Health & medicine fact checks

Une lettre de Santé Canada indique que le virus qui cause la COVID-19 n'a pas été isolé

Publisher’s rating: FAUX

Creemos que con la Operación Warp Speed tendremos decenas de millones de dosis de vacunas antes del final de este año

Publisher’s rating: Engañoso

“El coronavirus, es su nuevo fraude”

Publisher’s rating: Falso

The antibody cocktail that Donald Trump received as part of his COVID treatment was created through research using embryonic stem cells

Publisher’s rating: False

Wie een mondmasker draagt zou het risico lopen om hypercapnie te krijgen. Dat beweert een facebookgebruiker in een volop gedeelde post (gearchiveerd). "U werkt mee aan een wereldwijd gedragsexperiment ten kosten uw eigen gezondheid", is zijn boodschap.

Publisher’s rating: Het dragen van een mondmasker is niet gevaarlijk. Het zorgt niet voor een verlaagd zuurstofgehalte in het bloed en is niet verantwoordelijk voor hypercapnie.

The claim concerns a widely shared Facebook post warning that wearing a face mask risks hypercapnia and telling readers they are participating in a worldwide experiment at the expense of their health. The review distinguishes carbon dioxide gas from carbonic acid, noting that the post treats them as though they were the same. It says hypercapnia involves a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood, while carbonic acid is a compound of water and carbon dioxide. The review’s account is that a mask does not cause hypercapnia. To support that conclusion, the review quotes KU Leuven virologist Piet Maes, who says that a mask cannot cause the condition and that blood oxygen saturation remains the same with or without one. It also reports that saturation was tested with an oximeter and that prolonged mask wearing had no effect on blood oxygen saturation. The review further cites doctors’ demonstrations and says an Irish doctor’s July 2020 video showed him wearing six masks without a negative effect on the amount of oxygen he received. The review links the absence of a mask-related oxygen shortage or excess carbon dioxide to its conclusion that masks do not cause hypercapnia. It gives hyperventilation, sleep apnea, and—in some cases—general anesthesia as known causes, and notes that hypercapnia can also be a secondary complaint associated with lung disease. It adds a qualification: the European Lung Foundation had advised on March 9, 2020, that masks were not recommended for people with certain chronic lung diseases. The review says the Facebook post’s listed symptoms of hypercapnia were correct, but that this did not establish its claim about masks.

In der Diskussion um das Coronavirus und Impfungen werden immer wieder falsche Behauptungen zu früheren Pandemien verbreitet. Eine davon lautet: Die «Spanische Grippe» vor rund 100 Jahren sei nicht ansteckend gewesen - Impfungen hätten damals hingegen zu Millionen Todesfällen geführt.

Publisher’s rating: Die Behauptungen sind falsch und widersprechen den wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen zur Spanischen Grippe.

The claim reviewed concerns the Spanish flu pandemic beginning in 1918. It alleges both that the disease was not contagious and that vaccinations, rather than a virus, caused millions of deaths. The review says that neither the alleged role of vaccination nor the claim that the disease was non-contagious is supported by the evidence it describes. On spread, the review notes that the pandemic’s precise origin is unknown. It says the fact that cases appeared in different places does not establish simultaneous, independent outbreaks caused by vaccination. As a possible route of spread, it cites a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention timeline reporting cases among American soldiers in March 1918, followed by the movement of hundreds of thousands of soldiers to Europe during the First World War. On vaccination, the review reports that it found no evidence that a vaccine caused millions of deaths. It notes that the virus and antibodies were isolated only more than ten years after the pandemic, and that the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut told dpa that the vaccines used during the pandemic are not known from the historical record. It also says there is no substantiation for claims that vaccines against other diseases caused the Spanish flu or that only vaccinated people contracted it; cited eyewitness accounts could not be verified or generalized. The review addresses the contagiousness claim by identifying the pathogen as an influenza A virus, subtype H1N1, citing an explanatory text from the Robert Koch Institute. It describes transmission through respiratory droplets, aerosols, and hands contacting contaminated surfaces and then the nose or mouth. Thus, the evidence presented directly contradicts the assertion that the Spanish flu was not transmissible.

Auf Facebook werden derzeit vermehrt Postings verbreitet, in denen angebliche «Corona-Insider» auspacken (hier archiviert). Unter anderem heißt es, das Coronavirus sei ein Grippe-Virus, PCR-positiv Getestete seien «weder krank noch infiziert (ansteckend)» und Masken würden niemanden vor Viren schützen.

