A conspiracy theory online baselessly suggests that the World Health Organization and other groups preplanned the variants of the novel coronavirus — citing a dubious timeline. But the timeline doesn’t square with the reality of when variants have been identified and designated thus far.
Issues: coronavirus
Video Twists Advice on Delta Variant and Vaccination
An epidemiologist recommended that people get the COVID-19 vaccine because some evidence suggests an unvaccinated person who gets the delta variant is “twice as likely to require hospital treatment” than someone infected with the alpha variant. But a Facebook video twists that advice to claim that he said vaccinated people would be twice as likely to be hospitalized.
Viral Posts Misrepresent CDC Announcement on COVID-19 PCR Test
Scientists consider polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests a highly reliable tool for diagnosing COVID-19. But social media posts are misrepresenting a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement regarding the eventual discontinuation of its own test, falsely claiming the government has conceded that PCR tests aren’t reliable.
Fauci and Paul, Round 2
Viral Posts Lift Bogus ‘Quarantine’ Story from Satire Site
Businessman’s Social Media Post Distorts Facts on Definition of a Pandemic
Mayim Bialik and Sons Got COVID-19 Vaccine
Photo Shows 2018 France World Cup Celebration, Not Vaccine Protest
Meme Spreads Falsehood About Vaccine Transfer Through Eating Meat
Meme Trumpets Falsehood About Delta Variant
The delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads more quickly than the original virus and has been classified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization. It is now the dominant variant in the U.S. But a meme has been circulating on Facebook falsely claiming the delta variant is “fake news.”