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  • Fact Check: Study Does NOT Reveal Most People's Lungs Now 'Riddled With Microplastics' From Disposable Masks

    Fact Check

    Does a study reveal that disposable face masks are the cause of the high levels of microplastics found in human lungs? No, that's not true: Contrary to a headline about the study, the study never mentions disposable masks as a cause of the microplastics detected in human lung samples. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Instagram on…

    • May 18, 2023
    • by: Alexis Tereszcuk
    Fact Check: Study Does NOT Reveal Most People's Lungs Now 'Riddled With Microplastics' From Disposable Masks Not To Blame
  • Fact Check: Study Did NOT Prove Wearing Masks Causes Stillbirths, Testicular Dysfunction And Cognitive Decline 'Due To Build-Up Of Carbon Dioxide'

    Fact Check

    Did a study prove that wearing face masks raises the risk of stillbirths, testicular dysfunction and cognitive decline "due to build-up of carbon dioxide" (CO2)? No, that's not true: A "study" shared widely to social media was actually a review article of existing scientific studies -- not directly related to mask-wearing -- that a medical expert told Lead Stories was…

    • May 3, 2023
    • by: Madison Dapcevich
    Fact Check: Study Did NOT Prove Wearing Masks Causes Stillbirths, Testicular Dysfunction And Cognitive Decline 'Due To Build-Up Of Carbon Dioxide' No Testing
  • Fact Check: COVID-19 Deaths In 2020 Were NOT Mislabeled Flu Deaths

    Fact Check

    Were influenza deaths mislabeled as COVID-19 deaths in 2020 to inflate the toll of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? No, that's not true: Registered deaths attributed to COVID were categorized separately from influenza and pneumonia by national and international surveillance programs. The claim originated in a tweet posted in April 2, 2022, that suggested deaths attributed to COVID were actually caused by…

    • Nov 9, 2022
    • by: Madison Dapcevich
    Fact Check: COVID-19 Deaths In 2020 Were NOT Mislabeled Flu Deaths Bad Math
  • Fact Check: Study DID Find Bacteria, Fungi On Face Masks -- But They're NOT 'Petri Dishes For Dangerous Pathogens To Fester'

    Fact Check

    Did a study find potentially disease-causing bacteria and fungi on face masks? Yes, that's true, but the study's authors only made one recommendation based on their findings and that was for immunocompromised people to avoid repeated use of masks to prevent infections. In an email to Lead Stories, study author Ah-Mee Park, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology…

    • Aug 5, 2022
    • by: Ed Payne
    Fact Check: Study DID Find Bacteria, Fungi On Face Masks -- But They're NOT 'Petri Dishes For Dangerous Pathogens To Fester' Mask Hygiene
  • Fact Check: NO Evidence That Purpose Of COVID-19 Vaccines Is To 'Kill Off A Large Proportion Of The Population'

    Fact Check

    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)…

    • Jan 21, 2022
    • by: Dana Ford
    Fact Check: NO Evidence That Purpose Of COVID-19 Vaccines Is To 'Kill Off A Large Proportion Of The Population' Recycled Bunk
  • Fact Check: UNICEF, NHS, Others Did NOT Endorse Flyer With False Mask Information

    Fact Check

    Did UNICEF and several agencies and organizations based in the United Kingdom endorse a graphic that includes misinformation about masks? No, that's not true: Six of the eight agencies and organizations included in the graphic told Lead Stories they did not co-sign the inaccurate graphic, which nonetheless pasted on their logos, including two obsolete logos. Lead Stories awaits updates from…

    • Dec 13, 2021
    • by: Christiana Dillard
    Fact Check: UNICEF, NHS, Others Did NOT Endorse Flyer With False Mask Information No Endorsement
  • Fact Check: Oft-Cited Article Proposes A Hypothesis, Does NOT Provide New Data Against Mask-Wearing, Is NOT A 'Stanford Study"

    Fact Check

    Did this "Stanford Study" prove that face masks don't slow the spread of COVID-19 and harm the health of mask-wearers? No, that's not true: Stanford University disavows the article, which is not a report on new research and is full of the kind of spelling and grammar errors not found in journals by and for science professionals. It is, as…

    • Apr 20, 2021
    • by: Dean Miller
    Fact Check: Oft-Cited Article Proposes A Hypothesis, Does NOT Provide New Data Against Mask-Wearing, Is NOT A 'Stanford Study" Theory ≠ Proof
  • Fact Check: These Lab Results Do NOT Prove That There Are Harmful Microorganisms Growing On Your Mask

    Fact Check

    Did a laboratory analysis commissioned by a German children's charity find bacteria and mold on a mask? Yes, that is true, but it does not mean these microorganisms are harmful or abnormal. According to experts, it is likely that the bacteria found on the mask are just the regular bacteria found on the skin and in the mouth. Without further…

    • Mar 4, 2021
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
    Fact Check: These Lab Results Do NOT Prove That There Are Harmful Microorganisms Growing On Your Mask Masks Are Safe
  • Fact Check: NO Evidence That Masks Cause Bacterial Lung Infections In Children

    Fact Check

    Do masks cause bacterial lung infections in children? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that masks lead to bacterial infection in children or adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and medical experts consulted by Lead Stories. The CDC recommends that children ages 2 and up wear masks to help slow the spread of…

    • Jan 26, 2021
    • by: Dana Ford
    Fact Check: NO Evidence That Masks Cause Bacterial Lung Infections In Children Masks Are Safe
  • Fact Check: Masks, Gloves, Vaccines, And Synthetic Hand Soaps Do NOT Suppress Your Immune System

    Fact Check

    Do masks, gloves, vaccines, and synthetic handsoaps suppress human immune systems? No, that's not true: Public health experts and medical research say the opposite is the case and the claims were made with no evidence in a meme that spread to hundreds of thousands of Instagram users in the midst of a COVID-19 surge that saw more than 160,000 new…

    • Nov 28, 2020
    • by: Dean Miller
    Fact Check: Masks, Gloves, Vaccines, And Synthetic Hand Soaps Do NOT Suppress Your Immune System Not Science
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    Fact Check: New Pope Leo XIV Is NOT 'Registered Republican' -- He Voted In Republican Primaries But Illinois Voters Needn't Declare Party Affiliation When Registering

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Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
Spotted something? Let us know!.

Lead Stories is a:

  • Verified signatory of the IFCN Code of Principles
  • Verified EFCSN member
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