Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from other reliable sources here.
Scientists discussed SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, in a 2008 study.
False
Posts linking to a website that invites Nigerians to apply for financial help from a Covid-19 survival fund provided by the government of Africa’s most populous country.
Fake
It is clear that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective, but as more are rolled out, researchers are learning about the extent and nature of side effects.
-- Nature, February 16
These species include wild animals, such as bats and monkeys, as well as domestic animals, such as pigs and cats.
-- Live Science, February 16
The drug deaths started spiking last spring, as the coronavirus forced shutdowns, and more recent statistics from cities throughout the U.S. and Canada show the crisis has only deepened.
-- Stat, February 16
Some evidence indicates that short waits are safe, but there is a chance that partial immunization could help risky new coronavirus variants to develop.
-- Scientific American, February 10
Another COVID-19 vaccine has run into trouble in South Africa, showing less protection there than elsewhere because a SARS-CoV-2 variant that can apparently dodge key antibodies has become widespread.
-- Science, February 8
In an ideal world, a pandemic vaccine could be delivered in a single shot, so supplies could be stretched to cover a lot of people. It would trigger no side effect more significant than a sore arm. And it would be easy to ship and store. Soon, it seems, this ideal of a Covid-19 vaccine will be within reach.
-- Stat, February 2
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
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 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