New Doctor Faces the Coronavirus in Queens
A front-line physician at Elmhurst Hospital sees how closely socioeconomic status is tied to the disease, and tries to help patients who are dying without their families.
-- The New Yorker, April 20
Coronavirus myths explored
As the coronavirus continues to make the news, a host of untruths has surrounded the topic. In this special feature, we address some of these myths and conspiracies.
-- Medical News Today, April 16
