Study: Political polarization a major threat to public health
Published on : Nov 2, 2024There is growing evidence that political polarization poses a...
: First Check Team
COVID-19 pushes 100M into extreme poverty, global economy loses $22 trillion
Published on : Oct 14, 2024The global economy is projected to lose $22 trillion...
: First Check Team
FACT CHECK: 3 COVID era conspiracies make a comeback with mpox
Published on : Oct 13, 2024Ever since the World Health Organisation declared mpox a public...
: First Check Team
COVID measures led to drop in antibiotic-resistant infection deaths in 2021
Published on : Sep 16, 2024The reduction was caused by reduction in the burden of...
: Riyaz Wani
Important to characterise long COVID in children: Study
Published on : Aug 30, 2024A recent study published in JAMA identifies common prolonged symptoms...
: First Check Team
‘Getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine remains an extremely effective tool’: Study
Published on : Aug 14, 2024Vaccines saved 1.6 million lives in Europe; COVID death toll...
: First Check Team
The conundrum of COVID deaths: Claims and counterclaims
Published on : Jul 24, 2024While a recent study found that India recorded an estimated...
: First Check Team
Why we need to collaborate to fight health misinformation
Published on : Mar 13, 2024It is crucial to address issues comprehensively, combining efforts to...
: Dr Ahmad Firdaus Mohd Haris
Conspiracy theories major obstacle to new global pandemic treaty: WHO
Published on : Feb 6, 2024Despite lessons that should have been learned during COVID-19, the...
: First Check Team
Explainer: How dangerous is the JN.1 COVID variant?
Published on : Dec 22, 2023JN.1 was identified in the US in September 2023, exhibiting...
: Florica Brahma
The Missing Context of Misinformation: From Supply to Demand
Published on : Dec 15, 2023Misinformation isn’t a new phenomenon. For eons, our society has grappled...
: Alok Gangaramany
Tackling the Misinformation Pandemic in Health: Strategies for a Resilient Society
Published on : Dec 10, 2023Misinformation in the health sector has become a pressing global...
: Beatrice Gatumia (M.D.),
COVID-19 vaccine not the cause of unexplained sudden death among young adults: ICMR Study
Published on : Nov 27, 2023Certain high-risk behavioural factors such as binge drinking, smoking and...
: First Check Team
Fact-Check: Bill Gates hasn’t scheduled the next pandemic in 2025
Published on : Jun 1, 2023SEERS is a fictitious disease created for a pandemic-simulating exercise...
: John Aloyzeus Reotutar
Fact-check: COVID vaccine not the cause of surge in heart attack cases
Published on : Apr 15, 2023While there have been reports of adverse reactions to COVID-19...
: Sharmila Saha Roy
Fact-check: Omicron BA.5 not ‘fatal for the brain’
Published on : Jan 9, 2023Hybrid immunity, particularly after BA.1 or BA.2 infection, confers substantial...
: Tej Kumar
Explainer: How is Tomato flu different from other viral fevers?
Published on : Dec 9, 2022There is no swab or blood test to confirm Tomato...
: Dr Prakash Desai
Health misinformation: Meta preparing post-pandemic policy
Published on : Dec 9, 2022As the virus evolves, the company seeks the Oversight Board’s...
: Ayush Aditya
Explainer: Why excessive cleanliness may be injurious to health
Published on : Dec 9, 2022Excessive cleaning kills the microbial life around and on us....
: Dr. Rohini Karandikar
Fact-check: Vaccinated people are not more likely to die of COVID-19
Published on : Apr 27, 2022A tweet claiming that “Government of Canada data shows the...
: Tej Kumar
Step up the fight against misinformation
Published on : Apr 7, 2022The health misinformation crisis won’t end with the pandemic. It’s...
: Dr Sameera Ranasinghe
‘Fact-checking is often neglected in medical discourse’
Published on : Apr 5, 2022Health-related misinformation and disinformation are significant threats to public health....
: Dr. Debanjan Banerjee
‘Scientific research must be easy to find & share’
Published on : Apr 4, 2022As the fight against COVID-19 continues, the scientific community is...
: John Aloyzeus Reotutar
National Science Day: Embrace scientific temper, fight health misinformation
Published on : Feb 28, 2022The pandemic has exposed our knowledge gap. There’s an urgent...
