Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, gained popularity as a means to prevent and treat COVID-19. “HAPPY FRIDAY TO ALL YOU POISONOUS HORSE PASTE EATING SURVIVORS!” posted Danny Lemoi on March 3, 2023 on his hugely popular pro-ivermectin telegram group, Dirt Road Discussions. Hours later, the resident of Rhode Island in the United States was found dead; […]
Processed foods can lead people to consume more than the recommended amounts of sugar, salt, and fat, causing diverse health problems. Do you believe that packaged cereals, oatmeals, energy drinks, granola bars, flavour-infused yoghurts, protein bars, veggie chips, and so on are as healthy as home-cooked meals? If your answer is yes, you are in […]
While there have been reports of adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines, including heart attacks, it is essential to understand that these cases are rare and occur at a much lower rate than the risk of severe COVID-19.
First Check, the pioneering health fact-checking initiative by DataLEADS and a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), has been at the forefront of battling this challenge. With the recent addition of four new members, the First Check network now comprises 53 medical professionals, researchers, journalists, and technologists from across the world.
have a question for you: What do you do when someone shares a glorious anecdote about a “miracle cure” or “quick fix” for a chronic health condition? Say, an unproven alternative therapy, sans the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, for cancer. Or, a home-made natural juice to prevent COVID or H2N3 flu.
In an email interview with Dr Siti, she sheds light on the Indonesian healthcare system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevailing health myths, and more.
During the pandemic, unproven claims prevented people from taking vaccination against COVID-19 and significantly increased the risk of spreading the virus to the community. In Sri Lanka, people strongly believe that certain herbs and traditional remedies can cure serious illnesses like cancer and HIV/AIDS. This often leads to delay or evasion of proven medical treatments, thereby causing dire health consequences.
Today is International Fact-Checking Day, promoted by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) in partnership with fact-checking organisations around the world. As a verified signatory of IFCN, First Check has been working resolutely towards making health fact-checking a part of the mainstream discourse. I have a question for you: What do you do when someone shares […]
World Bipolar Day is observed on March 30 every year, on the birthday of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh — one of the most influential artists in the history of Western art. His creativity was paralleled with his mental illness and he was posthumously diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
With H3N2 cases on the rise, the internet is rife with rumours and misinformation. Can home remedies protect individuals from this virus? Can those with severe acute respiratory infections or influenza-like illnesses count on home-made juices and concoctions to fight the ailment?
Looking for an effective teeth whitening solution? Learn what teeth whitening products can and cannot do for your oral hygiene. While they can enhance the appearance of your teeth, they cannot improve oral health. Consult a doctor before using over-the-counter products, and choose professional teeth whitening for safe and effective results. Plus, discover why yellow or creamy coloured teeth are normal and not necessarily unhealthy. Read on for more insights.
Debunking Myths about Tuberculosis: Can it be cured? Does it affect only the lungs? How does it spread? Learn the facts about this infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Find out how long treatment takes, if it can recur, and more. Join the movement to end the TB epidemic by 2030, a key UN Sustainable Development Goal.
There are multiple videos on YouTube claiming that Graviola, also known as soursop, is a ‘cancer fighting fruit’. However, medical experts warn against the use of this popular tropical fruit to treat cancer as there is lack of clear scientific evidence to support to this claim.
Sleep-related Google searches are at an all-time high. How can I fall asleep faster? Why can’t I sleep? How much sleep do I need? These are some of the most-searched questions. This year, the theme for World Sleep Day – a global event aimed at raising sleep awareness – is ‘Sleep is Essential for Health’. It emphasises the importance of sleep for maintaining good health.
Does sambar, a popular South Indian staple, have anticancer properties that could be effective in preventing or treating colon cancer? Viral social media posts seem to indicate so. However, there’s little scientific evidence to back the claim.
