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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - December 11


FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020.
FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020.

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: There have been serious negative health effects from the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, including the deaths of six people during late-stage trials.

Verdict: Partly False

Read the full story at: Reuters

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Circulating on social media: Facebook post comparing COVID-19 vaccine research to HIV, cancer and the common cold, and questioning the safety of COVID-19 vaccines given the speed of their development.

Verdict: Mostly False

Read the full story at: PolitiFact​

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

The US is about to begin the first big test of Covid-19 vaccine distribution
What we can learn from the initial phase of vaccinating health care workers in the US.
-- Vox, December 10

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

Inside China’s response to COVID
Researchers and officials reveal how the pandemic has shifted the country’s scientific landscape and global reputation.
-- Nature, December 2

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

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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