Get the facts on Covid-19
Our fact checkers are fighting to protect people from bad information about Covid-19.
Top articles
How you can fact check claims about Covid-19
There’s a lot of misinformation about Covid-19, so Full Fact is sharing its top tips on how to check if a claim is true.
No evidence Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine affects women’s fertility
The vaccine causes an immune response to a spike protein, but this almost certainly won’t make the body attack the placenta.
RNA Covid-19 vaccines will not change your DNA
Several candidate vaccines use this technology.
The Covid-19 recovery rate is not 99.9%
Posts on social media have overestimated the Covid recovery rate.
Full Fact fights bad information
Bad information ruins lives. It promotes hate, damages people’s health, and hurts democracy. You deserve better.
Vaccines
Vaccine misinformation is dangerous and threatens to prolong the pandemic. Stay informed with our latest fact checks.
Mpox isn’t in the Covid vaccine
Mpox is not an ingredient in AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine.
Doctor makes misleading Covid vaccine claims on Diary of a CEO podcast
On Steven Bartlett’s popular podcast, Dr Aseem Malhotra claimed there would have been fewer deaths without Covid-19 vaccines.
ONS data doesn’t show four Covid vaccine doses raise risk of death
This is based on official data that warns against drawing comparisons in this way.
Causes
There is more than one “coronavirus” and they’ve existed for years. There’s no evidence anybody manufactured it deliberately, and it has nothing to do with 5G.
Betty White did not get a Covid-19 booster vaccine three days before she died
Multiple social media posts falsely report actress Betty White had her third Covid vaccine three days before she died.
SARS-CoV-2 does exist
It has now been sequenced over a million times in the UK.
Social media post appears to overstate risk of vaccine blood clots
A Facebook post implies the risk of developing a blood clot or heart problem from a Covid-19 vaccine outweighs the benefits.
Symptoms
The key symptoms are usually a high temperature and a new, continuous cough. Other symptoms like a runny nose don’t rule it out.
Instagram post misrepresents study linking climate change and diseases
Research linking climate change to strokes, dementia and migraines is not a cover up for Covid-19 vaccine harms, as Instagram user claims.
Mirror wrong to say catching Covid in warm weather cuts risk of long Covid
Surveys on the prevalence of long Covid did not measure the difference between groups of people based on when they caught Covid in the first place, nor necessarily based on when they experienced long
Washington Post overstates prevalence of long Covid
The Washington Post claimed at least 50% of people who survive Covid-19 have debilitating health issues in the months afterwards. Official estimates are far lower.
Prevention
There’s no evidence that water or high temperatures will prevent infection, though some are good for your health in general. Washing your hands with soap is best.
No graphene oxide in Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine
The substance was used as a tool to study a sample during the vaccine’s development. It is not an ingredient in the vaccine itself.
Instagram post lacks vital context about Covid deaths among the vaccinated
Virtually all the most vulnerable people are vaccinated against Covid, so most of the people who die of it are too.
5G is not triggering nanotechnology in the Covid vaccines
A video showing people collapsing claims to show deaths due to 5G activating ingredients injected into them.
Treatment
There’s currently no proven cure for the virus and you should be wary of methods professing to cure it like hot drinks or gargling salt water.
Covid-19 vaccines did not kill 30 people at one clinic in New Zealand
This claim comes from an activist who supplied no supporting evidence. It is contradicted by data on deaths published by the New Zealand government.
Egg yolks not shown to fight Covid-19
Social media posts claiming egg yolks could be a key in fighting Covid-19 infections misinterpret the research and falsely link it to egg shortages.
Russell Brand admits falsely claiming that ivermectin is a Covid-19 treatment
A page of the National Institutes of Health website says that ivermectin is not recommended, and does not work, as a treatment for Covid-19.
Statistics
Use sources like NHS England and the ONS for figures on deaths and testing, but be aware they’re not always up-to-date and may not cover all cases so far.
UKHSA posts graphs based on non-existent data
Graphs showing “data for 2023-24” posted by the UKHSA on X aren’t actually based on real data.
ONS data doesn’t show four Covid vaccine doses raise risk of death
This is based on official data that warns against drawing comparisons in this way.
Was Boris Johnson right to dispute Covid Inquiry evidence on excess deaths?
Pandemic deaths in the UK were indeed among the worst in western Europe as the Inquiry had heard—but also about in the middle, by the standards of Europe as a whole, as Mr Johnson said.
Viral posts on social media
If you’re not sure, don’t share. Many posts falsely claim to be from the government or NHS, and you can reverse-search photos online to check they’re accurate.
Doctor makes misleading Covid vaccine claims on Diary of a CEO podcast
On Steven Bartlett’s popular podcast, Dr Aseem Malhotra claimed there would have been fewer deaths without Covid-19 vaccines.
Myocarditis after Covid vaccines doesn’t kill one in five
A video of a man talking to a pharmacist about myocarditis has resurfaced on social media. Claims in the video about the mortality rate of the condition are incorrect.
Covid-19 vaccines did not kill 30 people at one clinic in New Zealand
This claim comes from an activist who supplied no supporting evidence. It is contradicted by data on deaths published by the New Zealand government.
Ask Full Fact
We've asked readers to send in their questions about Covid-19, to help sort the good information from the bad. Check out our answers here.
Pregnancy, vaccination and going to work - what does the guidance say?
Readers have asked us what the guidance says on going into work while pregnant, and what employers need to do to ensure safety.
Viral video makes incorrect claims about teenagers and vaccine consent
A 2020 court case, known as Bell vs Tavistock, doesn’t mean it’s illegal to vaccinate teenagers without parental consent or a court order
No evidence Covid-19 vaccines are 'overwhelming' NHS services
A website article misleadingly claims the Covid-19 vaccine drive has “overwhelmed” the NHS.
All Covid-19 fact checks
It’s vital that everyone receives clear, factual information about Covid-19. We are working to correct misinformation about the virus.
Viruses are real and you can ‘catch’ them
Despite claims to the contrary, viruses are real and have been sequenced many times.
UKHSA posts graphs based on non-existent data
Graphs showing “data for 2023-24” posted by the UKHSA on X aren’t actually based on real data.
Mpox isn’t in the Covid vaccine
Mpox is not an ingredient in AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine.
Thank you
We are grateful to all our donors for supporting us to tackle dangerously false claims during this global crisis.