Publisher’s rating: Bei dem Coronavirus handelt es nicht um ein Grippe-Virus, PCR-positiv Getestete sind infiziert und in den meisten Fällen auch krank und infektiös. Die Wirksamkeit von Masken wurde mittlerweile in mehreren wissenschaftlichen Studien bestätigt.

The government is going to force a coronavirus vaccine on everyone.

Publisher’s rating: False

कोरोनाव्हायरस संक्रमित व्यक्ती ला गरम जेवण आणि काळी मिरची दिल्यास, २४ तासात संक्रमण कमी होतं आणि व्यक्ती ठीक होतो.

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

Einige Menschen stören sich an der Tragepflicht einer Schutzmaske als Maßnahme gegen die Ausbreitung von Covid-19. Gegner der Masken argumentieren, dass diese schädlich für die Gesundheit seien. Derzeit seien etwa alleine in Wien zehn Kinder mit einer Lungenpilzinfektion im Krankenhaus, behauptet etwa ein Posting auf Facebook (hier archiviert). Quelle soll eine nicht näher genannte Ärztin sein.

Publisher’s rating: Es gibt keine Hinweise, dass derzeit Kinder mit einer durch Masken verursachten Lungenpilzinfektion in Wiener Krankenhäuser liegen. In sämtlichen Krankenhäusern mit Kinderambulanzen ist kein einziger derartiger Fall bekannt.

The Facebook post alleged that ten children in Vienna were in hospital with lung fungal infections caused by wearing masks, attributing the claim to an unnamed doctor. The review describes the post as showing a screenshot of a messenger message, but says it found no reports in larger media confirming the alleged cases. It checked the seven Vienna hospitals identified as having children’s outpatient departments: St. Anna Children’s Hospital, AKH Vienna, and five hospitals in the Vienna Health Association.

Trump would be fine if he hadn't taken a COVID-19 test

Publisher’s rating: Satire

The post at issue was written by Bob Cesca on Facebook on Oct. 2, 2020, after President Donald Trump announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Cesca wrote, “Trump’s mistake was getting tested,” followed by the claim that without a test Trump “would be fine now.” USA TODAY described the post as sarcasm that some Facebook users might misunderstand, and reported that it drew roughly 100 comments, more than 3,000 shares and 1,100 likes and reactions. The review’s evidence for reading the post as satire centered on its author and context. It described Cesca as a contributor to left-leaning websites Salon and The Banter, host of a liberal political podcast, and a public critic of Trump’s administration, pandemic response and handling of his diagnosis. On that basis, the article said the post was likely intended satirically; it also characterized the wording as mocking Trump. The review explained the reference behind the joke: Trump had repeatedly argued that increased testing accounted for rising reported case numbers. USA TODAY said it had previously debunked the claim that testing increases infection rates. It distinguished reported case counts from the positivity rate: more testing can identify more confirmed cases, but does not itself raise that rate. The review said a rising positivity rate indicates spread of the virus, and interpreted Cesca’s post as mocking Trump by applying his testing argument to Trump’s own diagnosis.

Kinderen die mondkapjes dragen krijgen volgens facebookgebruikers last van impetigo, een bacteriële huidinfectie. Het veroorzaakt uitslag dat een maskerachtig patroon vormt. De bacterie zou gedijen in de warme vochtige omgeving dat een masker creëert. Dat fenomeen wordt waargenomen door artsen op spoedhulp doorheen het land, zo zeggen de gebruikers. De screenshots worden gretig gedeeld op Facebook.

Publisher’s rating: De beweringen missen context. Het is theoretisch mogelijk om impetigo te krijgen door de warme en vochtige omgeving onder een mondmasker. Er lijkt echter geen sprake te zijn van een massale toename van het aantal gevallen bij kinderen. De gebruikte foto's tonen impetigo, maar ze zijn niet recent en hebben niets te maken met mondmaskers.

Sometimes 100,000 people or more die from the seasonal flu

Publisher’s rating: False

Einige Menschen stören sich an der Tragepflicht einer Schutzmaske als Maßnahme gegen die Ausbreitung von Covid-19. Gegner der Masken argumentieren, dass diese schädlich für die Gesundheit seien. Derzeit seien etwa alleine in Wien zehn Kinder mit einer Lungenpilzinfektion im Krankenhaus, behauptet etwa ein Posting auf Facebook. Quelle soll eine nicht näher genannte Ärztin sein.

