The Infodemic: COVID-19 Pandemic Is More Lethal than Past Flu Seasons

Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from other reliable sources here​.

Daily Debunk

Claim: "COVID-19 is less lethal than the last two flu seasons."

So far, more than 318,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 133,200 people died from influenza during the last three flu seasons. That’s less than half the number of people who have died in the U.S. this year from COVID-19.

Verdict: False

Read the full story at: KHOU

Social Media Disinfo

Circulating on social media: Numerous Facebook and Twitter posts in Thailand claim a rise in tiny particle air pollutants, known as PM 2.5, will significantly increase the mortality rate of Covid-19 in Thailand.

Verdict: Misleading

Read the full story at: AFP Fact Check

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

What We Know About the New U.K Variant of Coronavirus — And What We Need To Find Out
A new variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in England and raising international alarms. Scientists say the variant is likely more contagious than previous versions of the virus.
— NPR, December 22

How gendered disinformation adapts to the context of Covid-19
— European Federation of Journalists, December 21