# Debunking COVID19 fake news.



## Dela Rey Steyn (24/3/20)

Hi fellow Forumites, we have a great tracking system to keep track and verify potential fake news regarding COVID19 circulating on Social media and Whatsapp. 

I'll share a few below as examples. If you receive something and you are unsure, upload it here and I can forward it to our cluster for verification.

Reactions: Winner 3


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## Hooked (24/3/20)

@Dela Rey Steyn,

Is there any way in which an indivual can identify fake news? I've been "busted" on FB for sharing fake news. It was something to do with Corona Virus which I shared and I received an email stating that it's fake news. I'm terrified that I'm going to be arrested!

EDIT:
How rude and self-centered of me not to even thank you for your offer of debunking news! That's very kind of you indeed!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Dela Rey Steyn (25/3/20)

Hooked said:


> @Dela Rey Steyn,
> 
> Is there any way in which an indivual can identify fake news? I've been "busted" on FB for sharing fake news. It was something to do with Corona Virus which I shared and I received an email stating that it's fake news. I'm terrified that I'm going to be arrested!
> 
> ...



My apologies for the late reply @Hooked . 

First steps you can always take is to do some research before you re-share, Google is your friend. Check in the obvious places first, WHO's website, your local government websites etc. If you are still uncertain, upload it here on this thread for me to forward to our Cluster leader. They have an excellent team that verifies and researches viral posts. Hope this helps.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Dela Rey Steyn (25/3/20)




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## Dela Rey Steyn (25/3/20)




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## Dela Rey Steyn (25/3/20)



Reactions: Creative 1


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## Dela Rey Steyn (25/3/20)




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## Hooked (25/3/20)

Oh. My. Vape. How could the original author of the post even do something like this? Clearly someone with a sick (as in the real meaning of the word) sense of humour.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Adephi (25/3/20)

Personally I have gotten to the point where I don't believe anything shared on facebook or whatsapp. If its not from the WHO, NICD or backed with official links to a government site I brush it off.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## blujeenz (26/3/20)

How about this one?

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 2


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## mad_hatter (26/3/20)

blujeenz said:


> How about this one?
> 
> View attachment 192906



Nvm. The UK is crazy for doing this

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## blujeenz (26/3/20)

Here's another one on the Italy deaths supposedly due to Covid19.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Dela Rey Steyn (26/3/20)

I'll forward them on @blujeenz , will update you as soon as i have an answer

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1


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## Dela Rey Steyn (26/3/20)

blujeenz said:


> How about this one?
> 
> View attachment 192906



Confirmed True:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/high-consequence-infectious-diseases-hcid

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1 | Informative 1


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## Room Fogger (26/3/20)

blujeenz said:


> How about this one?
> 
> View attachment 192906


@mad_hatter , it’s seems shocking and against everything we have been seeing/ been told up to now, but they have now freed up a major number of beds to allow for the treatment of those infected in all hospitals with contamination control measures instead of just selected ones with limited capacity. If managed correctly, this may make a huge difference, and I may be wrong as I’m no medical guru. They have good medical infrastructure so it may be possible for them to do this, will it work here, I’m don’t think so, our infrastructure is just not up to scratch imho.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Dela Rey Steyn (26/3/20)

blujeenz said:


> Here's another one on the Italy deaths supposedly due to Covid19.
> View attachment 192908



These test were done by an Independent Italian Institute:
https://www.epicentro.iss.it/chi-siamo/chi_siamo

It is their findings and have not been confirmed by any other source.

Original Study ( It's in Italian, but you can translate it easily using google translate):
https://www.epicentro.iss.it/coronavirus/bollettino/Report-COVID-2019_17_marzo-v2.pdf

So essentially it is not "False"but it has not been verified by any other institution.

Reactions: Like 2 | Thanks 1


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## Dela Rey Steyn (26/3/20)

Room Fogger said:


> @mad_hatter , it’s seems shocking and against everything we have been seeing/ been told up to now, but they have now freed up a major number of beds to allow for the treatment of those infected in all hospitals with contamination control measures instead of just selected ones with limited capacity. If managed correctly, this may make a huge difference, and I may be wrong as I’m no medical guru. They have good medical infrastructure so it may be possible for them to do this, will it work here, I’m don’t think so, our infrastructure is just not up to scratch imho.



