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.
MP makes unevidenced claims about vaccine damage
Christopher Chope presented a number of misleading or unevidenced statements about Covid-19 vaccines to the House of Commons.
No evidence Covid-19 vaccine makes blood look different
A picture of two donations of blood claims they come from unvaccinated and vaccinated donors.
Covid-19 vaccines passed animal trials
All four vaccines approved for use in the UK have passed animal trials.
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.
Trafalgar Square “Freedom Rally” speech littered with false claims
Speaker Vernon Coleman made a litany of misleading claims to an audience of hundreds in Trafalgar Square
Covid variants weren’t planned
A TikTok video falsely claims the variants of Covid-19 were “made up”.
5G tower with ‘Delta’ power system is not related to Covid-19
Photos of a 5G tower supported by ‘Delta’ power system has nothing to do with Covid-19.
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.
Trafalgar Square “Freedom Rally” speech littered with false claims
Speaker Vernon Coleman made a litany of misleading claims to an audience of hundreds in Trafalgar Square
Covid variants weren’t planned
A TikTok video falsely claims the variants of Covid-19 were “made up”.
Study did not show 82% of pregnancies end in miscarriage after Covid vaccination
Study did not show 82% of pregnancies end in miscarriage after Covid vaccination.
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.
Covid vaccines aren’t comparable to thalidomide scandal
An Instagram post which compares the rollout of Covid vaccines with the thalidomide scandal, ignores the context and history these medicines exist in.
Vaccines do not raise your risk of catching Covid
The headline of a Daily Sceptic article misinterpreted the data in a PHE report— even though the report specifically warned against this.
An influencer muddled his maths on vaccines for children
The JCVI says that the Covid vaccines would probably do marginally more good than harm, even for healthy children.
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 vaccines aren’t comparable to thalidomide scandal
An Instagram post which compares the rollout of Covid vaccines with the thalidomide scandal, ignores the context and history these medicines exist in.
Pfizer’s new trial drug is not ivermectin in disguise
They are very different compounds.
Newspapers report Covid hospitalisations over seven months as over seven days
In the seven months to 29 August, 9,472 people in England stayed in hospital overnight with a confirmed case of the Delta variant.
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.
Vaccines do not raise your risk of catching Covid
The headline of a Daily Sceptic article misinterpreted the data in a PHE report— even though the report specifically warned against this.
Covid-19 is almost certainly killing more people than suicide
A Facebook post that suicide deaths are higher provides no evidence. And what evidence we have suggests the opposite.
Newspapers report Covid hospitalisations over seven months as over seven days
In the seven months to 29 August, 9,472 people in England stayed in hospital overnight with a confirmed case of the Delta variant.
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.
A video does not show anti-Rothschild protests
It shows a demonstration against pandemic rules outside the parliament building in Bern, Switzerland.
No evidence Covid-19 vaccine makes blood look different
A picture of two donations of blood claims they come from unvaccinated and vaccinated donors.
Pfizer’s new trial drug is not ivermectin in disguise
They are very different compounds.
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.
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.
Viral instagram video falsely claims Covid-19 was planned
A video falsely claims Covid-19 has been planned and its vaccine kills.
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.
MP makes unevidenced claims about vaccine damage
Christopher Chope presented a number of misleading or unevidenced statements about Covid-19 vaccines to the House of Commons.
Covid vaccines aren’t comparable to thalidomide scandal
An Instagram post which compares the rollout of Covid vaccines with the thalidomide scandal, ignores the context and history these medicines exist in.
A video does not show anti-Rothschild protests
It shows a demonstration against pandemic rules outside the parliament building in Bern, Switzerland.
Thank you
We are grateful to all our donors for supporting us to tackle dangerously false claims during this global crisis.