Daily Debunk
Claim: COVID-19 diagnostic tests are sterilized with a substance called ethylene oxide (EtO), which has been linked to cancer.
Verdict: Mixture
Read the full story at: Snopes
Social Media Disinfo
Circulating on social media: Claim that Pfizer has announced an “upgrade” to its Covid-19 vaccine that includes a “Microsoft chip for reduced symptoms.”
Verdict: False
Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse
Factual Reads on Coronavirus
Next-generation Covid-19 vaccines are supposed to be better. Some experts worry they could be worse
With Covid-19 vaccines, the world hopes to beat back the virus that causes the disease. But some scientists are increasingly concerned that, because of a quirk of our own biology, future iterations of the vaccines might not always be quite as effective as they are today.
-- Stat, April 16
A coronavirus epidemic may have hit East Asia about 25,000 years ago
Descendants of the outbreak may have inherited some DNA that affects their response to COVID-19.
-- ScienceNews, April 14
How Could a COVID Vaccine Cause Blood Clots?
Researchers are searching for possible links between unusual clotting and the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
-- Scientific American, April 13
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
The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections
COVID19 Infodemics Observatory
Reliable Coronavirus Information
U.S. Centers for Disease Control
Federation of American Scientists
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine