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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - December 8


Blood samples are prepared for testing for the corona virus at a laboratory in Berlin, Germany, March 26, 2020.
Blood samples are prepared for testing for the corona virus at a laboratory in Berlin, Germany, March 26, 2020.

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: A study published in November 2020 analyzed SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 2019 blood bank donations and found that the novel coronavirus may have been present in the U.S. weeks earlier than scientists realized.

Verdict: Mostly True

Read the full story at: Snopes

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Circulating on social media: Posts purporting to show a “virus removal card” that can prevent infection from Covid-19 when worn around the neck.

Verdict: Misleading

Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

Despite promise, few in US adopting COVID-19 exposure apps
Fewer than half of U.S. states and territories — 18 in total — have made such technology widely available. And according to a data analysis by The Associated Press, the vast majority of Americans in such locations haven’t activated the tool.
-- Associated Press, December 6

Federal hospital data system falters at tracking pandemic
A Science examination ... found the HHS data for three important values in Wisconsin hospitals—beds filled, intensive care unit (ICU) beds filled, and in-patients with COVID-19—often diverge dramatically from those collected by the other federal source, from state-supplied data, and from the apparent reality on the ground.
-- Science, December 4

The Covid-19 vaccines are a marvel of science. Here’s how we can make the best use of them
It appears science may have found the Covid-19 pandemic’s off-ramp.
-- Stat, December 2

How Iceland hammered COVID with science
The tiny island nation brought huge scientific heft to its attempts to contain and study the coronavirus. Here’s what it learnt.
-- Nature, November 25

The Surprising Mental Toll of COVID
The rise in depression and anxiety is even worse than expected, especially among young adults.
-- Scientific American, November 24

Coronavirus Infection Trajectories
Which countries are seeing the most new cases?
-- Information is Beautiful, November 23

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

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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