Health

Did the World Health Organization order President Joe Biden to arrest Americans who share "non-mainstream content online"? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence the organization ever said this. A spokesperson for the WHO denied this claim. The article making the claim links to a story about a plan to develop an approach to curbing misinformation, but it…

Does consuming an "expanded lemon and honey drink" that contains several herbal ingredients cure COVID-19? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, there is no known cure for COVID, along with other common illnesses like the cold or the flu. Furthermore, alternative treatments have not been shown to treat COVID effectively. The claim appeared in a reel (archived…

Did music artist Kelly Clarkson and Tesla CEO Elon Musk promote weight-loss gummies in a 2023 televised interview? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Musk and Clarkson promoted such a product. Lead Stories has previously reported on fake websites that use celebrities' likenesses to scam viewers into buying weight-loss products. The claim appeared in an article (archived…

Does New Zealand health data prove that 20 percent of vaccinated citizens died after COVID-19 vaccination? No, that's not true: The agency wrote, "We assure people there is no evidence whatsoever that vaccination is responsible for excess mortality in New Zealand and that they can continue to have confidence in vaccines." Two experts that Lead Stories spoke with independently confirmed…

Did insurance companies Cigna and UnitedHealthcare add new text that denies health care if a person has been affected by a war in 2024? No, that's not true: This language has been included in Cigna's and UnitedHealthcare's insurance policies in the past. Lead Stories found multiple examples of this clause in policies during previous years. The claim appeared in a…

Did the Australian government recommend vaccinating patients for COVID-19 without consent, while the patient was under sedation? No, that's not true: There is no official support for such a claim. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, part of the nation's Department of Health, stated the opposite in an advice document dated April 6, 2022: "Sedation should not be used…

Does the Apeel produce coating Organipeel contain an "unidentified coating" that is falsely labeled as organic and that could be harmful to human health? No, that's not true: Though it may be applied to organic produce, it is neither considered an organic product by regulatory agencies nor does the company claim it to be. Orangipeel is a coating used to…

Did ABC News host David Muir advertise on air a diabetes cure discovered by TV personality and physician Dr. Mehmet Oz? No, that's not true: A clip containing images of both Muir and Oz used manipulated sound to mislead audiences. The video didn't even name the "cure" described as "a revolution in diabetes treatment." The claim appeared in a video…

Did U.S. Marines arrest World Health Organization official Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories that this claim is "false." This claim appears in an article on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content often mistaken for real news. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) where it was published by Real…

Did Dr. Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon and former Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary, endorse blood vessel-cleaning gummies? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Carson said that the claim is "completely fake." Additionally, a digital forensics and deepfakes website that analyzes audio and other media concluded that a recording purporting to show him saying that was not authentic.…

Did actor John Travolta promote a hair growth product called RenewHair-X in a video on social media? No, that's not true: An audio track of a voice sounding like Travolta's is dubbed over a clip of the actor from a late-night talk show appearance. The audio purportedly spoken by Travolta repeats word-for-word audio purporting to be actor Kevin Costner in…

Did U.S. Marines "kick ... out" the Federal Emergency Management Agency from Tennessee following a disaster recent as of December 21, 2023? No, that's not true: A FEMA representative told Lead Stories, "FEMA teams are on the ground in Tennessee working with state and local officials in assisting those in need after the tornado of December 9th." The claim appeared…

Can tapping and squeezing the thumbnail and the area surrounding the thumbnail cause a "brain reboot"? No, that's not true: There is no credible information stating that this technique, attributed to reflexology, causes any significant change to the brain. A search of medical and scientific literature turned up no evidence that the action produces a "brain reboot." The claim appeared…

Did California approve Bill Gates' plan to make residents drink their own feces? No, that's not true: A headline by The People's Voice grossly misrepresents the regulations that were approved by California's State Water Board on December 19, 2023. The recycled wastewater would meet or exceed current drinking water standards, and the regulations have nothing to do with billionaire Gates.…

Did Dr. Mehmet Oz promote a "cure" for prostate disease that does not require surgery? No, that's not true: A representative for Oz told Lead Stories, "This is a fake post fraudulently using Dr. Oz's name and likeness." A link that accompanied a post making the claim on Facebook redirected users to a bogus website posing as NBC News. Also,…

Did Texas Children's Hospital announce in December 2023 that it would "no longer treat unvaccinated children"? No, that's not true: A hospital spokesperson told Lead Stories that this claim is "not true." Even if it were true, it would be illegal. Texas enacted a state law, effective September 1, 2023, that prohibited clinicians from refusing services to patients enrolled in…

Is rubbing your arms a proven technique to boost your immune system? No, that's not true: There is no evidence of proof from medical literature that this method can prevent illness. An expert told us they are not familiar with any studies that have substantiated the claim. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on July 13,…

Did Italy start an investigation against the former health minister Roberto Speranza, who held this job during the pandemic, for "murder" in connection with administering COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: No such decision has been made as of December 14, 2023. Articles on the Internet exaggerated the meaning of the complaint the Office of Public Prosecutor had already recommended…

Did the British journalist Piers Morgan reveal that he has developed Vaccine Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (VAIDS) and blamed it on the anti-vaccination community? No, that's not true: Morgan never said that he has VAIDS, which is not a real medical condition. This claim was made without supporting evidence by a prolific publisher of fake news. The article (archived here)…

Did Cambridge scientists "admit" that 25 percent of people vaccinated for COVID-19 now have "vaccine acquired immune deficiency syndrome"? No, that's not true: The scientific report that the claim is purportedly based on never mentions the term VAIDS or vaccine-acquired immune deficiency syndrome, which is not a recognized medical condition. Pfizer Media Relations stated that the online claim is "out…