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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - June 19


A vendor walks past images of contact lenses on sale for cosplayers, at the world's largest computer games fair, Gamescom, in Cologne, Germany August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
A vendor walks past images of contact lenses on sale for cosplayers, at the world's largest computer games fair, Gamescom, in Cologne, Germany August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

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

Daily Debunk

"[Fact Check] Is it Still Safe to Wear Contact Lenses During the Coronavirus Pandemic? What About Eye Glasses?"

Read the full story: The Science Times, June 19​

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Claim: The acronym “COVID” in COVID-19 stands for “Certificate Of Vaccination Identification.”

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Check Your Fact

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

How ‘vaccine nationalism’ could block vulnerable populations’ access to COVID-19 vaccines
The most immediate effect of vaccine nationalism is that it further disadvantages countries with fewer resources and bargaining power.
-- The Conversation, June 17

Why COVID-19 Makes People Lose Their Sense of Smell
We’re beginning to understand the mechanism behind this relatively common symptom.
-- Scientific American, June 13

Public Health Officials Face Wave Of Threats, Pressure Amid Coronavirus Response
Elected officials and members of the public who are frustrated with the lockdowns and safety restrictions have at times turned public health workers into politicized punching bags, battering them with countless angry calls and even physical threats.
-- Kaiser Health News, June 12

Latin American scientists join the coronavirus vaccine race: ‘No one’s coming to rescue us’
Researchers fear that breakthroughs from abroad will be too slow or inequitably shared to benefit the global south.
-- Nature, June 12

China Vowed to Keep Wildlife Off the Menu, a Tough Promise to Keep
The government has moved slowly to permanently stop the sale and consumption of wild animals in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, raising fears the practice may continue.
-- New York Times, June 7

Coronavirus weekly: racism, COVID-19, and the inequality that fuels these parallel pandemics
The protests against systemic racism and police violence sweeping the globe highlight the intersection between two pandemics: COVID-19 and racism.
-- The Conversation, June 5

COVID-19, wet markets, and planetary health
Markets selling live animals can pose a danger to public health by enabling zoonotic disease spread, particularly if they are poorly regulated and allow for close mixing of different species.
-- The Lancet, June 1

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 race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide
Eight ways in which scientists hope to provide immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
-- Nature, April 28

The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections

COVID19 Infodemics Observatory

Agence France Presse

Snopes

BuzzFeed

Factcheck.org

Associated Press

Washington Post

TruthOrFiction

Mapping the COVID-19

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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