Health

Did Donald Trump write on X that he was "regrowing" his ear after it was pierced by a bullet? No, that's not true: The creator of the fake Trump post admitted it was meant to be satirical. The X post does not appear on the former president's X account. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X, formerly…

Did the Kraft Heinz Company announce clear ketchup using lab-grown tomatoes, as a post on Instagram claimed? No, that's not true: A representative for The Kraft Heinz Company confirmed to Lead Stories that "these claims are false." The background of the video of a person pulling the bottle from a store shelf clearly reveals the bottles on the shelf are…

Were mammograms banned in Switzerland as of July 22, 2024, as a post on Instagram claimed? No, that's not true: Switzerland's Federal Department of Home Affairs told Lead Stories that "mammography is not banned at all in Switzerland." It is covered by health insurance and recommended by health experts for women over 40. The claim appeared in a post on…

Did a mother's daily use of an air fryer result in high levels of antimony in her child's bloodwork? No, that's not known to be true: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued several recalls on air fryers in the past, but fire and burn hazards were the reason -- not the release of antimony. The woman provided no…

Did a German preprint study published in February 2024 by Christof Kuhbandner and Matthias Reitzner prove that COVID-19 vaccines caused the number of deaths per year to rise above recent trends, as several online posts and articles implied? No, that's not true: While it's true there has been a documented increase in excess mortality during the pandemic years, German health…

Do quadruple-boosted people get denied life insurance based solely on their vaccination status? No, that's not true: The American Council of Life Insurers, which is one of the major industry groups, told Lead Stories that it is not aware of the data backing up the claim, pointing out that being up-to-date on vaccines is typically seen as a positive factor.…

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin say at a "military press conference in Russia" that the U.S. was planning to launch a second pandemic "aimed at disrupting the 2024 election" domestically? No, that's not true: Neither a viral AI-generated article making the claim nor earlier pieces speculating about it offered any proof that Putin actually said that. Lead Stories searched both…

Did Bill Gates introduce a so-called "maggot milk" product called EntoMilk? No, that's not true: Although EntoMilk, made from insects, was an actual product that existed in South Africa in 2019, Gates was not a part of its release. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation told Lead Stories that the claim he was involved is false. The website of the…

Did Dr. Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon and former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary, endorse a "government-funded" cure for erectile dysfunction, as a video on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Carson said the claim is "completely fake." Additionally, a digital forensics website concluded that the audio portion of the clip was "100% likely to…

Does a drink made of aloe vera, molasses, honey and gin eliminate all cancer cells, cysts and tumors? No, that's not true: While some of these ingredients may have health benefits, they are not a cure for cancer or other serious conditions. Oncology experts told Lead Stories that there's no evidence to support these claims. The claim appeared in a…

Does a video on social media genuinely show genetically modified tomatoes and grain swimming in water? No, that's not true: The videos shared on TikTok originated from a YouTube channel that says it creates videos using "CGI effects" and that such clips are for "entertainment only." There is no indication in the video whether the items shown are real or…

Did Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla "admit" on June 18, 2024, that COVID-19 was used as "a test"? No, that's not true. Pfizer Media Relations told Lead Stories that the "quote is taken out of context." Additionally, the head of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company never used the word "test"; instead, Bourla said the pandemic was "like a rehearsal," preparing Pfizer…

Is a video that shows naturopath Barbara O'Neill promoting a remedy for prostate inflammation authentic? No, that's not true: Multiple online AI detectors categorized the video as fake. They reported that the images and audio in this video post were most likely AI-generated. Lead Stories has previously debunked similar claims involving O'Neill, an unregistered health practitioner, and AI-generated video manipulation.…

Did more than 40,000 Houstonians test positive for sexually transmitted diseases during the week of June 17, 2024, as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: The Houston Health Department told Lead Stories that the "post includes overstated numbers and incorrect information." The statistics refer to the entire state of Texas, not just the city of Houston. Furthermore,…

Did the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorse a purported initiative from controversial wellness coach Barbara O'Neill called "US Without Diabetes," as a social-media post claims? No, that's not true: The Department of Health and Human Services has not endorsed the purported initiative. A promotion on Facebook for a dietary supplement used a faked image of a Fox…

Did the Canadian Cancer Society "apologize" for using the word "cervix" instead of "front hole"? No, that's not true: The organization added a note to one of the articles published on its website explaining a rationale for the Society's current stand on the matter. The disclaimer did not contain any explicit wording indicating that the purpose of the note was…

Did controversial naturopath Barbara O'Neill give a $10,000 guarantee for her arthritis pain management strategies and were they endorsed by director Bruce Beresford, tennis star Margaret Court, and author David Malouf? No, that's not true: A false promotion of an herbal remedy that supposedly cured their joint pain used AI-generated voice-overs to put words in people's mouths. The fake voice-overs…

Did the British Medical Journal attribute excess deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic to vaccines in a study that appeared in one of its publications? No, that's not true: In a statement on its website, the publication said, "This study does not establish any such link." The British Medical Journal also described the claim as "misreporting," adding that the researchers did…

Does a still image in a video on social media show the daughter of naturopath Barbara O'Neill being sentenced to prison for supposedly revealing "health secrets"? No, that's not true: A tool used to detect AI-generated images found evidence that the image of a woman in an orange prison jumpsuit in a courtroom is not real and was likely created…

Did actor Morgan Freeman publicly thank Dr. Ben Carson for curing his dementia? No, that's not true: There's no reliable evidence or confirmed news reports indicating that the Academy Award winner has dementia or that Carson -- retired neurosurgeon and former Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary -- treated him for it. Additionally, there is no cure for dementia;…