Daily Express amend incorrect article claiming new coronavirus was “genetically engineered”

This week the Daily Express claimed a study found the new coronavirus may have been genetically engineered to spread in the human population. Another article repeated the claim that the study “suggested Covid-19 has been tampered with”.

This is incorrect. The scientific study they quoted did not claim that the virus may have been genetically engineered. It never mentions genetic engineering at all. The Daily Express was wrong to report this, and a number of virology experts have criticised its claim.

Following our fact check, they have altered their headline and made a number of other changes to the article. The article still implies that genetic engineering could have been involved, but no longer falsely attributes this claim to the scientific paper.

False claims

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Clipped video segment of Boris Johnson talking about the new coronavirus was taken out of context

A number of high profile Twitter users shared a video clip from the Prime Minister’s appearance on This Morning. They claimed the clip showed Mr Johnson advocating the new coronavirus be allowed to spread through the population and that the country should “take it on the chin.”

The clip has been taken out of context, by editing out the end of Mr. Johnson’s comments. He did say that one of the theories is that Covid-19 should be allowed to spread without taking “as many draconian measures” such as closing schools.

However, he went on to say that “it would be better if we take all the measures that we can now to stop the peak of the disease.”

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More claims on the new coronavirus: fact checked

Now that the new coronavirus has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, it’s more important than ever that we receive correct information about the disease.

We’ve come across false or misleading stories on social media - but also in traditional news outlets where people might be more likely to believe the bad information being published.

We’re all susceptible to bad information, and we’re all responsible for what we share online. Taking a moment to think about what we’re reading, where it might have come from, and whether it might be false, can protect our friends and family from misinformation.

Get in touch with us if you’d like us to fact check something you’ve read or if you have a question. In the meantime, we will continue publishing new fact checks on the new coronavirus.

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