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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - April 6


White House medical advisors Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx listen as U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
White House medical advisors Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx listen as U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: President Donald Trump has said that the government's stockpile of emergency medical supplies he inherited from his predecessor was an “empty shelf.”

Verdict: False

Read the full story: FactCheck.org

Social Media Disinfo​

Godirect.gov
Godirect.gov

Circulating on social media: A post claiming you can track your coronavirus economic stimulus check from the U.S. government by calling a toll-free telephone number..

Verdict: False

Read the full story: "False claim: Hotline to check status of stimulus check" -- Reuters

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

A small trial finds that hydroxychloroquine is not effective for treating coronavirus
[A] study just published in a French medical journal provides new evidence that hydroxychloroquine does not appear to help the immune system clear the coronavirus from the body.
-- The Conversation, April 3 ​

An antibody test for the novel coronavirus will soon be available
In the short term, this will be important because it will permit the authorities to identify who may return to their jobs without risk of infecting others.
– The Economist, April 2

The coronavirus is washing over the U.S. These factors will determine how bad it gets in each community
As the outbreak rolls across the country, residents are asking: Who will be hit next? And how fast and how hard?
-- Stat, April 1

Chinese State Media Seeks to Influence International Perceptions of COVID-19 Pandemic
We assess that the effort we see today to cast doubt on the origin of COVID-19 and shift the blame away from China began in mid-February with the transition away from the use of Wuhan-specific hashtags in COVID-19 posts.
-- Reorded Future, March 30

Estimates of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019: a model-based analysis
Our estimated overall infection fatality ratio for China was 0·66% (0·39–1·33), with an increasing profile with age.
-- The Lancet, April 30

‘We need to be alert’: Scientists fear second coronavirus wave as China’s lockdowns ease
Other countries on lockdown will be watching for a resurgence of infections in Hubei province now that travel restrictions are lifting.
-- Nature, March 30

Mapping the COVID-19 outbreak

USAFACTS.org map displaying confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. by county
USAFACTS.org map displaying confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. by county

The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections

Agence France Presse

Snopes

BuzzFeed

Factcheck.org

Associated Press

Washington Post

TruthOrFiction

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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