: Jisha Krishnan
FACT-CHECK: Decoding the ‘COVID-19 lung’
Published on : Feb 17, 2022Various factors affect the lung damage risk in COVID-19 infections...
: Tej Kumar
6 COVID-19 myths that refuse to die
Published on : Jan 10, 2022A viral WhatsApp video, circulating in India, peddles old misleading...
: Tej Kumar
What The Fact! – The truth behind relentless pandemic struggles in the US
Published on : Dec 2, 2021While the rest of the world is seeing a relative...
: Varadarajan Ananthakrishnan
The Facebook Papers: How vaccine misinformation thrived
Published on : Oct 29, 2021While Facebook claims to have made “considerable progress” with downgrading...
: Jisha Krishnan
Factually Speaking: Decoding Ivermectin
Published on : Oct 22, 2021There has been growing interest in Ivermectin, a broad spectrum...
: Dr. Nicola Simone
What The Fact! – When the data is misrepresented
Published on : Oct 18, 2021It might compel people to believe that there is no...
: Varadarajan Ananthakrishnan
Dismantled: Here’s COVID skeptics proven wrong
Published on : Oct 14, 2021Ever since the start of the COVID pandemic, there have...
: Tariq Hashmat
Factually Speaking: Combating COVID-19 myths in Africa
Published on : Oct 8, 2021A primary healthcare practitioner from the Republic of Congo, Africa,...
: Dr. Raphael Byamungu
What The Fact! – What makes anyone indulge in misinformation?
Published on : Oct 4, 2021People fail to distinguish between information and misinformation, make sure...
: Varadarajan Ananthakrishnan
Why We Fact-Check Health Misinformation
Published on : Sep 30, 2021It is important to focus on the context of online...
: Aliya Zainab
What The Fact! – Vaccines are our only ticket out of the pandemic
Published on : Sep 16, 2021Get vaccinated at the first opportunity you get. And yes,...
: Varadarajan Ananthakrishnan
COVID-19 vaccines cannot be used to track people
Published on : Sep 3, 2021Viral Facebook post in multiple South Asian languages falsely claims...
: Tej Kumar
What The Fact! – Conspiracies, Concoctions and COVID
Published on : Sep 2, 2021What drives the misinformation ecosystem is the lack of knowledge,...
: Varadarajan Ananthakrishnan
Herbal remedies can cause liver injuries
Published on : Aug 30, 2021Popular herbal medicines for COVID-19 have been reported to adversely...
: Dr. Rohini Karandikar
Debunking three controversial COVID-19 claims
Published on : Aug 19, 2021A YouTube channel called ‘Unmask Express’ has been consistently making...
: Tej Kumar
Delta variant of COVID-19 is not hard to detect
Published on : Jul 20, 2021A widely circulated WhatsApp forward falsely claims that the Delta...
: Pushpita Dey
No evidence to prove that people become ‘silent spreaders’ after first dose of COVID vaccine
Published on : Jul 5, 2021IISER Kolkata clarified that no such evidence has been found...
: Pushpita Dey
Vaccines don’t compromise one’s natural immunity
Published on : Jul 2, 2021Prominent Indian lawyer and activist, Prashant Bhushan, was called out...
: Tej Kumar
No link between anaesthesia and COVID-19 jab
Published on : Jun 28, 2021A viral WhatsApp message falsely claims that using anaesthesia can...
: Tej Kumar
Multiple YouTube videos falsely claim Covid-19 vaccination as ‘ineffective’
Published on : Jun 21, 2021Decoding the common narrative that leads to misinformation about vaccines...
: Tej Kumar
False claims touting cough syrup as ‘Covid-19 cure’ is misleading
Published on : Jun 14, 2021A YouTube video claiming Bromhexine syrup as a cure of...
: Tej Kumar
WhatsApp forward claiming ‘Vaccinated People Will Die in 2 Years’ is untrue
Published on : May 27, 2021A widely-circulated message attributed to French virologist Luc Montagnier claims...
: Dr. Rohini Karandikar
A message falsely touts ‘bacteria in buttermilk’ as Covid-19 cure
Published on : May 22, 2021A WhatsApp message claiming bacteria present in buttermilk can fight...
