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.
Concerns raised about legitimacy of research linking vaccines and heart attacks
It’s been claimed new research shows a link between Covid-19 vaccines and heart attacks. The research has serious flaws.
Children are more likely to die from Covid than vaccination
At least 25 children have sadly died from Covid in England alone, but we can find no evidence of a child dying as a result of the vaccine.
Vaccines don’t cause Covid-19
There are various reasons why Covid case rates may be higher in countries with higher vaccination rates. It isn’t evidence vaccines cause Covid.
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.
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.
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
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.
Catching Covid-19 is not less risky than vaccination
An Instagram post makes misleading claims about the Covid-19 survival rate and side effects from the vaccines.
No available evidence that vaccines caused teen deaths
A Facebook post misleadingly suggests Covid-19 vaccines were responsible for the deaths of 10 teenagers
No evidence linking deaths among children to vaccine rollout
An article by The Exposé makes a misleading link between official statistics on child deaths and Covid-19 vaccines.
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.
Boris Johnson did receive his third Covid-19 vaccine
Multiple Facebook posts suggest, incorrectly, that Boris Johnson may not have received his Covid booster vaccine.
Catching Covid-19 is not less risky than vaccination
An Instagram post makes misleading claims about the Covid-19 survival rate and side effects from the vaccines.
No available evidence that vaccines caused teen deaths
A Facebook post misleadingly suggests Covid-19 vaccines were responsible for the deaths of 10 teenagers
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.
Boris Johnson did receive his third Covid-19 vaccine
Multiple Facebook posts suggest, incorrectly, that Boris Johnson may not have received his Covid booster vaccine.
Catching Covid-19 is not less risky than vaccination
An Instagram post makes misleading claims about the Covid-19 survival rate and side effects from the vaccines.
No available evidence that vaccines caused teen deaths
A Facebook post misleadingly suggests Covid-19 vaccines were responsible for the deaths of 10 teenagers
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.
Catching Covid-19 is not less risky than vaccination
An Instagram post makes misleading claims about the Covid-19 survival rate and side effects from the vaccines.
No available evidence that vaccines caused teen deaths
A Facebook post misleadingly suggests Covid-19 vaccines were responsible for the deaths of 10 teenagers
Claims about changes to Pfizer vaccine for children miss important details
A misleading article says a Covid-19 vaccine designed for children includes a solution used to stabilise heart attack patients.
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.
Why conspiracists are linking the Omicron variant to the Illuminati
Some dubious linguistics are being used to link the extinct secret society to the new Covid-19 variant.
Boris Johnson did receive his third Covid-19 vaccine
Multiple Facebook posts suggest, incorrectly, that Boris Johnson may not have received his Covid booster vaccine.
Catching Covid-19 is not less risky than vaccination
An Instagram post makes misleading claims about the Covid-19 survival rate and side effects from the vaccines.
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.
Why conspiracists are linking the Omicron variant to the Illuminati
Some dubious linguistics are being used to link the extinct secret society to the new Covid-19 variant.
Boris Johnson did receive his third Covid-19 vaccine
Multiple Facebook posts suggest, incorrectly, that Boris Johnson may not have received his Covid booster vaccine.
Catching Covid-19 is not less risky than vaccination
An Instagram post makes misleading claims about the Covid-19 survival rate and side effects from the vaccines.
Thank you
We are grateful to all our donors for supporting us to tackle dangerously false claims during this global crisis.