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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - November 20


Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, shows bottles with Sputnik-V vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during an interview with Reuters in Moscow, Russia September 24, 2020.
Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, shows bottles with Sputnik-V vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during an interview with Reuters in Moscow, Russia September 24, 2020.

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

Daily Debunk

"Russia’s claim of a successful COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t pass the ‘smell test,’ critics say," Science, November 11.

Social Media Disinfo

Fardeen Khan, 19, a student, shows a picture on his phone of his mother Noor Jahan, a housewife, who died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), for a photograph, in New Delhi, India, September 27, 2020.
Fardeen Khan, 19, a student, shows a picture on his phone of his mother Noor Jahan, a housewife, who died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), for a photograph, in New Delhi, India, September 27, 2020.

Circulating on social media: WhatsApp message which claims that a vaccine against coronavirus has been launched in India and provides a link to download a “Vaccine App” to register for vaccination.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: India.com

Factual Reads on Coronavirus


Mysteries of COVID Smell Loss Finally Yield Some Answers
Explanations begin to arise at the molecular level for this vexing but commonplace symptom.
-- Scientific American, November 18

Health systems are using AI to predict severe Covid-19 cases. But limited data could produce unreliable results
[M]ost of the efforts are being developed in siloes and trained on limited datasets, raising crucial questions about their reliability.
-- Stat, November 18

Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is strongly effective, early look at data show
The news comes exactly a week after results from Pfizer and BioNTech, which announced broadly similar results.
-- Stat, November 16

For COVID Drugs, Months of Frantic Development Lead to Few Outright Successes
There have been mixed results as researchers try to stop a disease they are still trying to understand.
-- Scientific American, November 13

New Type of Test May Better Discern Immunity to the Coronavirus​
The test detects the response of T cells to the virus — an arm of the immune system that may be just as important as antibodies to preventing reinfection.
-- New York Times, November 10

One in five COVID-19 patients develop mental illness within 90 days - study
Study finds 20% of those infected diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days.
-- Reuters, November 9

Four reasons for encouragement based on Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine results
The world has been waiting for good news on Covid-19 vaccines. Monday it got a bunch of it.
-- Stat, November 9

A minority of people with covid-19 account for the bulk of transmission
In two Indian states 10% of people caused 60% of subsequent infections.
-- The Economist, November 7

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

HealthCheck

COVID19 Infodemics Observatory

Agence France Presse

Snopes

BuzzFeed

Factcheck.org

Associated Press

Washington Post

TruthOrFiction

Mapping COVID-19 Casualties

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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