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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - January 25


A man receives a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Belgrade, Serbia, January 13, 2021.
A man receives a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Belgrade, Serbia, January 13, 2021.

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: The vaccine manufacturer Pfizer shut down production because of deaths among vaccine recipients.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Reuters

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Circulating on social media: Video claiming to show an Indian Muslim cleric talking about a mind-controlling microchip injected through Covid-19 vaccinations.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

Monoclonal antibodies can prevent COVID-19—but successful vaccines complicate their future
[G]iven the success of COVID-19 vaccines and their increasing availability, it’s not clear that the expensive and somewhat cumbersome intervention will be widely used.
-- Science, January 22

Covid Vaccine Rollout Leaves Most Older Adults Confused Where to Get Shots
Over a month into a massive vaccination program, most older Americans report they don’t know where or when they can get inoculated for covid-19, according to a poll released Friday.
-- Kaiser Health News, January 22

COVID Can Cause Forgetfulness, Psychosis, Mania or a Stutter
The virus induces neurological symptoms that persist long after the pandemic ends.
-- Scientific American, January 21

What we now know — and don’t know — about the coronavirus variants
The coronavirus variants are, in a word, confusing.
-- Stat, January 19

How COVID unlocked the power of RNA vaccines
The technology could revolutionize efforts to immunize against HIV, malaria, influenza and more.
-- Nature, January 12

As the Vulnerable Wait, Some Political Leaders’ Spouses Get Covid Vaccines
Nowhere on the list of prioritized recipients are public officials’ spouses. Yet the first ladies of Kentucky and West Virginia; Republican Vice President Mike Pence’s wife, Karen Pence; Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden; and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, were among the first Americans to get the potentially lifesaving shots.
-- Kaiser Health News, January 8

COVID-19 Scams: How They Work and How to Avoid Them
While some people are focused on COVID-19 and ways to get through the pandemic, scammers are looking for new ways to profit.
-- Trend Micro Check, December 30

The lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers
Months after infection with SARS-CoV-2, some people are still battling crushing fatigue, lung damage and other symptoms of ‘long COVID’.
-- Nature, September 14

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 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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