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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - February 9


A member of the medical staff administers the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to a colleague at the Foch hospital in Suresnes, near Paris, France, February 8, 2021. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
A member of the medical staff administers the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to a colleague at the Foch hospital in Suresnes, near Paris, France, February 8, 2021. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: The COVID-19 vaccine is an “operating system” designed to program humans and hack their biological functions.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Reuters

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Circulating on social media: Claim that the World Health Organization (WHO) stated in late January that wearing face masks is no longer necessary.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Check Your Fact

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

South Africa suspends use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after it fails to clearly stop virus variant
Another COVID-19 vaccine has run into trouble in South Africa, showing less protection there than elsewhere because a SARS-CoV-2 variant that can apparently dodge key antibodies has become widespread.
-- Science, February 8

Why the U.S. Is Underestimating Covid Reinfection
As millions of Americans struggle to recover from covid and millions more scramble for the protection offered by vaccines, U.S. health officials may be overlooking an unsettling subgroup of survivors: those who get infected more than once.
-- Kaiser Health News, February 8

Comparing the Covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson
In an ideal world, a pandemic vaccine could be delivered in a single shot, so supplies could be stretched to cover a lot of people. It would trigger no side effect more significant than a sore arm. And it would be easy to ship and store. Soon, it seems, this ideal of a Covid-19 vaccine will be within reach.
-- Stat, February 2

How to redesign COVID vaccines so they protect against variants
Lineages that can evade immunity are spurring vaccine makers to explore ways to redesign their shots.
-- Nature, January 29

How do the leading COVID-19 vaccines work? Science explains
As countries like the United States and United Kingdom inoculate their residents with never-before-used vaccine technology, others, including Russia, China, and India, are investing in more traditional approaches, like inactivated coronavirus vaccines.
-- Science, January 29

COVID-Overwhelmed Hospitals Strain Staff and Hope to Avoid Rationing Care
There are times when critically ill patients must wait for beds, and some facilities have contingency plans to limit scarce supplies to certain patients.
-- Scientific American, January 27

Why Even Presidential Pressure Might Not Get More Vaccine to Market Faster
Americans are dying of covid-19 by the thousands, but efforts to ramp up production of potentially lifesaving vaccines are hitting a brick wall.
-- Kaiser Health News, January 26

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

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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