Was President Trump accurate when he stated that a study showed that lupus patients aren't catching the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The Lupus Foundation of America warns that people with the autoimmune disease are at a higher risk for infections such as the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Lead Stories could not find a study that supported the…
Is the installation of 5G in the United Kingdom a "cover-up" for a secret weapon deployment? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support the bizarre ramblings in a YouTube video making the claim. The poster suggested the fifth-generation wireless technology is a lethal weapon deployment being done while the country is following stay-at-home guidance due to the…
Did switching on 5G cause ducks to die "everywhere", as an online video suggests? No, that's not true: The fifth-generation cellular technology does not affect birds and cause mass die-offs, according to the National Audubon Society. The claim appeared in a video published on YouTube by Anonymous Geordie on March 31, 2020, titled "5G switched on and behold dead ducks…
Is it true that you cannot catch the novel coronavirus, as a viral video suggests? No, that's not true: Viruses are contagious. The video is filled with inaccuracies and medically false information. Lead Stories reached out to a medical doctor in Atlanta who called the video "total garbage." The claims appeared in a post (archived here) published on Facebook by…
Is an Israeli recipe for a drink that is made from lemon and bicarbonate a cure for the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true. There is simply no proof for the claim that a recipe of just the two ingredients can beat back COVID-19, which has killed more than 7,000 in the United States and tens of thousands more across…
Is COVID-19 a plan by the World Economic Forum to create a worldwide fascist government? And in this world, will people be rationed 1.2 ounces per week of lab-created protein by a one-world government? No, these claims are not true. Together, the assertions are another example of conspiracy hoaxes that have taken hold since the novel coronavirus spread late last…
Did Walmart and Sam's Club adopt a staggered schedule, allowing shoppers to visit on specific days only according to age groups to help combat COVID-19? No, that's not true: A meme that's circulating on social media to suggest this confusing schedule change has been shot down by an official Walmart Twitter account. The claim spread on social media, for example…
Is COVID-19 caused by 5G technology that is killing people around the world? No, that's not true. A video that went viral of a man claiming to be the former "head of the largest business unit at Vodafone," says that coronavirus is not killing people - but rather, 5G technology put up by telecommunications companies. There is no evidence the…
Did Bill Withers leave $2 million to President Donald Trump's re-election campaign? No, that's not true: The "Lean On Me" singer, who died on April 3, 2020, did not leave part of his estate to Trump's campaign. The claim is part of a satirical article published by a website that trolls Trump supporters. Other websites often steal such content and…
Did the New York Times publish a video featuring an ER physician at Elmhurst Hospital who was peddling lies and doesn't even work at the hospital? No, that's not true: Dr. Colleen Smith does work at the Queens, New York, hospital and offered insight into the overwhelming conditions hospitals face in combatting COVID-19. The idea that she isn't legitimate is…
Did President Trump refer to the novel coronavirus as a hoax? No, that's not true: Audio and video clips making the rounds have been edited and taken out of context to suggest Trump was calling the coronavirus a hoax. Instead, the president was referring to what he believed were Democratic efforts to politicize the coronavirus. The claim has appeared in…
Did U.S. Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden call the coronavirus a "hoax"? No, that's not true, and here is some context: The audio on a tweet was manipulated, and Biden never called the novel coronavirus a hoax. The clip was deliberately made to try to force Twitter to remove other clips in which Democrats have also edited audio, according to…
Is 5G technology forcibly being installed in U.S. schools while people are following stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders put in place by federal, state and local governments to slow the spread of COVID-19? Is the U.S. government sealing its borders so it can secretly install 5G? And will the government say COVID-19 has disappeared by the beginning of summer after its…
Does eating an alkaline diet prevent you from getting infected with the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: This claim is a medical myth saying that eating an alkaline diet could prevent someone from being infected with the coronavirus. This false information has been debunked by news outlets and the World Health Organization amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, WHO…
Is New York State about to ban cigarette sales to combat the novel coronavirus? No, that is not true: A doctors association has spoken out about tobacco use possibly escalating the toll of the virus, and did call for a ban. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo's team told Lead Stories that he is not about to announce a six-week ban on…
