As the world grapples with a health crisis and misinformation, false claims are re-emerging despite being debunked earlier.
A social media post promoting a correlation between the COVID-19 vaccine and heart attacks is getting wide popularity. However, there is no evidence to link the two.
A year after the pandemic, the conspiracy theory that coronavirus is a hoax and that Bill Gates and Dr Fauci are behind it is again gaining popularity. Animated videos and adapted cartoon characters from cartoon series are being used this time. However, there is no evidence to support the claim.
First Check found videos encouraging unscientific cures of COVID-19 on YouTube in Bengali – a language mostly spoken in West Bengal state of India and Bangladesh.
Youtube is awash with how to disinfect surfaces and many people have resorted to trying to make their own disinfectants by watching viral do-it-yourself (DIY) videos and YouTube tutorials. But mixing chemicals in the wrong proportion can at best create an ineffective product – and at worst result in poisoning.
First Check, the health fact-checking initiative of Health Analytics Asia, is now a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, USA.
A recent WhatsApp message presented a series of arguments discrediting the claimed 95% efficacy of Pfizer vaccine. The message is partly correct, but it is misleading people by claiming that the clinical trial was conducted on a selected group of participants aimed for optimal results.
There is no scientific evidence to prove that a health drink made of Indian date leaves, sacred fig leaves, and Cynodon leaves can cure HIV
Currently, there is no established link between miscarriages after COVID-19 immunization as only limited data is available
Misinformation and rumours are three times more likely to be spread on social media as compared to accurate information. We need to adopt evidence-informed measures from a transdisciplinary perspective to win the battle against this parallel pandemic.
Fraudsters in Asia are sending out fake texts, offering a Covid vaccine or registration for the vaccine in an attempt to steal personal and financial information. By Nabeela Khan At a time, when vaccines are being rolled out all around the world, people are eager to receive vaccines. But the process of vaccinating millions of […]
An image circulating on social media saying “stop the spread of Germans” is clearly manipulated
Videos making false and misleading claims about masks are getting wide popularity in India. While one video claims that wearing masks is dangerous, others promote ‘herbal masks’ to purify the air we breathe in. All these claims are false.
A Youtube video claims that a concoction of onion, cumin, sugar crystals and lemon will help pass kidney stones. But there is no evidence to prove that this mix of ingredients can cure or help in passing kidney stones. The claim is false.
A video that has been watched hundreds of times on youtube claims that the video highlights how Russia is secretly burying dead bodies. However, the video is from Ballari, a district in the south Indian state of Karnataka which shows the undignified burial of dead bodies.
There is no scientific evidence that tying a homemade pouch full of different spices can protect people from Covid-19. The video has been viewed thousands of times but the claim is false and is misleading people.
We’ve been looking at some of the most widely circulated posts on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter since the start of the pandemic. This week, we have compiled and debunked the 10 claims that are currently circulating.