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.
ONS release doesn’t show vaccines ‘killing in huge numbers’
An ONS bulletin about Covid-19 deaths by vaccination status does not show the vaccine is killing people in huge numbers.
Instagram post's claims about myocarditis in children not supported by official data
Social media claims that 1 in 40 children now get myocarditis are based on limited evidence—and ignore official evidence to the contrary.
Vaccine boosters post wrongly says people not offered Covid-19 vaccine ‘declined’ it
Young children were not offered the vaccine at all, and most people were not offered the autumn booster. There are problems with the total population estimates too.
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.
Instagram post misrepresents study linking climate change and diseases
Research linking climate change to strokes, dementia and migraines is not a cover up for Covid-19 vaccine harms, as Instagram user claims.
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.
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.
Mask mandates did not immediately control a Covid-19 wave in 2020
There is evidence that masks work to reduce the spread of Covid-19, but making them compulsory did not reverse a wave in the summer of 2020.
Vaccinated people are not more likely to die of Covid-19
A blog post looks at how many vaccinated vs unvaccinated people have died, while ignoring mortality rates.
Covid-19 vaccines do not harm fertility
An article from the misinformation site, the Exposé, is full of false information about fertility, based on misrepresented science.
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.
Egg yolks not shown to fight Covid-19
Social media posts claiming egg yolks could be a key in fighting Covid-19 infections misinterpret the research and falsely link it to egg shortages.
Russell Brand admits falsely claiming that ivermectin is a Covid-19 treatment
A page of the National Institutes of Health website says that ivermectin is not recommended, and does not work, as a treatment for Covid-19.
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.
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.
Claims exaggerate the number of Covid-19 deaths in 2022
Far fewer people are dying of Covid-19 in 2022 compared with 2021 and 2020—although some sources of data make the numbers look higher.
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.
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.
ONS release doesn’t show vaccines ‘killing in huge numbers’
An ONS bulletin about Covid-19 deaths by vaccination status does not show the vaccine is killing people in huge numbers.
Instagram post's claims about myocarditis in children not supported by official data
Social media claims that 1 in 40 children now get myocarditis are based on limited evidence—and ignore official evidence to the contrary.
Vaccine boosters post wrongly says people not offered Covid-19 vaccine ‘declined’ it
Young children were not offered the vaccine at all, and most people were not offered the autumn booster. There are problems with the total population estimates too.
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.
Covid-19 is not a ‘simple flu’
A Facebook post calling for an investigation into the Covid-19 pandemic falsely claims the government “knew” the virus was a “simple flu”.
ONS release doesn’t show vaccines ‘killing in huge numbers’
An ONS bulletin about Covid-19 deaths by vaccination status does not show the vaccine is killing people in huge numbers.
Instagram post's claims about myocarditis in children not supported by official data
Social media claims that 1 in 40 children now get myocarditis are based on limited evidence—and ignore official evidence to the contrary.
Thank you
We are grateful to all our donors for supporting us to tackle dangerously false claims during this global crisis.