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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - July 31


FILE PHOTO: Singer Madonna attends the 30th annual GLAAD awards ceremony in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2019.
FILE PHOTO: Singer Madonna attends the 30th annual GLAAD awards ceremony in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2019.

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

Daily Debunk

"Madonna leads celebrity vogue for Covid-19 conspiracy theories," The Guardian, July 31.​

Social Media Disinfo

A refrigerated trailer acquired to store bodies, as morgues at hospitals and funeral homes reach their capacity with COVID-19 fatalities, is seen in Bexar County, Texas, July 15, 2020.
A refrigerated trailer acquired to store bodies, as morgues at hospitals and funeral homes reach their capacity with COVID-19 fatalities, is seen in Bexar County, Texas, July 15, 2020.

Circulating on social media: Claim that coronavirus deaths in the United States surpass combined battle fatalities in several US wars.

Verdict: True

Read the full story at: USA Today

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

What's Happening in the Brain with COVID-19?
It’s unclear if SARS-CoV-2 is acting directly on the brain, but we can still investigate if the brain is being damaged when people are sick with COVID-19.
-- NeuWrite San Diego, July 30

Covid-19 infections leave an impact on the heart, raising concerns about lasting damage
Two new studies from Germany paint a sobering picture of the toll that Covid-19 takes on the heart.
-- Stat, July 27

COVID-19 and heatwaves: a double whammy for Indian cities
The onset of the hot season presents individuals and local decision makers with new challenges on the optimal ways to stay safe from both heat stress and COVID-19.
-- The Lancet Planetary Health, July 27

Coronavirus trend: The pandemic is far from over
While the first countries are easing their lockdowns, others report more and more new cases every day.
-- Deutsche Welle, July 24

Coronavirus vaccine: Might it have side-effects?
The BBC's online health editor Michelle Roberts answers some of your questions about coronavirus vaccines.
-- BBC, July 22​

Coronavirus: Cracking the secrets of how bats survive viruses
Their codes of life contain genetic clues to their "exceptional immunity", which protects them against deadly viruses.
-- BBC, July 22

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 race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide
Eight ways in which scientists hope to provide immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
-- Nature, April 28

The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections

COVID19 Infodemics Observatory

Agence France Presse

Snopes

BuzzFeed

Factcheck.org

Associated Press

Washington Post

TruthOrFiction

Mapping the COVID-19

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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