: Tej Kumar
How Indian fact-checkers dealt with COVID-19 misinformation
Published on : May 18, 2021An analysis of International Fact Checking Network’s repository of fact-checked...
: Nabeela Khan
What do COVID variants mean for vaccine efficacy?
Published on : May 18, 2021Dr. Rohini Karandikar tells you all you need to know...
: Dr. Rohini Karandikar
Post claiming vaccinated people are more susceptible to COVID-19 variants is misleading
Published on : May 14, 2021Social media posts, based on a recent study conducted in...
: Jisha Krishnan
There’s no scientific proof that alum water can cure COVID-19
Published on : May 12, 2021A video shared thousands of times claims that alum water...
: Tej Kumar
Real vs fake Remdesivir injections: Know the difference
Published on : May 12, 2021An injection named Covipri is circulating on social media, with...
: Tej Kumar
No, taking a concoction of pepper, honey and ginger will not cure COVID-19
Published on : May 7, 2021Despite a crackdown on misinformation, unproven cures and remedies continue...
: Pushpita Dey
Video claiming tap water tested positive for COVID-19 is misleading
Published on : May 2, 2021A video indicating that tap water can test positive for...
: Abeen Shayiq
No, nurses are not purposely administering empty COVID-19 vaccines
Published on : Apr 30, 2021Image of an elderly woman taking the empty Covid-19 vaccine...
: Sahil Bali
IAF official hasn’t written any message on using steam to counter COVID-19
Published on : Apr 26, 2021There is no Air Marshal Ashutosh Sharma at Bangalore. Command...
: Tej Kumar
Post warning women not to take COVID-19 vaccine during periods is ‘false’
Published on : Apr 25, 2021COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t pose a risk if taken during periods....
: Tej Kumar
Starting a steam inhalation drive will not end the pandemic
Published on : Apr 22, 2021As India is witnessing a surge in cases, preventions and...
: Tej Kumar
False claim uses Japanese Nobel laureate Tasuku Honjo name again to spread COVID-19 misinformation
Published on : Apr 19, 2021As the world grapples with a health crisis and misinformation,...
: First Check Team
No evidence to prove COVID-19 vaccine causes heart attacks
Published on : Apr 16, 2021A social media post promoting a correlation between the COVID-19...
: Tej Kumar
Videos promoting COVID-19 conspiracies are re-emerging despite a crackdown
Published on : Apr 9, 2021A year after the pandemic, the conspiracy theory that coronavirus...
: Abeen Shayiq
COVID-19 vaccination: Beware of bogus dos & don’ts
Published on : Apr 2, 2021While proper nutrition and hydration are essential for good health,...
: Jisha Krishnan
Debunked claims of COVID-19 cures resurface in vernacular language
Published on : Mar 22, 2021First Check found videos encouraging unscientific cures of COVID-19 on...
: Sista Mukherjee
Misleading WhatsApp message questions Pfizer vaccine efficacy
Published on : Mar 6, 2021A recent WhatsApp message presented a series of arguments discrediting...
: Pankhuri Agarwal
No evidence to say that COVID-19 vaccines affect pregnancy
Published on : Feb 20, 2021Currently, there is no established link between miscarriages after COVID-19...
: First Check Team
Three-pronged approach to fight the infodemic
Published on : Feb 19, 2021Misinformation and rumours are three times more likely to be...
: Dr. Apurva Kumar Pandya
No, incense sticks do not ward off Covid-19
Published on : Feb 15, 2021A popular YouTube channel claims that smouldering incense sticks can...
: Tej Kumar
Can COVID-19 hygiene measures cause cancer?
Published on : Feb 13, 2021Here is what Google Trends say on what was most...
: Nabeela Khan
Covid vaccine scams hit Asia
Published on : Feb 13, 2021Fraudsters in Asia are sending out fake texts, offering a...
: Nabeela Khan
‘Stop the spread of Germans’ image is manipulated
Published on : Feb 5, 2021An image circulating on social media saying "stop the spread...
: Sahil Bali
No, COVID-19 vaccines neither make farmers sterile nor is a government ploy to take over their land
Published on : Feb 1, 2021A Facebook page and its corresponding Youtube channel claim that...
: Sahil Bali
Misleading message about Covid-19 vaccine efficacy viral on WhatsApp
Published on : Jan 25, 2021A Whatsapp message with a number of assumptions and questions...
