Get the facts on the new coronavirus
Our fact checkers are fighting to protect people from bad information about Covid-19.
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How you can fact check claims about the new coronavirus
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…How you can fact check claims about the new coronavirus
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.
What you need to know about the claims 23 people died after getting the Covid-19 vaccine in Norway
Norway has since adjusted its advice for vaccinating the very elderly.
You don’t need your NHS number to get a Covid-19 vaccine
A widely shared post on social media claims people who don’t know their NHS number are causing a ‘bottleneck’.
The laws introducing a third English lockdown do not make the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory
Parliament did vote on new regulations on Wednesday, but these new rules didn’t make vaccines mandatory.
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.
The problem with coronavirus transmission in hospitals
Full Fact investigates what we know about Covid-19 transmission in hospitals, and what we don’t.
Covid-19 is an infectious disease, and a video claiming it isn’t is wrong
The woman in this video is wrong to blame radiation—and wrong about other things as well
Research suggesting increased Covid-19 risk for dog-owners may be barking up the wrong tree
The research claims dog walkers have a higher risk of catching Covid-19 but it has a number of methodological flaws.
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.
Matt Hancock got the evidence about long Covid wrong
Younger people and those with milder illness seem less likely to be affected, according to data from the Covid Symptom Study app
What did the lockdown rules say when Dominic Cummings travelled to Durham?
Some of his choices were not specifically permitted, and it appears that he did not fully explore the alternatives, as was required.
Can children transmit the new coronavirus to other people?
The evidence to date suggests that it is uncommon for children to transmit the new coronavirus. Widespread antibody testing is required to fully understand this issue.
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.
The needles in some syringes are supposed to ‘disappear’
Some syringes have a spring which retracts the needle once the dose is administered.
Can we believe the lockdown sceptics?
Evidence does not support the theories of sceptics like Peter Hitchens, Ivor Cummins and Mike Yeadon
The problem with coronavirus transmission in hospitals
Full Fact investigates what we know about Covid-19 transmission in hospitals, and what we don’t.
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.
You don’t need your NHS number to get a Covid-19 vaccine
A widely shared post on social media claims people who don’t know their NHS number are causing a ‘bottleneck’.
PPE: What actually happened during the first wave?
FOI data from NHS trusts reveals the central supply chain used data that didn’t always show the picture on the ground when sending out PPE stock.
The problem with coronavirus transmission in hospitals
Full Fact investigates what we know about Covid-19 transmission in hospitals, and what we don’t.
Treatment
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.
You don’t need your NHS number to get a Covid-19 vaccine
A widely shared post on social media claims people who don’t know their NHS number are causing a ‘bottleneck’.
PPE: What actually happened during the first wave?
FOI data from NHS trusts reveals the central supply chain used data that didn’t always show the picture on the ground when sending out PPE stock.
The problem with coronavirus transmission in hospitals
Full Fact investigates what we know about Covid-19 transmission in hospitals, and what we don’t.
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.
Video falsely claims PCR tests insert ‘nanoparticles’ into brain
The video on social media is wrong to suggest it is dangerous to be tested for Covid-19.
A kiwi fruit did not test “positive” for Covid
If we stick to using rapid tests on humans, they very rarely give false positives.
What you need to know about the claims 23 people died after getting the Covid-19 vaccine in Norway
Norway has since adjusted its advice for vaccinating the very elderly.
Ask Full Fact
We've asked readers to send in their questions about the new coronavirus, to help sort the good information from the bad. Check out our answers here.
Millions—not thousands—caught Covid last year
Doctors only report a small fraction of infections through the NOIDs system.
Can we believe the lockdown sceptics?
Evidence does not support the theories of sceptics like Peter Hitchens, Ivor Cummins and Mike Yeadon
What does the new lockdown mean for childcare in England?
Our readers have asked us how the new lockdown rules affect childcare.
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.
Video falsely claims PCR tests insert ‘nanoparticles’ into brain
The video on social media is wrong to suggest it is dangerous to be tested for Covid-19.
73,444 deaths registered in 2020 in England and Wales had Covid-19 as the underlying cause
In 2020, 73,444 deaths were registered in England and Wales with Covid-19 as the underlying cause.
A kiwi fruit did not test “positive” for Covid
If we stick to using rapid tests on humans, they very rarely give false positives.
Thank you
We are grateful to all our donors for supporting us to tackle dangerously false claims during this global crisis.