Coronavirus: The Infodemic - August 10

August 10, 2020

Protester attending rally against COVID-19 restrictions held outside the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 15, 2020.

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: The current rate of positive COVID-19 tests in the U.S. indicates that “herd immunity has been reached.”

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Reuters

Social Media Disinfo

Circulating on social media: Claim that children vaccinated against the flu are at a significantly higher risk of contracting other respiratory infections, including coronaviruses.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Agence France-Presse

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

Could My Symptoms Be Covid-19?
These days, every cough, sneeze or headache makes you wonder: Could it be Covid-19?
-- New York Times, August 5

Why pregnant women face special risks from COVID-19
Pregnancy does appear to make women’s bodies more vulnerable to severe COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.
-- Science, August 4

Nine Important Things We’ve Learned about the Coronavirus Pandemic So Far
Some early public health messages about COVID-19 have been overturned.
-- Scientific American, August 4

Coronavirus: WHO gears up for main mission into China to hunt for the origins of Covid-19
WHO and Chinese experts have drafted terms of reference for probe into the epidemiology of early infections.
-- South China Morning Post, August 4

Everything you need to know about the UK's new 90-minute coronavirus test
Two new coronavirus tests that can return results in just over an hour are set to be released in the UK, the government has announced.
-- Euronews, August 3

What's Happening in the Brain with COVID-19?
It’s unclear if SARS-CoV-2 is acting directly on the brain, but we can still investigate if the brain is being damaged when people are sick with COVID-19.
-- NeuWrite San Diego, July 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 race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide
Eight ways in which scientists hope to provide immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
-- Nature, April 28