This article explores the possibility of artificial intelligence (AI) replacing doctors in the future, and whether the job of future doctors will be similar to that of drivers in self-driving cars. While AI has the potential to greatly enhance healthcare, experts argue that it cannot replace the expertise and human connection that a doctor provides. A combination of AI and human healthcare providers may be the best approach for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
Instagram reels can be informative and entertaining, but they also spread health misinformation. Verify before you share.
Celebrate International Women’s Day by busting menstruation myths! From debunking the notion that girls who haven’t menstruated by a certain age are abnormal, to clarifying the role of exercise and dairy products during menstruation, First Check separates fact from fiction.
During the early days of the pandemic, I had immigrated to Canada and was keen to contribute my skills as a humanitarian public health scientist with global experience, in a meaningful way. I first met the DataLEADS team at a conference I had co-organised with my Medicins Sans Frontieres colleagues in Delhi, India, to de-colonise […]
Several past pandemics that occurred without such synchrony have gone unnoticed by social media posts making these inaccurate claims.
A growing number of online content creators promote home remedies that claim to provide “natural treatments” for a range of health issues. Not surprisingly, many of them have a huge following that takes these claims at face value.
What if a parasitic fungus became a threat to humankind’s survival? That is the scary premise of ‘The Last of Us’, a popular American post-apocalyptic drama television series on HBO. But is there any science behind this fiction?
It is a widely held traditional belief that consuming fish and milk together can lead to skin problems, specifically vitiligo. However, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim.
Sitting on the couch with some munchies and watching your favourite shows, episode after episode, without a pause, may seem like a great stress buster. You feel pleased as your brain produces dopamine (the happy hormone), and the binge-watching continues.
A post titled ‘7 biggest brain damaging habits’ attributed to the World Health Organization (WHO) has been circulating on social media platforms. When the same claim went viral in Nigeria in 2020, WHO had clarified that it had not issued any such message.
Are you feeling stressed and reaching out for a cigarette? Don’t! Here’s an eye-opener. Scientific data shows that smoking makes people more tense and anxious.
It’s commonly believed that consuming pineapple during pregnancy can lead to a miscarriage. There are YouTube videos, with millions of views, as well as articles in mainstream media advising expectant mothers to steer clear of the tropical fruit.
Once a victim of health misinformation, I know from my own experience that it can lead to grave mistrust and negatively impact public health. Even before the pandemic, health misinformation has been a serious challenge in the Philippines. Whether it’s the proliferation of fake news and false information on social media platforms or misleading advertisements […]
Flawless skin, bigger lips, taut jawlines, and a pointed nose. What’s there not to like about social media filters? Medical experts across the globe are seeing an increase in body-image disorders, such as Snapchat dysmorphia, characterised by the compulsive need to heavily edit one’s digital image.
Diabetes, despite its prevalence, is a widely misunderstood disease. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease, involving inappropriately elevated blood glucose levels.
YouTube content creators who put out home remedies for health problems have a huge online following. A video on YouTube, for example, claims that a brew of heated Coca-Cola, honey, and ginger can help reduce body temperature as well as treat common cold.
The Social Science Research Council announces USD $2 million grant for projects designed to increase demand for childhood vaccines, HPV, polio, measles, and COVID-19 in low- and lower-middle income countries.
It has been socially implanted that dark skin isn’t beautiful. There’s a flourishing industry of fairness products. Similarly, social media is rife with videos (examples here and here) promoting the fallacious notion that you can become fairer overnight, or over the course of a week.
Dr Tanaya Narendra aka Dr Cuterus does a neat 101 in her book Everything Nobody Tells You about Your Body on the human body, contraception, periods, birth control, safe sex, masturbation, pubic hair, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and everything that we are too embarrassed to talk about freely.
It’s been three years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit our lives, yet the deluge of misinformation about the coronavirus refuses to subside. Recently, some ‘news’ articles in India claimed that the Omicron BA.5 subvariant can be fatal for the brain. The claim caused public panic.
