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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Legislative History of CARES Act Doesn’t Prove COVID-19 Conspiracy

Legislative History of CARES Act Doesn’t Prove COVID-19 Conspiracy

Social media posts falsely claim that the CARES Act was introduced Jan. 24, 2019 to perpetuate the falsehood that the COVID-19 pandemic was planned or known about in advance. The CARES Act was introduced March 25 as a substitute amendment, replacing the title and language of an older, unrelated bill.

Gowdy Didn’t Author Viral Conspiracy Theory

Gowdy Didn’t Author Viral Conspiracy Theory

A viral Facebook post, spreading a political conspiracy theory about COVID-19, is wrongly attributed to former Rep. Trey Gowdy. Gowdy confirmed to us that he did not write the post in question.

Video: Trump Twists Fauci’s Words

Video: Trump Twists Fauci’s Words

In this video, we show how President Donald Trump misquoted Dr. Anthony Fauci’s remarks in late February about the threat that the novel coronavirus posed for Americans.

Trump Wrong About Ventilators

Trump Wrong About Ventilators

President Donald Trump falsely claimed that his administration was not initially able to meet the increasing demand for ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients because “we weren’t left ventilators by a previous administration.”

Large Retail Employees Have Been Victims of COVID-19

Large Retail Employees Have Been Victims of COVID-19

A viral post falsely claims Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Target and Costco — while staying open during the COVID-19 pandemic — “have not had any reported cases” of employees contracting the coronavirus. There have been news reports across the U.S. of workers at those companies becoming infected or dying of the disease.

An April Filled with Repeats

An April Filled with Repeats

The president has used the coronavirus briefings to repeatedly misstate the facts about his administration’s handling of the pandemic, the economy and trade with China.

The White House Isn’t Selling Coronavirus Coins

The White House Isn’t Selling Coronavirus Coins

Headlines shared across social media caused some to wrongly believe the White House is selling coins commemorating the COVID-19 pandemic. The coin referenced is being sold by the White House Gift Shop, which is a private company based in Pennsylvania.

Stay-at-Home Policies Treat Mosques Same as Churches

Stay-at-Home Policies Treat Mosques Same as Churches

A Facebook post claims that mosques have been allowed to remain open for services, while churches have not. But all places of worship are treated the same by state regulations that prohibit religious gatherings in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Video: Understanding COVID-19 Antibody Tests

Video: Understanding COVID-19 Antibody Tests

In this video, we take a look at COVID-19 antibody tests, which can reveal whether someone was previously infected with the novel coronavirus — and explain why a positive or negative result may not always be so easy to interpret.