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PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Health & medicine fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about health & medicine. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

13,673 published reviews in this topic

Deutsche Presse-AgenturHealth & medicine

In Holland bekommt man im Bus nur als Geimpfter einen Sitzplatz, wie man an dem Foto erkennen kann.

Publisher’s rating: Die Transportunternehmen EBS, R-NET und Qbuzz DMG sagten, dass die Aufkleber, die sich in Bushaltestellen befanden, nicht von ihnen angebracht worden seien. Auch Ungeimpfte dürfen in niederländischen Bushaltestellen Platz nehmen.

The claim arose from a social-media photo showing a sticker in Dutch that said seats were for vaccinated people, alongside the R-NET logo. The review identifies an important detail about what the image depicts: it is a screenshot from a video and shows a bus stop, not a bus. That means the image does not establish that vaccinated passengers alone could sit on a bus. The review places the stickers in the Voorne-Putten area, particularly Hellevoetsluis, where two R-NET bus routes run between Hellevoetsluis, Brielle and Spijkenisse. It reports that EBS, which operates those routes, said the stickers were found in bus stops and had not been placed there by the company; the stickers were removed. R-NET and Qbuzz DMG also said the stickers were not put up on their behalf and that they would remove them if found. The review therefore distinguishes an unauthorized sticker at a bus stop from an actual rule restricting who could use seats or public transport. The evidence described addresses the specific photo and its location, not a policy requiring vaccination to obtain a seat on a bus. The review reports that Qbuzz DMG called the claim that bus stops could only be used by vaccinated people disinformation, and concludes that unvaccinated people could also sit in Dutch bus stops.

dpaHealth & medicine

Die Corona-Impfung ist nicht sicher, bietet keinen Schutz, ihre Spätfolgen sind nicht absehbar. Ivermectin ist ein gutes Medikament zur Behandlung von Corona. 80 Prozent der Corona-Toten in England waren geimpft.

Publisher’s rating: Behauptungen in dem Beitrag sind falsch oder ihnen fehlt wichtiger Kontext. Impfungen gegen Corona sind nachweislich sicher und wirksam. Ivermectin ist in Deutschland nicht zur Behandlung von Corona zugelassen - wegen der fehlenden Wirksamkeit. Ein Großteil der Corona-Toten in Großbritannien war 70 Jahre und älter.

The dpa review examined a blog post arguing that COVID-19 vaccination offered little protection, was unsafe, could cause unforeseeable long-term effects, and that ivermectin was a better treatment. It also addressed the post’s claim about the share of COVID-19 deaths in Britain among vaccinated people. The review says vaccinated people were better protected against severe illness and hospital admission, while noting that infections and deaths can still occur among vaccinated people. (S1: “Menschen mit Corona-Impfung sind besser vor schweren Verläufen und Krankenhausaufenthalten geschützt als solche ohne Impfung.”; “Je mehr Menschen geimpft sind, desto mehr Geimpfte infizieren sich aber trotzdem mit der Krankheit.”) For the British death claim, the review cites the UK Vaccine Surveillance Report and specifies the period as calendar weeks 42–45 of 2021, October 18 to November 14. It reports 3,676 deaths within four weeks of a positive test; 2,875 people, or 78 percent, had received two doses, while 675 had no vaccine protection. But three quarters of the deaths were among people aged 70 or older. The review explains that this age distribution matters when interpreting the overall vaccinated share, particularly in a highly vaccinated population. (S1: “Tatsächlich starben demnach im Jahr 2021 zwischen den Kalenderwochen 42 und 45 (18. Oktober bis 14. November) 3676 Menschen innerhalb von vier Wochen nach einem positiven Corona-Befund.”; “Davon waren 2875 zweifach geimpft (78 Prozent), 675 hatten keinen Impfschutz.”; “Drei Viertel der Todesfälle traten jedoch in der Gruppe der Menschen ab 70 Jahren auf”) On safety and long-term effects, the review describes the distinction between when a side effect occurs and when a rare effect is recognized: it says vaccine side effects arise within weeks, although rare ones may take years to be linked to vaccination. It also reports that the review consulted immunologist Carsten Watzl on this point. On ivermectin, it says the drug was not authorized in Germany for COVID-19 treatment because of lack of efficacy, and that it was not suitable outside clinical trials according to the evidence cited. (S1: “Nebenwirkungen, die zwar innerhalb von wenigen Wochen nach der Impfung auftreten, die aber so selten sind, dass es manchmal Jahre braucht, bis man sie mit der Impfung in Zusammenhang gebracht hat”; “Ivermectin ist in Deutschland nicht zur Behandlung von Corona zugelassen - wegen der fehlenden Wirksamkeit.”; “Das angepriesene angebliche Corona-Heilmittel wie das Entwurmungsmittel Ivermectin eignet sich nach derzeitiger Studienlage außerhalb klinischer Studien nicht zur Behandlung von Covid-19-Patienten zugelassen.”)