Yes, this seems to have been done, not to take away from the seriousness of the disease itself, but rather to allow protocol to accommodate a growing number of patients outside of specialized facilities too lighten the load on the overall Healthcare system.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ARYANTO (27/3/20)

*Pets and hand sanitiser- News24*

A Facebook post claiming that hand sanitiser is harmful to pets is equally fake. "Please do not pet your dog or any pet after using hand sanitiser. It contains ethanol glycol that’s also found in anti-freeze that’s toxic to them! (sic)" the post claims. 

Africa Check has dismissed this.

"Hand sanitiser does not contain ethylene glycol. Most sanitisers contain a form of alcohol, such as ethyl alcohol, as a form of antiseptic, says the US Food and Drug Administration. Britannica explains that ethyl alcohol, known mainly as ethanol, is well known as the ingredient of many alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits.

"Ingesting large quantities of hand sanitiser could have an effect on pets, but a lick of hand sanitiser won’t hurt a child or anyone else," Africa Check writes on its website. 

Africa Check also debunked a social media post that states the new coronavirus can be cured by gargling salt or vinegar water. The post says that before the coronavirus reaches the lungs, it remains in the throat for four days. At this stage, the virus can be "eliminated" by gargling with warm water and salt or vinegar.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## alex1501 (27/3/20)

Dela Rey Steyn said:


> These test were done by an Independent Italian Institute:
> https://www.epicentro.iss.it/chi-siamo/chi_siamo
> 
> It is their findings and have not been confirmed by any other source.
> ...



Numbers fall in line with this study:
https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(19)30328-5/fulltext

and full pdf:

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Grand Guru (27/3/20)

It’s just true @Room Fogger. Claiming that Covid19 patients will be managed in dedicated “specialized” facilities in ANY country is plain foolish. The numbers are way too high. This pandemic will stop when roughly 50 to 70% of the population of the affected countries and at this stage we can comfortably say the World population has been infected and herd immunity is acquired.
I can confidently say that every single healthcare facility public and private, from the biggest to the smallest will deal with this epidemic whether willingly or unwillingly, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
It is better that we have all healthcare professionals prepared for it.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Dela Rey Steyn (27/3/20)

alex1501 said:


> Numbers fall in line with this study:
> https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(19)30328-5/fulltext
> 
> and full pdf:



Seems like Italy was a perfect storm waiting to happen. Doesn't give me a lot of hope for our large immuno-compromised and TB stricken community's

Reactions: Agree 2 | Can relate 1


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## Hooked (27/3/20)

ARYANTO said:


> *Pets and hand sanitiser- News24*
> 
> A Facebook post claiming that hand sanitiser is harmful to pets is equally fake. "Please do not pet your dog or any pet after using hand sanitiser. It contains ethanol glycol that’s also found in anti-freeze that’s toxic to them! (sic)" the post claims.
> 
> ...



The author of the post about gargling with salt or vinegar water should be charged with attempted murder, because that's what it is!!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Grand Guru (28/3/20)

Hooked said:


> The author of the post about gargling with salt or vinegar water should be charged with attempted murder, because that's what it is!!


There’s nothing wrong in gargling with salt water. It’s a good antiseptic solution... it is commonly used to clean wounds but can also be used to clean the mouth and throat if you don’t have a proper mouth wash solution.

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## Dela Rey Steyn (28/3/20)

Grand Guru said:


> There’s nothing wrong in gargling with salt water. It’s a good antiseptic solution... it is commonly used to clean wounds but can also be used to clean the mouth and throat if you don’t have a proper mouth wash solution.



A Saline solution (Saltwater) has great antimicrobial properties, but it will do nothing to prevent or cure Covid-19

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## Grand Guru (28/3/20)

Dela Rey Steyn said:


> A Saline solution (Saltwater) has great antimicrobial properties, but it will do nothing to prevent or cure Covid-19


True. Unless you're going to gargle every 15 minutes

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## Hooked (28/3/20)

Grand Guru said:


> There’s nothing wrong in gargling with salt water. It’s a good antiseptic solution... it is commonly used to clean wounds but can also be used to clean the mouth and throat if you don’t have a proper mouth wash solution.



