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Did a medical expert named Dr. Derek Knauss (or Knaus) prove that 1,500 COVID-19 diagnostic tests did not actually contain traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but did test positive for influenza A and B? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence that any such research has taken place or been published in a reputable scientific journal. Extensive searches…

Did new graffiti negatively portraying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appear in London? No, that's not true: Based on analysis of open-source data, Lead Stories identified the location of the purported drawing as Lindt Home of Chocolate in Zurich, Switzerland. The Lindt Home of Chocolate spokesperson confirmed to Lead Stories that the posts in question showed the front of their building,…

Is the "world's largest ship" slowly sinking? No, that's not true: The vessel at the center of this claim is not the largest ship in the world, nor has it sank. A widely viewed Facebook video featured footage of MV Modern Express, a Panama-registered cargo ship that was successfully towed and recovered in 2016 after nearly running aground during a…

Did Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "just" tell us they found a variant that "evades the test?" No, that's not true: The claim about Fauci was made in a tweet in March 2021, five months prior to being shared on Facebook in August 2021. The information in the claim appears to be…

Have President Trump, the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department not commented on the deaths of U.S. service members in a helicopter crash in Egypt on November 12, 2020? No, that's not true: Although Trump and the White House have not commented, the Pentagon and the State Department issued statements acknowledging the incident and offering condolences. The claim…