: Abeen Bilal
No, coronavirus doesn’t lay eggs in throat, nor it can be cured in a day with herbal vaporizers
Published on : Jan 15, 2021There is no study to back the claim that coronavirus...
: Sista Mukherjee
Explained: Is eating poultry products safe amid bird flu?
Published on : Jan 11, 2021WHO guidelines and experts recommend that it is safe to...
: Nabeela Khan
Can red ant chutney cure Coronavirus?
Published on : Jan 9, 2021Multiple Facebook posts claim that red ant chutney (sauce) is...
: Tej Kumar
A false video on YouTube claims COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility in men
Published on : Jan 6, 2021The COVID-19 vaccine does not cause infertility; the rumour is...
: Tej Kumar
No, six-minute walk is not a test for COVID-19
Published on : Dec 23, 2020https://youtu.be/8L_WWwuaj04 The recent misinformation trending on social media is the...
: Tej Kumar
Facebook to prohibit ads that discourage vaccines
Published on : Dec 8, 2020https://youtu.be/dREYs_m39sQ Facebook has said it will start prohibiting Ads that...
: Nabeela Khan
No, ‘virus shutout necklaces’ cannot protect you from coronavirus
Published on : Nov 21, 2020As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to claim more lives, more...
: Nabeela Khan
Vaccine hesitancy due to disinformation campaign, shows BMJ study
Published on : Nov 7, 2020Social media disinformation campaigns are linked to falling vaccination rates,...
: Nabeela Khan
Debunking 6 viral claims about COVID-19 remedies
Published on : Nov 1, 2020There’s no dearth of posts on social media platforms claiming...
: First Check Team
Drinking tea is not a cure for Covid-19
Published on : Oct 17, 2020Claims about tea being a cure for COVID-19 have been...
: Nabeela Khan
No, China does not hold the patent for drug remdesivir
Published on : Oct 2, 2020https://youtu.be/LlByPznyWjk A WhatsApp message claims that the patent for the...
: Nabeela Khan
No, putting basil leaves, camphor inside the mask will not purify the air nor it will protect you from Covid-19
Published on : Sep 10, 2020Videos making false and misleading claims about masks are getting...
: Varadarajan Ananthakrishnan
A video claiming coronavirus is like any other flu is false
Published on : Sep 3, 2020A video is getting viral on Facebook, Whatsapp, Youtube claiming...
: Varadarajan Ananthakrishnan
Beware of apps that claim to check blood oxygen level, hackers are out to steal your data
Published on : Jul 30, 2020A viral WhatsApp message in India is asking people to...
: Jisha Krishnan
Unproven COVID-19 treatment list circulates on Whatsapp
Published on : Jul 27, 2020A photo of a list of treatments claiming to have...
: Nabeela Khan
This video of undignified burial of dead bodies is from Indian state of Karnataka and not Russia
Published on : Jul 17, 2020A video that has been watched hundreds of times on...
: Sahil Bali
No, tying a sack of spices and camphor will not protect you from Covid-19
Published on : Jul 10, 2020There is no scientific evidence that tying a homemade pouch...
: First Check Team
Analysing social media response to COVID-19 misinformation
Published on : Jul 6, 2020Social media platforms are under constant pressure to regulate misinformation....
: Nabeela Khan
No, washing hands with lemon will not protect you from Covid-19
Published on : Jun 22, 2020Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 10 fake...
: Nabeela Khan
100 fake COVID-19 WhatsApp forwards that we almost believed
Published on : Jun 12, 2020The spread of dubious claims and false information during the...
: Deepika Khurana
Trends in Covid-19 misinformation in India
Published on : Jun 5, 2020Amid an unprecedented global health crisis, health journalists faced a...
: Nabeela Khan
Having had measles before does not protect you from COVID-19
Published on : Jun 5, 2020A video in the Tamil language claims that if someone...
: Varadarajan Ananthakrishnan
EXPLAINER: Why a lot of Covid-19 infographics are wrong?
Published on : Jun 5, 2020There is a lot of data visualisation about COVID-19 which...
: Nabeela Khan
10 Twitter posts on Covid-19 that mislead the world
Published on : Jun 5, 2020We’ve been looking at some of the most widely circulated...