This page brings together Full Fact’s fact checks on Covid-19, covering common claims, vaccine safety and efficacy, symptoms, treatments, government policies, and misinformation. We review evidence, correct errors, and monitor evolving science to help you make informed decisions.
It has been claimed on social media that challenging someone who is not wearing a face covering could result in a fine. Read
Antibody tests which detect whether someone had Covid-19 in the past may pick up antibodies to other coronaviruses. Read
Health
Serco has been contracted during the pandemic to assist with facilities management and contact tracing call centres. Read
Health
This is a misreading of data on the number of outbreaks or clusters identified by Public Health England. Read
An Instagram post compares recent Covid-19 and obesity mortality rates which are not representative of the wider picture. Read
Health
Government scientists warned that new cases could double every week, which some people say is not realistic. Read
A viral post compares the number of deaths from cancer, suicide, alcohol and Covid-19 in Ireland, but it gets a lot wrong. Read
A government consultation about unlicensed vaccines has been misunderstood online. Read
Posts claiming that viruses are just dead material and the body contains many viruses don’t disprove the fact that Covid-19 can be very harmful. Read
Health
We don’t yet have data on the number of deaths from suicide in August 2020. Read