Publisher’s rating: Es gibt keine Hinweise, dass derzeit mehrere Kinder mit einer durch Masken verursachten Lungenpilzinfektion in einem Wiener Spital liegen. In sämtlichen Spitälern mit Kinderambulanzen ist kein einziger derartiger Fall bekannt.

The post claimed that ten children in Vienna were in hospital with lung fungal infections caused by wearing protective masks, attributing the information to an unnamed doctor. The dpa review examined whether such cases could be verified at Vienna hospitals with paediatric services. It identified seven hospitals with children’s outpatient departments and sought information from the Wiener Gesundheitsverbund, which operates all but St. Anna Children’s Hospital, and from St. Anna itself. The Wiener Gesundheitsverbund’s communications representative told dpa and Austria Press Agency that its clinics had no child in inpatient care with a lung fungal infection attributed to wearing a mask. St. Anna’s representative, after consulting the hospital’s medical director, likewise said no such case was known. The review therefore found no verifiable case among the hospitals it checked, rather than evidence supporting the post’s figure of ten. The article also noted that it had found no reports in larger media of the alleged cluster. It cited a separate earlier dpa interview with lung biologist Ali Önder Yildirim, who said mask-wearing would not cause lung disease; that interview is supporting context, not direct evidence about the hospital admissions alleged in this post.

Op Facebook circuleren allerlei berichten dat in Duitsland zeker vier gezonde kinderen zijn komen te overlijden door het dragen van mondmaskers. Soms worden geen nadere bijzonderheden gegeven, soms worden plaatsen genoemd zoals Schweinfurt of Büchelberg.

Publisher’s rating: Er is geen enkel bewijs dat gezonde kinderen alleen al door het dragen van mondmaskers zijn overleden. Er is ook geen enkele aanwijzing voor. De genoemde gevallen zijn of verzonnen of worden nog onderzocht.

The review examined Facebook posts claiming that at least four healthy children in Germany had died because they wore face masks. Some posts gave no details; others named places including Schweinfurt and Büchelberg. The investigation looked into four reported cases and distinguished between allegations that could not be verified and one death for which the cause remained undetermined. It did not establish that a child had died because of wearing a mask. For Schweinfurt, posts alleged that a healthy six-year-old girl died of carbon-dioxide poisoning after wearing a mask on a school bus. The review reported that police in Unterfranken knew of no such incident and described the story as an internet hoax. For Büchelberg, a 13-year-old girl collapsed on a school bus on September 7 and later died in hospital. The review said an autopsy had been performed, but the prosecutor’s office reported on October 1 that the cause of death remained unclear and further forensic investigation was underway. At that point, there was no indication of a connection to the mask. The review also checked claims about deaths in Ostfriesland, Nordfriesland and Wiesbaden. It reported that the relevant police or prosecutors had no knowledge of the alleged incidents. Separately, two doctors cited in the review said that ordinary masks do not prevent oxygen and carbon dioxide from passing through, and that a healthy child would not die from wearing one. The evidence therefore supports a distinction between unsupported or fabricated reports and an unresolved death; it does not identify a confirmed mask-related death.

Seorang pesepeda di Denpasar meninggal karena memakai masker

Publisher’s rating: Keliru

“¡Se viene la temporada de influenza! Muchas personas mueren de influenza todos los años, a veces 100,000, y a pesar de la vacuna. ¿Vamos a cerrar el país? No. Hemos aprendido a vivir con ella, así como estamos aprendiendo a vivir con Covid, mucho menos letal en la mayoría de las poblaciones!!!”.

Publisher’s rating: Falso

In Wien sind zehn Kinder durch das Tragen von Masken an einer Lungenpilzinfektion erkrankt und befinden sich stationär in einem Krankenhaus.

Publisher’s rating: Es gibt keine Belege für diese Behauptung. In allen Spitäler mit Kinderambulanzen ist kein einziger Fall bekannt.

