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.
Read more…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.
Facebook image promoting vaccine damage payments scheme is not an official government poster
The poster includes a link to a genuine scheme, which has existed since before the pandemic, under which people severely disabled by vaccines can apply for £120,000.
Covid vaccines haven’t been mandated in the EU ‘under the radar’ under ‘Resolution 2361’
A post on Facebook claims that the European Council has removed its objection to mandatory Covid-19 vaccines.
No evidence hepatitis in children is caused by vaccinated breastfeeding mothers
An article shared on Facebook claims that most children with hepatitis were breastfed by fully vaccinated mothers.
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.
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.
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.
Vaccinated Brits won’t have AIDS by the end of February 2022
An article posted on Facebook makes baseless claims that vaccines cause AIDS and will lead to a huge number of deaths in children.
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.
Express publishes misleading article about safety of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine
A recently published US document listing adverse events does not show “side effects” of the vaccine. Nor is it the first time the public have been able to see data from its clinical trials.
Maajid Nawaz got Covid-19 facts wrong on the Joe Rogan podcast
The former LBC broadcaster made misleading claims about vaccines, infection rates and death tolls.
Estimating vaccine effectiveness by comparing case rates is seriously flawed
A common form of misinformation in recent months, comparing case rates does not give a reliable estimate of vaccine effectiveness.
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.
News clip doesn’t prove Queen is being treated with ivermectin
Screenshots and clips of an Australian news segment about Queen Elizabeth II have been shared widely online.
Vaccinated Brits won’t have AIDS by the end of February 2022
An article posted on Facebook makes baseless claims that vaccines cause AIDS and will lead to a huge number of deaths in children.
Video filmed at police station is filled with Covid-19 vaccine misinformation
A video shared on Facebook of police speaking to vaccine sceptics is littered with unfounded claims about a non-existent investigation into Covid vaccinations.
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.
There were not 65,000 flu deaths in the winter of 2017/18
We’re not sure where this number comes from, but official estimates suggest it’s more than double the true figure.
Number of death certificates with only Covid-19 is a bad estimate of the death toll
To the end of 2021, over 150,000 deaths in the UK had been registered with Covid-19 as the underlying cause.
GB News interview features misleading claims about Covid-19 and vaccines
Mark Steyn and Dr Guy Hatchard made a number of misleading claims about unreviewed studies, excess deaths and underlying risk factors.
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.
Facebook image promoting vaccine damage payments scheme is not an official government poster
The poster includes a link to a genuine scheme, which has existed since before the pandemic, under which people severely disabled by vaccines can apply for £120,000.
The Lancet didn’t say Covid-19 vaccines are only 1% effective
This claim appears to be based on a misunderstanding of a 2021 article that suggested a different measure of effectiveness be published alongside the usual measure.
There were not 65,000 flu deaths in the winter of 2017/18
We’re not sure where this number comes from, but official estimates suggest it’s more than double the true figure.
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.
£37 billion was the two-year budget for NHS Test and Trace, not how much was spent
Posts questioning where the £37 billion allocated to Test and Trace was spent have been shared hundreds of times on social media.
Facebook image promoting vaccine damage payments scheme is not an official government poster
The poster includes a link to a genuine scheme, which has existed since before the pandemic, under which people severely disabled by vaccines can apply for £120,000.
Covid vaccines haven’t been mandated in the EU ‘under the radar’ under ‘Resolution 2361’
A post on Facebook claims that the European Council has removed its objection to mandatory Covid-19 vaccines.
Thank you
We are grateful to all our donors for supporting us to tackle dangerously false claims during this global crisis.