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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.

13,676 published reviews in this topic

Deutsche Presse-AgenturHealth & medicine

Auf Facebook werden derzeit Beiträge geteilt, in denen behauptet wird, die Zahl der Corona-Toten in Spanien sei von über 26 000 auf 2000 korrigiert worden. Als Quelle wird ein Artikel der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters angegeben.

Publisher’s rating: Das ist falsch. Die Zahl der Corona-Toten in Spanien wurde am 25. Mai 2020 um knapp 2000 auf 26 834 heruntergesetzt. Am Vortag hatten die spanischen Behörden noch einen Stand von 28 752 Corona-Toten vermeldet.

BR24 FaktenfuchsHealth & medicine

Das Coronavirus greift nicht die Lungen von Covid-19-Patienten an, sondern Blutgerinnsel (Thrombosen) führten zum Tod der Patienten und deshalb bieten sich blutverdünnende Mittel wie Aspirin zur Behandlung an. Der Ursprung dieser Meldung soll im italienischen Gesundheitsministerium liegen.

Publisher’s rating: Teilweise falsch. Im Laufe einer Covid-19-Erkrankung kann es zu Thrombosen kommen. Endgültige Aussagen darüber, welche Folgen der Erkrankung nach einer Sars-CoV-2-Infektion zum Tode führten, stehen jedoch noch aus, da nur sporadisch Obduktionen von Corona-Toten vorgenommen werden. In einer Studie des Universitätsspitals Zürich kommen Wissenschaftler zu dem Schluss, dass bei rund einem Drittel der in der Studie computertomographisch untersuchten und verstorbenen Personen eine Lungenembolie nachzuweisen war. In der Falschmeldung wird auch behauptet, dass sich durch die angebliche Behandlung mit blutverdünnenden Maßnahmen der Gesundheitszustand von 14.000 Covid-Erkrankten in Italien derart schnell verbessert habe, dass sie umgehend aus den Krankenhäusern entlassen werden konnten. Ein Sprecher des italienischen Gesundheitsministeriums bekräftigte gegenüber der dpa, dass das Ministerium „solche Berichte nie veröffentlicht“ habe. Dass die italienischen MedizinerInnen auf die Behandlung mit Aspirin umgestellt hätten, wie in der Meldung behauptet, stimme ebenfalls nicht.

Pagella PoliticaHealth & medicine

«Siamo usciti da una situazione essendo il Paese più colpito in Europa dal virus»

Publisher’s rating: Nì

Pagella Politica examined a statement by Democratic Party deputy secretary Andrea Orlando, made on Speciale TgLa7 on June 3, that Italy was the European country most affected by the new coronavirus. The review tested that broad comparison across deaths, reported infections and projected economic decline, rather than treating “most affected” as a single self-evident measure. It concluded that Italy was near the top in these comparisons, but did not rank first across them. For deaths, the review used figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, consulted at 10 a.m. on June 4. Italy had 33,530 reported Covid-19 deaths, behind the United Kingdom’s 39,369. By deaths per population, Italy ranked fourth, with 55.5 per 100,000; Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom ranked higher. The review also cautioned that official Covid-19 death counts may not capture the full toll: it cited an Italian excess-mortality analysis and noted that other European countries had similar or greater undercounting. Even with that limitation, the data it compared did not place Italy first. Reported infections likewise did not put Italy at the top: its 233,515 cases were fewer than the United Kingdom’s 277,985 and Spain’s 239,932. Per-capita, Italy ranked sixth. The review warned that case totals are affected by testing levels and noted Italy’s position among large European countries for tests relative to population on May 21. On the economic measure, European Commission spring forecasts projected a 9.5% Italian GDP contraction in 2020, second-worst after Greece’s 9.7%; International Monetary Fund forecasts also placed Italy behind Greece. Thus, across the review’s three indicators, Italy was among the hardest-hit countries but not the most affected overall.

NewtralHealth & medicine

Bill Gates dice que la vacuna contra la COVID-19 podría matar a 700.000 personas

Publisher’s rating: Falso

The claim concerns a statement attributed to Bill Gates that 700,000 people could die after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Newtral traces the claim to Gates’s April 9, 2020 interview with CNBC and says the viral account distorted what he said. In the interview, Gates discussed the possibility of side effects—not deaths—if vaccination were given to the entire world population. The article explains the figure as a hypothetical calculation: Gates said that if side effects occurred in one out of every 10,000 people, more than 700,000 people could experience them if everyone on Earth were vaccinated. Newtral illustrates the calculation using an estimated global population of about 7.7 billion, which would yield 770,000 people experiencing side effects. The review states that the viral claim changed this discussion of possible side effects into a claim that those people would die. The review also addresses a second distortion in the same viral account: that Gates said vaccines needed to be “overloaded” to work in older people. It reports that he instead said a vaccine should work in older age groups, who face greater risk, and described vaccine effectiveness in older people as a challenge. The article adds that, three weeks after the interview, Gates wrote that some minor effects, such as a mild fever or soreness at the injection site, could be acceptable, while a vaccine should not make people ill.

