Hydroxychloroquine

Did the Mayo Clinic website change in September 2023 to say hydroxychloroquine can be used to treat COVID-19 patients, after previously saying it was ineffective? No, that's not true: First, the Mayo Clinic's website was not "recently" updated to say that the drug, used to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, can also be used for the treatment of COVID.…

Did public health experts discredit the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies got emergency authorization from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA)? No, that's not true: While the new vaccines were being developed, ivermectin was also being studied as a potential treatment for COVID. Field trials did not find conclusive evidence that…

Did a preprint paper submitted to The Lancet on July 5, 2023, find that 74 percent of the deaths in the autopsies it reviewed were caused by the COVID-19 vaccine? Additionally, was it also a legitimate study from The Lancet? No, neither is true: The preprint paper never made it past the submission stage with the medical journal because The…

Does the use of chlorine in swimming pools calcify the pineal gland or contribute to calcification? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no credible peer-reviewed studies supporting the claim, and a doctor specializing in neurology confirmed to Lead Stories that such causation is not known to the medical community. The story appeared in a post on Instagram on May…

Is the purpose of COVID-19 vaccines to "kill off a large proportion of the population"? No, there's no evidence that's true: The idea stems from a sprawling conspiracy theory that alternately posits COVID, the vaccines or both as being manufactured with the goal of depopulating Earth. The claim was made by "Dr. Shankara Chetty" during a video interview (archived here)…

Can hydroxychloroquine be made at home by boiling grapefruit and lemon peels in water? No, that's not true: This claim is "totally false," Dr. Joseph Fortunak, professor of chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at Howard University, told Lead Stories. "Absolutely hydroxychloroquine CANNOT be made by boiling grapefruit and/or lemon peels in water." The claim appeared as a video (archived here) where…

Does hydroxychloroquine decalcify the pineal gland? No, there's no evidence to substantiate that: The anti-parasitic and immunosuppressive drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat or prevent malaria. It's also prescribed to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. FDA label instructions include no other uses. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) on December 21, 2021,…

Does Vermont, with its nation-leading vaccination rate, also have the highest rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents? No, that's not true: Vermont ranks first in vaccination rates and 49th in rate of COVID cases. The claim has circulated on social media, including in this December 2, 2021, Facebook video (archived here) posted to the Charlie Kirk account under the…

Does hydroxychloroquine work as a vaccine against COVID-19? No, that's not true: The Food & Drug Administration and the World Health Organization don't recommend the drug, which is used to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, for the treatment of COVID. The claim appears in a video posted to Rumble (archived here) on November 14, 2021, titled "NOVEMBER 13, 2021…

Does a 54-minute video interview featuring elaborate conspiracy theories show we are living through a global bioweapons attack? No, that's not true: The video includes a lengthy list of claims and charges that have already been debunked. No evidence is provided to support the notion of a worldwide bioweapons attack by a cabal bent on global dominion. The interview was…