Happy New Year! As we enter 2023, the battle against misinformation has to get stronger. In today’s era of digitalisation, information spreads at the speed of light, and misinformation spreads even faster! The media, especially digital media, has been a boon in many areas. However, disseminating misinformation has been one of its biggest banes in […]
With the New Year on the horizon, it is natural to want to toast to life, particularly for a world that has suffered through a deadly pandemic and its economic ramifications.
Almost three years ago, Bangladesh, like most countries, experienced a nightmare when the coronavirus infection turned into a pandemic. The deaths and infection rates were galloping at an unprecedented pace. Given the looming fear of death and miseries of infected patients, a significant number of people fell pray to conspiracy theories about COVID-19. It was […]
It’s that time of year again when runny noses and sore throats are a common occurrence. While medical science is yet to find a cure for common cold, there’s no dearth of quick fixes on social media.
As many children are now presenting to paediatric outpatient clinics with viral symptoms, particularly fever and rash, the most common question pediatricians face is – how do we know if it’s tomato fever, dengue, Monkeypox infection, or hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD)? We are witnessing increasing panic amongst parents due to rise in new outbreaks, along with existing recurrent influenzae type illness.
Facebook has been flooded with misinformation, unscientific claims and rumours about COVID-19, forcing the global technology giant to remove 25 million pieces of violative content as part of its content moderation policy. Now, as the virus is evolving, the company is considering whether it still needs to police content.
There is no scientific basis to support the claim that mud can cure deep wounds. In fact, it can worsen the situation.
Depression is a common mental disorder that affects nearly 280 million people in the world, according to the World Health Organization. However, the stigma of the ailment, along with the many myths and misconceptions, deter patients from seeking timely care from qualified healthcare professionals.
Biologically, both men and women are born with a small amount of breast tissue. It’s only during puberty that females begin developing more breast tissue, unlike their male counterparts.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become increasingly paranoid about cleanliness. There is a growing tendency to purchase the strongest – and perhaps costliest – cleaning products, with taglines like ‘kills 99.99% germs’ and ‘kills novel coronavirus’.
Haemorrhoids, also known as piles, is a common health problem that can lead to immense pain and discomfort. Caused by swollen, enlarged veins that form inside and outside the anus and rectum, one’s risk of haemorrhoids increases with age as well as weight gain, especially during pregnancy.
A video on Facebook, claiming that ice can remedy a plethora of health issues, such as heel spur, swelling due to injury, migraine, back pain, cervical pain, frozen shoulders, sciatica, and indigestion, to name some, has garnered over 3.6 million views at the last count.
Unscientific claims about brain death often deter people from organ donation. However, it’s important to know that there are strict medical criteria for organ retrieval.
Traditionally, spices have been used in the management of male sexual disorders. However, we need more human trials and scientific research to substantiate these findings.
Water boiled with groundnuts cannot help you regain your virginity. Is there any other way?
Like most people of my generation, I too have a fairly significant online presence. However, until recently I had no idea of the massive scaling effect of social media and its role in the spread of misinformation. Little did I know that health misinformation could have such a huge impact on our lives. COVID-19 exposed […]
Even if the tumour is benign, there is possibility of it becoming premalignant and then malignant.
If claims on social media are to be believed, gastrointestinal problems can be cured through Chiropractic therapy. A viral video shows a person doing some muscle manipulation and stretches to remedy gas and acidity problems.
No super foods or special juices can detoxify a human liver. As the body’s natural detoxifier, the liver does not require any additional supplements to carry on with its normal function.
I was introduced to the world of fact-checking after working in the public health sector for more than eight years. Although health promotion was one of my fields of expertise, I had no idea that there existed a systematic methodology to detect false health claims and evaluate evidence critically in the public domain. It was […]
Weird invitations to daredevilry, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge and others, have been seen on social media before, but this one is particularly risky because it involves food
There is no scientific study to prove that consuming betel leaf, ginger, garlic and honey can cure coronary artery disease.