MediaWiseHealth & medicine

The number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. surpassed U.S. deaths in the Vietnam War by late April.

Publisher’s rating: Legit

MediaWise investigated a graphic comparing U.S. COVID-19 deaths with American deaths in several wars. The graphic said the COVID-19 total had passed Vietnam War deaths after about two months, but did not cite its sources. The review describes it as posted April 28; the tweet reproduced in the article, dated May 1, gave a COVID-19 death count of 63,748 and said the comparison covered roughly two months. To trace the graphic, the reviewer used a reverse Google image search and followed a similar-image result to a National Geographic article about U.S. coronavirus deaths surpassing Vietnam War fatalities. That article identified the Department of Veterans Affairs and Johns Hopkins University as sources for its infographic. MediaWise says it checked those linked materials: the VA document confirmed the war casualty figures, and Johns Hopkins’ COVID-19 dashboard confirmed that U.S. COVID-19 deaths had surpassed U.S. Vietnam War fatalities. This evidence supports the comparison, while the review’s excerpt does not give the exact day the COVID-19 total crossed the Vietnam figure. It also distinguishes the graphic’s unsourced post from the underlying figures, which the reviewer traced to government and academic sources. The claim that the threshold had been passed by late April is therefore consistent with the review’s account, but the excerpt does not independently specify a precise crossing date.

Deutsche Presse-AgenturHealth & medicine

Zahlreiche Facebook-User halten die Maßnahmen gegen die Ausbreitung des neuartigen Coronavirus für überzogen. Oft unterstellen sie Medien, Panikmache zu betreiben oder sogar dramatische Bilder zu inszenieren. So wird derzeit etwa ein Bild geteilt, das mehrere angebliche Leichensäcke zeigen soll (http://dpaq.de/iMgKY). Daran stört einige User, dass eine Frau zu sehen ist, die einen dieser Leichensäcke mit einer Hand trägt. Unterstellt wird, dass Medien für Panikmache sogar auf falsche Leichen zurückgriffen.

Publisher’s rating: Das Foto mit den falschen Leichensäcken entstand auf einer Demonstration mit einem symbolischen Trauerzug.

The review examined a photo circulating amid claims that the media had staged dramatic images of the coronavirus crisis. Some users treated the woman’s ability to carry one of the supposed body bags with one hand as evidence that the bags were fake. The investigation found that the picture showed a symbolic funeral procession in Miami, rather than a media fabrication. [S1: “Daran stört einige User, dass eine Frau zu sehen ist, die einen dieser Leichensäcke mit einer Hand trägt. Unterstellt wird, dass Medien für Panikmache sogar auf falsche Leichen zurückgriffen.”] [S1: “Das Bild dürfte im Rahmen eines symbolischen Trauermarsches entstanden sein”] The review describes using a reverse-image search to find earlier appearances of the photo and identify its Shutterstock listing. That listing attributes the image to photographer Cristobal Herrera and gives the date as May 27; its description identifies the scene as a symbolic funeral procession protesting the reopening of the economy without coronavirus relief. [S1: “Mit einer Bildrückwärtssuche lassen sich schnell weitere Einträge mit diesem Foto finden.”] [S1: “Aufgenommen wurde es am 27. Mai von einem Fotografen namens Cristobal Herrera in Miami.”] [S1: “In der Beschreibung des Bildes steht: «Symbolic funeral procession to protest against the economy reopening without Coronavirus relief in Miami, USA».”] The review also points to a call for the procession by the social organization New Florida Majority and to the group’s social-media posts showing the bags attached to car roofs. This supports the explanation that the bags were part of a symbolic protest, not evidence of a staged media scene. The woman could carry one because it contained no real body; the image alone did not establish that the media had fabricated the event. [S1: “zu dem die soziale Organisation «New Florida Majority» aufgerufen hatte”] [S1: “Hier sieht man die Leichensäcke auf Autodächern befestigt”] [S1: “Dass die Frau in dem Bild den Leichensack tragen konnte, liegt schlicht daran, dass sich darin keine echte Leiche befindet.”] [S1: “Anders als in diversen Postings nahegelegt wird, liegt diesem aber keine Inszenierung der Medien zugrunde.”]

