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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - November 9


FILE PHOTO: World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference in Geneva Switzerland July 3, 2020.
FILE PHOTO: World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference in Geneva Switzerland July 3, 2020.

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

Daily Debunk

Claim: WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus announced that he tested positive for COVID-19.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: The Centre for Democracy and Development​

Social Media Disinfo

Bill Gates
Bill Gates

Circulating on social media: Video making multiple false claims about COVID-19, for instance that Bill Gates planned the pandemic and 5G technology was involved in its spread.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: Reuters

Factual Reads on Coronavirus


A minority of people with covid-19 account for the bulk of transmission
In two Indian states 10% of people caused 60% of subsequent infections.
-- The Economist, November 7

COVID research updates: A vaccine that mimics the coronavirus prompts potent antibodies
Nature wades through the literature on the new coronavirus — and summarizes key papers as they appear.
-- Nature, November 6

Lions and Tigers and Anteaters? US Scientists Scan the Menagerie for COVID
As COVID-19 cases surge in the U.S., one Texas veterinarian has been quietly tracking the spread of the disease — not in people, but in their pets.
-- Kaiser Health News, November 4

Fighting COVID-19 with herd immunity?
Herd immunity is usually achieved with a vaccine. In the fight against COVID, some countries gambled on natural herd immunity, allowing infection to spread. But most scientists say it's dangerous and may not even work.
-- Deutsche Welle, November 2

Is it safe to lick the ballot envelope? Public health officials take on the new challenge of making voting safe amid a pandemic
In their efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus, public health departments are taking on a new responsibility: helping make voting as safe as possible.
-- Stat, October 29

The race to make COVID antibody therapies cheaper and more potent
Injections of antibodies might prevent mild COVID-19 from becoming severe, but the treatments are expensive and difficult to make.
-- Nature, October 28

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

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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