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.
Tweet claiming three child deaths from vaccines in Australia is fake
A tweet purporting to come from an Australian health official claimed three children had died of Covid-19 vaccines in Australia. This is false and the tweet is fake.
Pfizer’s CEO has had Covid-19 vaccine
A video of Albert Bourla saying he hasn’t been vaccinated for Covid-19 yet is from December 2020.
UKHSA data reaffirms that vaccines work against Omicron
An online article has again misinterpreted data from the UKHSA to claim vaccines don’t prevent Covid-19 hospitalisation and death.
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.
Met Police has not launched an investigation into the Covid-19 vaccine programme
Posts on Facebook falsely claim that the Metropolitan Police is investigating the Covid-19 vaccine programme.
Japan has never enforced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate
An Instagram post claims that Japan has dropped Covid-19 vaccine mandates even though it has never enforced one.
Doctor who challenged Sajid Javid made misleading claims about vaccines
A doctor who challenged Sajid Javid on live TV misleadingly suggested Covid-19 vaccines are less effective than the evidence suggests.
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.
Photos of swimming pool with social distancing screens is genuine
Photos shared on Facebook show a swimming pool where users have to stand between social distancing screens in the water.
Tweet claiming three child deaths from vaccines in Australia is fake
A tweet purporting to come from an Australian health official claimed three children had died of Covid-19 vaccines in Australia. This is false and the tweet is fake.
Met Police has not launched an investigation into the Covid-19 vaccine programme
Posts on Facebook falsely claim that the Metropolitan Police is investigating the Covid-19 vaccine programme.
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.
Japan has never enforced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate
An Instagram post claims that Japan has dropped Covid-19 vaccine mandates even though it has never enforced one.
Doctor who challenged Sajid Javid made misleading claims about vaccines
A doctor who challenged Sajid Javid on live TV misleadingly suggested Covid-19 vaccines are less effective than the evidence suggests.
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.
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.
Met Police has not launched an investigation into the Covid-19 vaccine programme
Posts on Facebook falsely claim that the Metropolitan Police is investigating the Covid-19 vaccine programme.
An Instagram post underestimates Covid-19 deaths among younger people
Just over 17,000 people under 65 died of the disease in England and Wales, up to the end of November 2021.
Boris Johnson misspoke about unvaccinated people in ICU
Around 90% of Covid ICU admissions have not received a booster, but only about 61% are not vaccinated at all.
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.
Fake government guidance is wrong about face masks and equality laws
A post on Instagram misquotes sections of the Equality Act.
Photos of swimming pool with social distancing screens is genuine
Photos shared on Facebook show a swimming pool where users have to stand between social distancing screens in the water.
Tweet claiming three child deaths from vaccines in Australia is fake
A tweet purporting to come from an Australian health official claimed three children had died of Covid-19 vaccines in Australia. This is false and the tweet is fake.
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.
Fake government guidance is wrong about face masks and equality laws
A post on Instagram misquotes sections of the Equality Act.
Photos of swimming pool with social distancing screens is genuine
Photos shared on Facebook show a swimming pool where users have to stand between social distancing screens in the water.
Tweet claiming three child deaths from vaccines in Australia is fake
A tweet purporting to come from an Australian health official claimed three children had died of Covid-19 vaccines in Australia. This is false and the tweet is fake.
Thank you
We are grateful to all our donors for supporting us to tackle dangerously false claims during this global crisis.