ऐश्वर्या वर्माHealth & medicine

ब्रिटेन, फ्रांस और जर्मनी जैसे देशों ने एक बार फिर से लॉकडाउन की घोषणा कर दी है. ब्राजील और कनाडा जैसे दूसरे देशों में कोविड की वजह से बड़ी संख्या में मौतें हुई हैं

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

FACTLYHealth & medicine

Message from All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists about the Omicron variant

Publisher’s rating: MISLEADING

The claim concerns a message circulating on social media that purportedly came from the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) and described the Omicron variant. FACTLY reports that its internet search found no credible information that the organisation had issued the message. The review also says it could not confirm that AIOCD had sent it and concludes that the message’s assertions had no factual basis. The review supplies evidence about the message’s provenance: it says the exact content was shared on social media in March 2021, during the Delta variant’s prevalence and before Omicron emerged. That earlier circulation undermines the message’s presentation as a communication specifically about the newly identified Omicron variant. The excerpt does not identify who originally wrote or circulated the text, so it does not establish the message’s author. The review also checks claims in the message about symptoms and testing against information it attributes to the World Health Organization. It reports that there was no information suggesting Omicron’s symptoms differed from those of other variants, and that PCR tests continued to detect Omicron infection; studies were still ongoing into possible effects on other tests, including rapid antigen tests. For chronology, the review says B.1.1.529 was reported to WHO on 24 November 2021 and named Omicron and classified as a Variant of Concern on 26 November. It reports 21 detected cases in India at the time, while noting that credible information about the variant remained limited.

BR24 FaktenfuchsHealth & medicine

In Bayern sterben mehr Menschen an Drogen als in den Niederlanden, weil in Bayern die Drogenpolitik strenger ist.

Publisher’s rating: In Bayern gibt es mehr Drogentote als in den Niederlanden und die Drogengesetze sowie deren Verfolgung ist strenger. Aber es gibt keinen valide belegten Zusammenhang zwischen liberaler oder repressiver Drogenpolitik und Drogentodeszahlen. Experten gehen aber von indirekten Auswirkungen von Drogenpolitik auf die Todeszahlen aus.

dpaHealth & medicine

Pfizer verzweeg 1223 vaccindoden tijdens testfase.

Publisher’s rating: De berichten kloppen niet. Het gaat hier niet om documenten uit de testfase van de Pfizer-vaccins, maar om het monitoren van bijwerkingen nadat het vaccin op de markt is gebracht. In de periode die in dit document aan bod komt zijn 267 miljoen prikken gezet en, inderdaad, volgens het stuk 1.223 doden gevallen. Die doden zijn echter niet specifiek aan de vaccins – die uitgebreid getest zijn op veiligheid – toe te schrijven. In deze periode werden vooral oudere, kwetsbare mensen gevaccineerd.

El Detector/ Univision NoticiasHealth & medicine

Celine Dion sufrió espasmos musculares a causa de la vacuna contra el covid-19

Publisher’s rating: No hay evidencias

The claim concerns Celine Dion’s severe muscle spasms and whether a COVID-19 vaccine caused them. The review reports that the spasms led her to postpone the start of her Las Vegas show and cancel performances planned for November 2021 and January–February 2022. It found no evidence linking the symptoms to vaccination, and says it found no record establishing that Dion had been vaccinated. The review examined Dion’s official website and social-media accounts, as well as other fact-checks. It describes an October 19, 2021, announcement saying she had “severe and persistent muscle spasms” that prevented her from performing and participating in rehearsals, and that her medical team was evaluating and treating her. The review notes that the announcement did not mention a COVID-19 vaccine or paralysis. It also reports that the announcement did not give a precise medical cause for the spasms. The review additionally describes a search for evidence of Dion’s vaccination, reporting that searches in English found no records in official posts or other coverage. It says that other fact-checkers had likewise found no evidence connecting her health problems to vaccination. These findings establish what the review could document; they do not establish a specific alternative medical cause for her spasms.