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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - April 13


FILE PHOTO: Empty vials of Oxford/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine are pictured amid a vaccination campaign in Bierset, Belgium March 17, 2021.
FILE PHOTO: Empty vials of Oxford/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine are pictured amid a vaccination campaign in Bierset, Belgium March 17, 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 Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 “is killing people” and the British government is covering up those deaths.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Reuters

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Circulating on social media: The claim that black threads in face masks are “worms” or “parasites.”

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

U.S. urges pause on use of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine after rare blood clotting cases
Federal authorities on Tuesday recommended that states stop using Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine while an investigation is conducted into six rare but serious cases of clotting problems that were reported among women who received the vaccine.
-- Stat, April 13

In rare instances, AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine linked to blood clots, regulators say
The European Medicines Agency has concluded there is a link between AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine and “very rare” but dangerous clotting events reported in a number of countries where the vaccine has been used, events which in some cases have been fatal.
-- Stat, April 7

Sweden’s Pandemic Experiment
When the coronavirus arrived, the country decided not to implement lockdowns or recommend masks. How has it fared?
-- The New Yorker, April 6

Americans' Worry About Catching COVID-19 Drops to Record Low
At the same time Americans' satisfaction with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has surged, their concerns about getting the virus and about the availability of coronavirus tests and hospital services/treatment have fallen to record lows.
-- Gallup, April 6

If You Don’t Have COVID Vaccine Side Effects, Are You Still Protected?
Reactions reflect unique features of an individual’s immune system, not the strength of a response.
-- Scientific American, April 1

COVID Antibodies May Last Days to Years, Depending on Severity of Infection
Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are likely to wane at different rates depending on the severity of the infection, new research suggests.
-- Reuters Health Information, via Medscape, March 31

Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines may block infection as well as disease
Studies suggest fully vaccinated people pose a low risk for transmitting the coronavirus.
-- ScienceNews, March 30

A rare clotting disorder may cloud the world's hopes for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine
[T]he vaccine faces new concerns about safety as an explanation gains ground for the unusual strokes and clotting disorders recorded in at least 30 recipients.
-- Science, March 27

The Coronavirus Variants Don't Seem to Be Highly Variable So Far
SARS-CoV-2 may be settling into a limited set of mutations.
-- Scientific American, March 24

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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