FactCheck.org's Weekly Update
May 2, 2020
SciCheck
In this video, we take a look at COVID-19 antibody tests, which can reveal whether someone was previously infected with the novel coronavirus — and explain why a positive or negative result may not always be so easy to interpret.
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FactCheck Posts
Trump Wrong About Ventilators Posted on Friday, May 1st, 2020
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President Donald Trump falsely claimed that his administration was not initially able to meet the increasing demand for ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients because “we weren’t left ventilators by a previous administration.”
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In her first press briefing, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany repeated a false talking point about the Russia investigation.
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The United States has not done more COVID-19 testing than “every country combined,” as President Donald Trump claimed in remarks during a recent press briefing.
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In the Kansas Republican Senate primary, a super PAC supporting Rep. Roger Marshall inaccurately describes Club for Growth as an “anti-Trump organization” in a TV ad attacking Marshall’s rival, Kris Kobach.
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Defending his early response to the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump wrongly claimed that in late February, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was saying, “This is no problem. This is going to blow over.”
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A claim being pushed on social media and by an organization skeptical of vaccines is using a military study to falsely suggest that the flu vaccine increases someone’s risk of contracting COVID-19.
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Debunking False Stories
A viral post falsely claims Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Target and Costco — while staying open during the COVID-19 pandemic — “have not had any reported cases” of employees contracting the coronavirus. There have been news reports across the U.S. of workers at those companies becoming infected or dying of the disease.
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Headlines shared across social media caused some to wrongly believe the White House is selling coins commemorating the COVID-19 pandemic. The coin referenced is being sold by the White House Gift Shop, which is a private company based in Pennsylvania.
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A Facebook post claims that mosques have been allowed to remain open for services, while churches have not. But all places of worship are treated the same by state regulations that prohibit religious gatherings in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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Numerous websites are spreading a false story claiming that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “promises to resign” if President Donald Trump is reelected. The story originated on a website that calls its content satire, but has since been shared as if it were true.
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A claim being pushed on social media and by an organization skeptical of vaccines is using a military study to falsely suggest that the flu vaccine increases someone’s risk of contracting COVID-19.
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Articles
An April Filled with Repeats Posted on Friday, May 1st, 2020
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The president has used the coronavirus briefings to repeatedly misstate the facts about his administration’s handling of the pandemic, the economy and trade with China.
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