Health
No evidence masks limit oxygen for children
A post on Instagram claims masks ‘do nothing’ but limit oxygen flow and increase risk of bacteria and illness. Read
Fact check
Covid-19 fact checks
This page brings together Full Fact’s fact checks on Covid-19, covering common claims, vaccine safety and efficacy, symptoms, treatments, government policies, and misinformation. We review evidence, correct errors, and monitor evolving science to help you make informed decisions.
Health
Telegraph wrong to claim removing PCR requirement will shorten self-isolation period
For people without symptoms, self-isolation begins from the date of the first test which returned a positive result, whether that was a lateral flow or PCR test. Read
Fact check
Unvaccinated people are among those dying of Covid-19
Age adjusted mortality rates are higher for those who haven’t been vaccinated. Read
Fact check
Health
Anna Soubry was wrong to say that the ‘overwhelming majority’ of Covid-19 patients are unvaccinated
The latest data at the time she was speaking showed that the unvaccinated made up 46% of admissions in England—although this might change when new data is published. Read
Fact check
Health
Tap water can’t test positive for Covid-19
Using a lateral flow test incorrectly will produce unreliable and misleading results. Read
Fact check
Health
How many Covid-19 patients in ICU are unvaccinated?
Recent data shows around half of those admitted in October and early November were unvaccinated—but this figure comes with important caveats Read
Analysis
Health
How many people in England are unvaccinated?
Depending on which population figure you use, the number of people unvaccinated in England could be 12.3 million or 19.5 million. Read
Fact check
Funeral director’s viral claims about vaccinated people not based in fact
He claims he’s seeing an unnaturally large number of heart attacks and clot-related deaths, but that’s not reflected in the national data. Read
Fact check
Education
Iain Duncan Smith’s figures on school absence are out of date
The former Conservative leader claimed that more than 90,000 pupils are now absent from school. Read
Fact check
Health
Daily Express is wrong to say most people would ignore a Christmas lockdown
This came from an online survey on the Express website, which means it does not represent the country as a whole. Read
Fact check
Evidence you can rely on
Fact checking claims made by politicians, public figures and viral online content can give you the full picture backed by the evidence.
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