There are multiple YouTube videos on home remedies for Monkeypox, comprising neem leaves, turmeric, ginger, cucumber, honey, corn starch and the like. However, there’s no scientific evidence to support these claims.
It was late January, 2020. Amidst the catastrophic COVID-19 crisis in China, I landed in Delhi. Soon, I met Syed Nazakat (the founder and CEO of DataLEADS) and a conversation over coffee turned into a noteworthy collaboration that later went on to have a substantial impact on my professional life. I had come to India on […]
None of the pseudoscientific procedures help to determine the gender of the unborn baby. There are scientific ways though, such as ultrasound, DNA tests, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS).
Health misinformation, I strongly believe, must be treated like a disease because it behaves like one. My experience during the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria in 2014 fuels my passion for infodemic management. I consider it my duty to make use of every avenue to reach out to the public in order to pre-bunk and debunk […]
Vaccines are the most useful and lifesaving inventions in medical history. Beware of baseless claims that try to create panic and spread unscientific views on vaccination. A viral WhatsApp forward claims that “mother’s milk, fresh air, good sleep, good organic food and adequate exercise” are the “only vaccine we need” to fight COVID-19 and monkeypox. The message […]
“We’re not just fighting an epidemic, we’re fighting an infodemic. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus (COVID-19) and is just as dangerous.” – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO, at the Munich Security Conference 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines infodemic as too much information, including false or misleading information […]
On the contrary, some studies say that the consumption of dairy products like milk, ghee, and yoghurt can increase the risk of prostate cancer.
This International Yoga Day, let’s debunk some common Yoga myths so that you can step on the mat without fear.
With so much information at our fingertips todays, it’s hard to discern what’s true and what’s not. Can we trust everything we read on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram and other platforms? Particularly when it comes to quick fixes and magic cures for varied health issues.
A viral disease, monkeypox currently has no clinically proven cure – in allopathy or homeopathy. It is usually a self-limited ailment with symptoms lasting two to four weeks.
As a member of First Check, I feel like a warrior, fighting the infodemic. The pandemic showed us how people contracted,spread, or even succumbed to COVID-19 because they fell for false claims. However, COVID-19 is just one of the many catastrophes we have been battling. My fact-checking journey began in the year 2017, when I […]
A YouTube video claiming that home-based remedies can provide a ‘natural’ cure for Asthma, in the case of adults as well as children, has garnered over 80K views. The video basically makes four misleading claims about ways to beat Asthma, a major noncommunicable disease, and the most common chronic disease among children.
While flaxseed is a rich source of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids, more research is needed regarding the possible risks and benefits of consuming the plant-based food.
Studies have explored the possible benefits of medical marijuana on cancer symptoms and treatment side effects.
Uploaded on Facebook on May 17, 2020, a fake video warning against eating bitter gourd with ladyfinger has got 88 million views, 1.2 million likes, 0.28 million shares and 11000 comments.
People use sunscreens to protect themselves from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays – the leading cause of skin cancers. An Instagram post, for instance, claims that sunscreens cause skin cancer as they block Vitamin D from the sun.
Despite several claims of adverse health effects of MSG, studies find that the widely used food additive does not pose any serious hazards to the body.
Juicing removes fiber from fruits and veggies; consuming them in a solid form is the healthier option. Fiber is known to be effective in preventing certain types of cancers, such as colon cancer.
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” – Ludwig WittgensteinBefore joining First Check, I was an independent fact-checker with a personal page on Facebook. When I saw my close circle of friends and relatives deal with confusion, anxiety, and panic as they followed the news on COVID-19 – many of which […]
A viral tweet claims that “Government of Canada data shows the triple vaccinated are over 5x more likely to die of COVID-19 than the unvaccinated”. The tweet is based on an article from The Exposé, supposedly “run by extremely ordinary, hardworking people who are sick and tired of the fear-mongering, lies and propaganda perpetuated by the mainstream media”.
