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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - March 1


A health worker holds up a vial of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine during the first phase of vaccinations for health workers at a hospital in Manila on March 1, 2021. (AFP / Ted Aljibe)
A health worker holds up a vial of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine during the first phase of vaccinations for health workers at a hospital in Manila on March 1, 2021. (AFP / Ted Aljibe)

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: A Filipino official advised giving China's Sinovac vaccine to poor people.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Circulating on social media: A video purportedly showing a large crowd gathered in Madrid, Spain, to protest against COVID-19 restrictions.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Check Your Fact

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

Andrew Cuomo’s Covid-19 nursing home fiasco shows the ethical perils of pandemic policymaking
The humbling of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on pandemic policy has been spectacular and swift. Within a matter of days, one of America’s most trusted voices in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic became a political pariah.
-- Stat, February 26

New drugs identified as possible tools to fight COVID-19
There will probably never be a perfect treatment to cure COVID-19—but the right medications for the right patients can save lives.
-- National Geographic, February 24

Unraveling the Complex Link Between COVID and Diabetes
The pandemic infection seems to trigger diabetes in some patients. Here are five plausible explanations as to why.
-- Scientific American, February 24

‘Held to ransom’: Pfizer plays hardball in Covid-19 vaccine negotiations with Latin American countries
Pfizer has been accused of “bullying” Latin American governments during negotiations to acquire its Covid-19 vaccine, and the company has asked some countries to put up sovereign assets, such as embassy buildings and military bases, as a guarantee against the cost of any future legal cases, according to an investigation by the U.K.-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
-- Stat, February 23

Countless Homebound Patients Still Wait for Covid Vaccine Despite Seniors’ Priority
Opening another front in the nation’s response to the pandemic, medical centers and other health organizations have begun sending doctors and nurses to apartment buildings and private homes to vaccinate homebound seniors.
-- Kaiser Health News, February 22

COVID vaccines and safety: what the research says
It is clear that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective, but as more are rolled out, researchers are learning about the extent and nature of side effects.
-- Nature, February 16

Hundreds of animal species could harbor novel coronaviruses
These species include wild animals, such as bats and monkeys, as well as domestic animals, such as pigs and cats.
-- Live Science, February 16

Is It Safe to Delay a Second COVID Vaccine Dose?
Some evidence indicates that short waits are safe, but there is a chance that partial immunization could help risky new coronavirus variants to develop.
-- Scientific American, February 10

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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