True - but I doubt that it could kill the virus. If only it were that simple ...

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## leila_mcdonald (29/3/20)

There is definitely too much panic because of covid 19

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## Grand Guru (29/3/20)

leila_mcdonald said:


> There is definitely too much panic because of covid 19


Would you explain?

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## Hooked (29/3/20)

leila_mcdonald said:


> There is definitely too much panic because of covid 19



So thousands of deaths world-wide from something which is easy to contract is too much to panic about? I'd like to know what you would panic about then.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## alex1501 (29/3/20)

Hooked said:


> So thousands of deaths world-wide from something which is easy to contract is too much to panic about? I'd like to know what you would panic about then.



When did panic solve anything? Solutions are needed, panic is only counterproductive.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## blujeenz (29/3/20)

leila_mcdonald said:


> There is definitely too much panic because of covid 19



I agree, back in 2009 with the swine flu there was no mass hysteria with mass buying of toilet paper, masks and gloves.
The only difference between then and now is how MSM have pushed Covid19 almost as a PR exercise .

Some quotes from specialists: https://off-guardian.org/2020/03/24/12-experts-questioning-the-coronavirus-panic/



> *Dr Yoram Lass* is an Israeli physician, politician and former Director General of the Health Ministry. He also worked as Associate Dean of the Tel Aviv University Medical School and during the 1980s presented the science-based television show Tatzpit.
> 
> What he says:
> 
> ...






> *Dr John Ioannidis* Professor of Medicine, of Health Research and Policy and of Biomedical Data Science, at Stanford University School of Medicine and a Professor of Statistics at Stanford University School of Humanities and Sciences. He is director of the Stanford Prevention Research Center, and co-director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS).
> 
> He is also the editor-in-chief of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation. He was chairman at the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine as well as adjunct professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
> 
> ...

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 2


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## Hooked (29/3/20)

alex1501 said:


> When did panic solve anything? Solutions are needed, panic is only counterproductive.



Ah, I understand. Yes, that's true.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Hooked (29/3/20)

blujeenz said:


> I agree, back in 2009 with the swine flu there was no mass hysteria with mass buying of toilet paper, masks and gloves.
> The only difference between then and now is how MSM have pushed Covid19 almost as a PR exercise .
> 
> Some quotes from specialists: https://off-guardian.org/2020/03/24/12-experts-questioning-the-coronavirus-panic/



Hmmmm it does make for a different - and interesting - perspective.

I was actually thinking about the death rate earlier this evening. The USA has about 2,300 deaths to date, but what % is that of the total population?

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## blujeenz (29/3/20)

Hooked said:


> Hmmmm it does make for a different - and interesting - perspective.
> 
> I was actually thinking about the death rate earlier this evening. The USA has about 2,300 deaths to date, but what % is that of the total population?



The current population of *the United States of America* is *330,504,704* as of Sunday, March 29, 2020, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
the United States 2020 population is estimated at *331,002,651 *people at mid year according to UN data.

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## Hooked (30/3/20)

blujeenz said:


> The current population of *the United States of America* is *330,504,704* as of Sunday, March 29, 2020, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
> the United States 2020 population is estimated at *331,002,651 *people at mid year according to UN data.



Thanks for this @blujeenz. Deaths in the USA from Corona was 2,485 yesterday (Sun. 29 March) which is 
0,000752% of the total population. The figures don't look so scary when one looks at it this way!

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## Jean claude Vaaldamme (30/3/20)

Uhm, why compare deaths with total population? The total population dont have the virus.
I think USA death rate from virus is close to 2%, so if you let virus go, you can loose 2% of population without the other "normal" deaths.
And these 2% death rates is just while countries can manage the sick. As soon as the numbers get to high for the healthcare system, then the death rate increase, like in Italy

Reactions: Agree 2


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