Deutsche Presse-AgenturHealth & medicine

Des opposants à la vaccination obligatoire prétendent que l'ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères des États-Unis, Henry Kissinger, aurait exigé la mise en place de la vaccination obligatoire dans le but de contrôler le patrimoine génétique de la population. Une publication Facebook parsemée de fautes de grammaire et d'orthographe affirme que le détenteur du prix Nobel de la paix aurait dit dans un discours auprès de l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé : «Une fois que le troupeau a accepté la vaccination obligatoire, la partie est gagnée ! (...) On pourra modifier génétiquement les enfants ou les stériliser - 'pour le plus grand bien'. Contrôler le mental du mouton et vous contrôler le troupeau».

Publisher’s rating: il n'existe pas de preuve qu'Henry Kissinger ait tenu de tels propos. Aucune conférence du Conseil de l'OMS n'a eu lieu à la date indiquée dans le post Facebook. De plus, aucun document ne mentionne le fait que Kissinger se soit exprimé à ce sujet dans d'autres circonstances.

The Facebook post attributed a speech about mandatory vaccination and genetic control to Henry Kissinger, saying he delivered it to the World Health Organization’s Executive Board on 25 February 2009. The investigation checked whether that meeting took place and whether Kissinger’s name or the alleged remarks appeared in relevant WHO records.

Deutsche Presse-AgenturHealth & medicine

Selon le texte d'un site internet appelé « Magazine pour la Fin des Temps », une possible découverte d'un vaccin contre le coronavirus serait liée à de gros dangers pour la santé et les libertés de chacun. L'autrice de ce texte mentionne « une multitude de composants génétiques qui déclencheront l’empoisonnement des cellules », ainsi que des « nano puces, invisibles à l'oeil nu » qui auront pour but de « connecter les êtres humains à ce réseau, à cette réalité technologique subliminale contrôlée par l’intelligence artificielle ». Ce présumé « contrôle total » en Europe serait lié à la reconnaissance faciale et au déploiement de la 5G. Des allégations sur la responsabilité et les prétendues intentions du milliardaire Bill Gates étayent également les arguments précédents. Pour finir, l'existence même du coronavirus, « ce canular », est remise en question.

Publisher’s rating: les informations principales du texte sur lesquelles sont basées ces spéculations sont fausses.

The review examines a text by Yvette, an administrator of the “Magazine pour la Fin des Temps” website. That text links a possible coronavirus vaccine to poisoned cells, covert nanotechnology, restrictions on liberty, facial recognition, 5G, and alleged intentions of Bill Gates, while also questioning whether coronavirus exists. The review distinguishes these claims: it says the text’s central factual premises are false, while many other assertions describe hypothetical future situations whose locations and supposed actors are not identified. [S1: “Pour le reste, la plupart des affirmations dans ce texte sont de spéculations relatives à une situation hypothétique dans le futur, lorsqu'un vaccin aura été découvert. Les situations décrites ne sont pas liées à un lieu précis et les personnes restreignant les libertés (nourriture, avion, etc.) ne sont pas identifiables”] For the vaccine and nanotechnology claims, the review reports comments from UCLouvain specialists Sophie Hermans, a nanomedicine professor, and Jean-Pierre Raskin, a professor specializing in nanoelectronics and wireless communications. Hermans says vaccines in development would not contain the alleged multitude of genetic components that poison cells. The review describes a vaccine approach using a small capsule to prompt an immune response, and clarifies that nanotechnology in this context refers to the scale of the capsule’s components, not hidden tracking or control chips. [S1: “D'après Sophie Hermans, professeure spécialisée en nanomédecine à l'École de chimie de l'UCLouvain, les vaccins en développement ne contiendront pas « une multitude de composants génétiques qui déclencheront l’empoisonnement des cellules ».”] [S1: “Celle-ci ajoute que la présence de nanotechnologie dans un futur vaccin contre le coronavirus est réelle. Ceci n'a cependant rien à voir avec des « nanopuces ».”] Raskin says the scientific-sounding terms in the text are taken out of context, and explains that a chip capable of the proposed wireless communication and bodily functions would require far more space than nanometre-scale dimensions. He also says facial recognition already exists but does not need 5G, and describes 5G as a mobile communications standard for increasing data capacity and reducing system response time—not as a technology directly linked to facial recognition. Finally, the review rejects the claim that the pandemic is a hoax, citing WHO figures from early June 2020: more than six million reported infections worldwide and over 370,000 deaths. [S1: “Selon les chiffres officiels de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) au début juin 2020, la maladie avait déjà contaminé plus de six millions de personnes dans le monde entier et le nombre de victimes avait dépassé 370 000”]