Incorrect Health Posted on: 2020-11-26 Face masks, handwashing, and vaccination do not weaken the immune system, and are effective measures to reduce the spread of infectious diseases Claim: Public health measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 including face masks, vaccines, and frequent handwashing “suppress our immune systems” Source: Instagram, Instagram users, 2020-11-23
Misleading Health Posted on: 2020-11-19 Non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as lockdowns and wearing face masks, are effective measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission, contrary to claims in viral video Claim: Lockdowns and face masks do not work to control the COVID-19 pandemic Source: Young Americans for Liberty, Tom Woods, 2020-11-13
Inaccurate Health Posted on: 2020-11-11 Wearing face masks helps reduce the spread of COVID-19, but it only confers partial protection and should be combined with additional public health measures Claim: “Mask mandates do nothing to stop [the spread of] COVID[-19]”; There is “overwhelming scientific evidence” that masks do not work Source: The Federalist, Yinon Weiss, 2020-10-29
Lacks context Health Posted on: 2020-11-02 Claim that mouthwash could reduce the spread of COVID-19 has not yet been confirmed by clinical trials in humans Claim: Some mouthwashes could help curb coronavirus Source: NewsNation, Evan Hinkley, Nyzah McDonald, 2020-10-26
Inaccurate Health Posted on: 2020-10-25 Masks are effective at reducing COVID-19 primary transmission through respiratory droplets; the CDC acknowledges airborne transmission via aerosols can also occur Claim: “CDC says [the SARS-CoV-2] virus was never airborne, rendering masks worthless” Source: Banned.video, Owen Shroyer, 2020-09-22
Inaccurate Health Posted on: 2020-10-20 COVID-19 is more deadly and more contagious than seasonal flu and may also cause long-lasting damage to survivors Claim: “The coronavirus is no more deadly or dangerous than seasonal flu” Source: Zero Hedge, Anonymous, 2020-10-08
Lacks context Health Posted on: 2020-10-09 Frequent ejaculation might reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, but cannot prevent it completely Claim: “Men must have sex at least 21 times a month to avoid prostate cancer” Source: West Africa Reporters, Barry Kadi, 2020-01-23
Inaccurate Health Posted on: 2020-10-04 COVID-19 vaccines aren’t expected to be available for the public in several weeks, contrary to viral claim on social media Claim: “The Government has released their initial plans to force a vaccine on everyone”; “Three potential vaccines are currently in Stage 3 trials in the United States and could be ready in weeks” Source: Before it’s news, SHTFplan, Mac Slavo, 2020-09-16
Inaccurate Health Posted on: 2020-10-01 COVID-19 is at least an order of magnitude more deadly than seasonal flu, according to current estimates Claim: “COVID-19 [is] less deadly than [seasonal] flu” Source: Facebook, Instagram, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 2020-09-27
Health Posted on: 2020-09-28 Using face masks does not increase the risk of skin or oral infections Claim: Masks are dirty and cause bacterial overgrowth, skin infections, and “mask mouth, [which is] a new medical condition caused by wearing masks all day” Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-09-16