The claim under review was that ten children in Vienna were hospitalized with a lung fungal infection caused by wearing masks. The APA investigation says the posts attributed the cases to an unnamed doctor, but did not identify a hospital or provide a way to establish what the doctor’s account was based on. The review therefore checked whether the alleged cases appeared at Vienna hospitals with pediatric outpatient departments. To identify the relevant hospitals, the APA consulted the websites of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund and the Vienna Medical Association, which together listed seven pediatric outpatient departments. The article names St. Anna Children’s Hospital, AKH Vienna, and five other hospitals. Six of the seven facilities belonged to the Vienna Health Association. In response to APA’s inquiry, its communications representative said there had been no inpatient admissions of children with lung fungal infections caused by wearing a mask in the association’s clinics. St. Anna’s, after checking with its medical director, said it knew of no such case. The review concluded that no case was substantiated at any of the hospitals it checked. It added that several cases elsewhere in Vienna would be unlikely without attracting media attention, and said it could find no relevant media reports. That is supporting context, not proof that an unreported case could not exist. The investigation’s direct evidence is the hospitals’ responses; the unnamed source in the posts was not independently verifiable from the information provided. The article also notes that an AFP fact-check found no children with lung fungal infections in Vienna hospitals.

"Bij een verkoudheid kan je al positief testen" op een PCR-test, zo zegt ex-verleider van Temptation Island Jay Francis, beter bekend als Tisjeboy Jay. Meer nog, een positieve PRC-test zegt helemaal niets over of iemand ziek is, laat staan besmettelijk. Verder zouden er dit voorjaar 5.000 minder kankerdiagnoses gesteld zijn door de coronapandemie. Dat vertelt Francis in een vlijtig gedeelde facebookpost die doorpeperd is met zijn eigen meningen. Kloppen die beweringen?

Publisher’s rating: De beweringen zijn deels fout. Verschillende virussen kunnen een verkoudheid veroorzaken, maar een PCR-test spoort een virus op aan de hand van het DNA, dat uniek is aan elk virus. Over de besmettelijkheid van COVID-19 en het aantal asymptomatische gevallen is er nog veel onduidelijkheid. Het is zo dat er dit jaar door de coronapandemie 5.000 minder kankerdiagnoses gesteld zijn.

The review examined a Facebook post by Jay Francis, also known as Tisjeboy Jay. It challenged the idea that an ordinary cold can cause a false-positive COVID-19 PCR result. The review explains that colds have several causes, including rhinoviruses and common human coronaviruses, and says the test distinguishes them from SARS-CoV-2 by targeting genetic sequences specific to that virus. An immunologist quoted in the review says PCR tests are designed to detect differences between viruses, including viruses in the same family. [S1] The post also claimed that a positive PCR test says nothing about whether someone is sick or contagious. The review treats those as separate questions: it says knowledge about COVID-19 infectiousness and asymptomatic cases was still incomplete, and cites a South Korean study in which about 60% of cases were asymptomatic at diagnosis. It cautions that the study did not establish how many later developed symptoms; it also notes that Sciensano reported that many initially asymptomatic cases later did develop symptoms. [S1] On cancer diagnoses, the review says the pandemic was associated with missed diagnoses and points to research by the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), also reported by NOS, as support for the claim of 5,000 fewer diagnoses that spring. The excerpt provides no further figures or methods from that research, so it does not permit a more detailed assessment of how that total was calculated. [S1]

Une rumeur liée à la COVID-19 sur Facebook : “l’hôpital reçoit un subside de 5 000 euros à chaque décès dû au virus !!!”

Publisher’s rating: Ces propos, étayés par de nombreux témoignages similaires, entretiennent une confusion autour de plusieurs dispositifs.

The claim concerns a Facebook post alleging that hospitals receive €5,000 for every death attributed to COVID-19, supposedly creating an incentive to misreport deaths. The review says the rumor circulated on social media from late summer and distinguishes the alleged payment from two real forms of hospital-related financial support: a one-time bonus for hospital staff and state funding to help hospitals meet pandemic-related costs. It reports that neither is allocated according to the number of COVID-19 deaths. The review also says the health ministry formally denied the claim when questioned by 20 Minutes. The staff bonus was set by a national decree dated 14 May 2020: the review describes €1,500 for departments where the virus was actively circulating and €500 elsewhere. It says the payment went directly to personnel, was a single national payment, and was not awarded to hospitals for each death. Separately, a 20 April 2020 circular provided hospitals with an exceptional €377 million to offset additional costs caused by the health crisis; the review says death counts were not a criterion for receiving that funding. The review also addresses the allegation that hospitals could label deaths as COVID-19 to obtain money. It explains that a doctor must establish the cause of death and transmit the certification to Inserm, and that doctors use World Health Organization guidance to determine which deaths are due to COVID-19. It notes that fraud could lead to sanctions for the doctor who completed the certificate. These points address both the alleged financial incentive and the claim that death records could be manipulated to exploit it.