Coronavirus: The Infodemic -- October 23

Daily Debunk Claim: "A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that an 'overwhelming majority' of individuals who contacted coronavirus had worn a mask or face covering, proving that neither are effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19." Verdict: Mostly false Read the full story at: snopes.com Social Media Disinfo Circulating on social media: "After an Ontario politician condemned the Canadian federal government’s Covid-19 quarantine sites as “internment camps,” social media posts suggested that these sites would eventually be used to jail Canadians. This is false; the sites are facilities rented by the federal government for travellers who have no alternative for mandatory quarantine, Health Canada told AFP." Verdict: False Read the full story at: AFP Fact Check Factual Reads on Coronavirus Improving pandemic preparedness: Lessons from COVID-19 The United States and the world were caught unprepared by the COVID-19 pandemic despite decades of warnings of the threat of global pandemics and years of international planning. -- Council on Foreign Relations, October 2020 The coronavirus test results that predict an outbreak's course Viral levels in people infected with SARS-CoV-2 in a specific town or city could be used to assess whether the epidemic there has passed its peak. -- Nature, October 19 Coronavirus can last 28 days on glass and currency, study finds Findings from the study by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, appear to show that in a very controlled environment the virus remained infectious for longer than other studies have found. -- Reuters, October 11 Eight Persistent COVID-19 Myths and Why People Believe Them From a human-made virus to vaccine conspiracy theories, we rounded up the most insidious false claims about the pandemic -- Scientific American, October 12 5 Things to Know About a COVID Vaccine: It Won’t Be a ‘Magic Wand’ President Donald Trump makes no secret he would like a COVID-19 vaccine to be available before the election. But it’s doubtful that will happen. -- Kaiser Health News, October 5 Watch: Antibodies, immunity, and what they mean for Covid-19, explained The immune system is no wimp. When pathogens cause illness, it kicks into high gear. Cells work together to tag, kill and gobble up invaders as they fight the infection. -- Stat, May 5 The race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide Eight ways in which scientists hope to provide immunity to SARS-CoV-2.  -- Nature, April 28   The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections COVID19 Infodemics Observatory Agence France Presse Snopes BuzzFeed Factcheck.org Associated Press Washington Post TruthOrFiction Mapping COVID-19 Casualties   Reliable Coronavirus Information World Health Organization U.S. Centers for Disease Control Federation of American Scientists Emergency Physicians Johns Hopkins University & Medicine​ Pan American Health Organization Google COVID‑19 Information & Resources