Pelvic pain, just before and during menstrual period, is a common complaint. Many women resort to home remedies – mostly found on social media – to help manage the pain, without seeking medical opinion.
In other words, adjuvants are not as “dangerous” as the social media posts may have you believe. It’s important to also consider the context and not just the facts.
COVID-19 pandemic came with a flow of Covid misinformation, which compromises health decisions. While not all of the misinformation is shared with malicious intent, it undermines the importance of public reports based on research in global countries.
The health misinformation crisis won’t end with the pandemic. It’s important for healthcare professionals to be well-versed with fact-checking.
Health-related misinformation and disinformation are significant threats to public health. Fact-checking helps us to counter this by presenting the right medical information.
As the fight against COVID-19 continues, the scientific community is fighting another battle too – the infodemic. This fight can be won only if trusted medical institutions and healthcare practitioners join forces. By John Aloyzeus Reotutar We live in a world where anti-vaxxers, quack doctors, and conspiracy theorists seem to thrive. Making an attempt to […]
It’s not good enough to know that you know the facts, you need to step up and set the record straight. Debunking false claims, particularly about health, is vital.
“We now live in a world where information is potentially unlimited. When information is cheap, meaning turns expensive.” – George Dyson I believe that every physician is inherently a fact-checker, even though we often remain unaware of it. Not taught in routine medical curriculum, not evaluated in clinical examinations and not popularized in regular medical […]
April 2 is International Fact-Checking Day and it is promoted by the International Fact-Checking Network in partnership with fact-checking organizations around the world. Because #FactCheckingisEssential.
One of the most common reproductive health myths is that young and (seemingly) healthy women do not have to face any infertility issues. However, many such women struggle with achieving pregnancy, despite trying to conceive for a year or more. That’s when we diagnose the couple – not the woman – as having infertility issues and we try finding out what could be the reason.
Given that irregular periods are a common challenge for many women, home remedies that claim to cure the problem are hugely popular. However, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that any such remedy can induce menstruation instantly.
This International Women’s Day, let’s break down the many barriers that women around the world face. Let’s start with mental health. Because her mental health matters. #BreakTheBias
While tea is considered to be a go-to drink for coping with headaches, getting relief from migraine pain can be a challenge. It’s important to seek timely medical care.
The pandemic has exposed our knowledge gap. There’s an urgent need to promote evidence-based reasoning and interdisciplinary approach, powered by collaboration.
A viral image circulating on social media platforms, demonstrating the difference between a ‘normal lung’ and ‘COVID-19 lung’, is causing much distress and panic. On Instagram, the image has 1000+ likes, so far.
A flagship initiative of DataLeads and signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, First Check has 49 members from Australia, Africa, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom and Yemen.
Every year 4th February is observed as World Cancer Day – a day to raise awareness and strengthen the fight against the global cancer epidemic. It’s also important to address the ever-growing misinformation about cancer on social media.
Understanding how the internet and social media have changed out engagement with health (mis)information, and whether we, as individuals, can successfully evaluate veracity, is a vital task.
A viral WhatsApp video, circulating in India, peddles old misleading claims about the coronavirus in an engaging way.
Some studies suggest that consuming eight glasses of water per day is ideal for a healthy individual, but it is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
While organic compositions of natural products, prepared under laboratory conditions, can complement the use of traditional drugs, homemade juices are unlikely to help one cope better with the chronic inflammatory disorder.
While the rest of the world is seeing a relative lull in new cases and a dip in the active COVID-19 cases, the United States continues to fight a grim battle – nearly a year after vaccinations began. And the anti-vaxxers are not letting up, even now.
World AIDS Day: Misinformation about the infection continues to spread on several social media platforms, misleading people about the nature of this oft-stigmatised disease.