Misleading
Tuberculosis, the flu, and COVID-19 differ in disease prevalence and burden, requiring different public health responses
Claim:
“Why don’t we wear masks for [tuberculosis]? Because CNN hasn’t instructed you to.”
Latest in
Health
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Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-09-17 -
InaccurateNo vaccine contains strains of both the flu and the virus that causes COVID-19; COVID-19 is not the flu
Claim:
The U.S. CDC encourages the use of a “[COVID-19] flu shot” on children.
Source: Facebook, Facebook user, 2020-09-15 -
MisleadingThe number of COVID-19 cases reported is based on a highly specific diagnostic test for COVID-19; no confusion with flu or common cold is possible
Claim:
“It's NOT a SECOND WAVE of COVID-19 coming soon. It's the NORMAL COLD / FLU SEASON”
Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-09-01 -
MisleadingCloth masks are effective at reducing virus transmission because it spreads in respiratory droplets, which are larger than smoke particles and the pores in fabric
Claim:
Cloth masks cannot block smoke particles which are larger than viruses, so masks cannot stop virus transmission
Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-08-31 -
Flawed reasoningMisinterpreted New York Times report leads to false claim that the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is inflated by up to 90%
Claim:
COVID-19 case numbers are inflated due to PCR test sensitivity; “90% of positive COVID-19 tests should be negative”
Source: The Blaze, One America News Network, Liz Wheeler, Steve Deace, 2020-09-02 -
InaccurateAdequate immunization and improved sanitation together protect against infection from both wild and vaccine-derived poliovirus
Claim:
“UN Forced to Admit Gates-funded Vaccine is Causing Polio Outbreak in Africa“
Source: 21st Century Wire, Anonymous, 2020-09-04 -
Inaccurate -
Flawed reasoningMasks offer only partial protection from the virus that causes COVID-19, but their effectiveness can be enhanced with other measures like physical distancing
Claim:
“Either masks work or they don’t”; “I don’t understand the safety concern with voting in person. Your mask works, right?”
Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-06-30 -
IncorrectA person’s response to vaccination is not associated with birthmarks or the presence of mutations in a gene involved with vitamin B9 production
Claim:
Birthmarks are indicators of the MTHFR gene; “When people have MTHFR their chances of vaccine reactions increase because they cannot detox the toxins from the vaccines”
Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2018-11-03 -
Flawed reasoningFalse claim shared by President Trump that only 6% of CDC-reported deaths are from COVID-19 is based on flawed reasoning
Claim:
only 6% of all the 153,504 deaths recorded actually died from Covid, the rest had other serious illnesses
Source: Facebook, Facebook users, 2020-08-29
