Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from many sources here.
Daily Debunk
"Italy has decided NOT to treat their elderly for this virus. That, my friends, is socialized healthcare."
-- Claim made in a March 14, 2020 Facebook post
Verdict: Mostly False
Read the full story at: WRAL.com/Politifact
Social Media Disinfo
Claim circulating on social media: A combination of the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin is key to combating COVID-19.
Verdict: Misleading
Read the full story: "Surgeon General Immediately Warns Viewers Against Trying Malaria Drug Treatment for Coronavirus after Dr. Oz Tells Fox Viewers He's Testing It" -- Newsweek
Factual Reads on Coronavirus
Lessons from Past Outbreaks Could Help Fight the Coronavirus Pandemic
The 1918 influenza pandemic and 2002–2003 SARS outbreak suggest social distancing measures, communication and international cooperation are the most effective methods to slow COVID-19.
-- Scientific American, March 23
Why this Nobel laureate predicts a quicker coronavirus recovery: 'We're going to be fine'
While many epidemiologists are warning of months, or even years, of massive social disruption and millions of deaths, Stanford's Michael Levitt says the data simply don't support such a dire scenario — especially in areas where reasonable social distancing measures are in place.
-- Los Angeles Times/Yahoo News, March 22
Can’t Get Tested? Maybe You’re in the Wrong Country.
Scientists say the chasm between the testing haves and have-nots reflects politics, public health strategies and, in some cases, blunders.
-- New York Times, March 20
Coronavirus Death Rate in Wuhan Lower Than Initial Estimates, New Study Finds.
"The study, published Thursday in the journal Nature Medicine, found that the death rate among people who had symptoms was 1.4% in Wuhan, China, as of Feb. 29. That rate is lower than previous estimates of mortality rates for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus, in Wuhan and China overall."
-- Wall Street Journal, March 19
The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections
Reliable Coronavirus Information
U.S. Centers for Disease Control
Federation of American Scientists
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine