Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is no more dangerous than the common cold, and it's being blown out of proportion to make the President of the United States look bad.

Explanation: Rush Limbaugh Claims Coronavirus is No More Dangerous than the Common Cold. Is it?

In a transcript dated February 24 2020, radio personality Rush Limbaugh claimed that novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is no more dangerous than “the common cold,” adding that he believed that concern over the new strain of disease was simply part of an effort to make United States President Donald Trump look bad:RUSH: Folks, this coronavirus thing, I want to try to put this in perspective for you. It looks like the coronavirus is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump. Now, I want to tell you the truth about the coronavirus. (interruption) You think I’m wrong about this? You think I’m missing it by saying that’s … (interruption) Yeah, I’m dead right on this. The coronavirus is the common cold, folks.The Drive-By Media hype of this thing as a pandemic, as the Andromeda strain, as, “Oh, my God, if you get it, you’re dead.” Do you know what the — I think the survival rate is 98%. Ninety-eight percent of people get the coronavirus survive. It’s a respiratory system virus. It probably is a [Chinese] laboratory experiment that is in the process of being weaponized. All superpower nations weaponize bioweapons.According to Limbaugh, perception of novel coronavirus — COVID-19 — and its dangers did not stem from epidemiological data. Rather, he posited on his syndicated radio show, the death of 34-year-old doctor Li Wenliang (who both discovered and succumbed to the strain) was the cause of global concern over the virus’ risk.In that excerpt, Limbaugh appeared to contradict himself, claiming that Li Wenliang “didn’t know what he was dealing with,” thus leading to his death:It originated in China in a little — well, not a little town. It’s a town that is 11 million people, Wuhan, China. One of the reasons they’re able to hype this is that the doctor what warned everybody about it came down with it and died. So if a doctor got it, “Oh, my God, Rush! A doctor got it? You can’t possibly be right if a doctor can’t protect himself.” He didn’t know what he was dealing with. He discovered it back in December [2019]. I’m telling you, the [Chinese] are trying to weaponize this thing.After alleging without any evidence that the novel strain of coronavirus was being weaponized by China, Limbaugh went on to assert that the reason for what he characterized as falsified or exaggerated worldwide concern was simply to “bring down Trump”:But the way [COVID-19 is] being used … I believe the way it’s being weaponized is by virtue of the media, and I think that it is an effort to bring down Trump, and one of the ways it’s being used to do this is to scare the investors, to scare people in business. It’s to scare people into not buying Treasury bills at auctions. It’s to scare people into leaving, cashing out of the stock market — and sure enough, as the show began today, the stock market — the Dow Jones Industrial Average — was down about 900 points, supposedly because of the latest news about the spread of the coronavirus.Limbaugh’s secondary claim — that stories about the novel coronavirus were overhyped or exaggerated to politically harm Trump — did not really hold water in the global context of a virus identified first in China. World health officials attended to concerns about and research into COVID-19, and focus on the strain was in no way exclusive or limited to the United States.His primary claim was more solid as well as more verifiable. Limbaugh specifically said “the coronavirus is the common cold,” from which we ought to be able to reasonably deduce Limbaugh intended to suggest COVID-19 posed a risk equivalent to that of the common cold, which seemed incongruent with his own example of the youthful Dr. Li’s death from the strain.Regarding “the common cold,” no one virus is typically responsible for the cluster of respiratory infections going by that name. Rhinoviruses in general are the most common culprit in colds, and symptoms tend to be restricted to fatigue, a stuffy nose, a sore throat, headache, coughing, sneezing, congestion, and low-grade fever. Rarely complications can result, such as ear infection, opportunistic infection (such as strep throat), and pneumonia.According to The Conversation’s “Can you die from a common cold?”, rhinoviruses cause “about half of all colds, but other viruses can cause one or more of the symptoms of a cold, including adenovirus, influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus.” In most cases, colds are mild and inconvenient, but not always:The common cold is normally a mild illness that resolves without treatment in a few days. And because of its mild nature, most cases are self-diagnosed. However, infection with rhinovirus or one of the other viruses responsible for common cold symptoms can be serious in some people. Complications from a cold can cause serious illnesses and, yes, even death – particularly in people who have a weak immune system.A primary point of note in comparing known coronavirus strains and the cluster of viruses known as the common cold involves mortality rate. A 2011 article published in the medical journal BMJ Clinical Evidence indicated that colds cause “no mortality or serious morbidity”:Common colds are usually short lived, lasting a few days, with a few lingering symptoms lasting longer, especially cough. Symptoms peak within 1 to 3 days and generally clear by 1 week, although cough often persists. Although they cause no mortality or serious morbidity, common colds are responsible for considerable discomfort, lost work, and medical costs.For clarity on the difference, we turned to a January 2020 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, better known as JAMA. That article’s headline was in fact “Coronavirus Infections — More Than Just the Common Cold.”Noting that coronaviruses are “large, enveloped, positive-strand RNA viruses” which are “endemic globally and account for 10% to 30% of upper respiratory tract infections in adults,” the article began by stating that the viruses were often underestimated. However, citing previous coronavirus outbreaks (such as those called SARS and MERS respectively), the JAMA article reported that both led to “alarming morbidity and mortality” in those infected:Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have long been considered inconsequential pathogens, causing the “common cold” in otherwise healthy people. However, in the 21st century, 2 highly pathogenic HCoVs—severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)—emerged from animal reservoirs to cause global epidemics with alarming morbidity and mortality. In December 2019, yet another pathogenic HCoV, 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), was recognized in Wuhan, China, and has caused serious illness and death. The ultimate scope and effect of this outbreak is unclear at present as the situation is rapidly evolving.As of the article’s January 2020 publication, authors described an uncertain scope for COVID-19, in a situation which was then “rapidly evolving.” Authors further stated that nearly two decades after the first outbreak of SARS in 2002, “factors associated with transmission of SARS-CoV … remain poorly understood.”In 2012, a second novel strain of coronavirus known as MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) was identified in Saudi Arabia. Authors contrasted SARS’ rapid spread (“contained and eliminated in relatively short order”) with MERS having “smoldered,” spreading slowly. Nevertheless, of nearly 2,500 known MERS infections, 858 people died:MERS-CoV has not yet sustained community spread; instead, it has caused explosive nosocomial [hospital-based] transmission events, in some cases linked to a single superspreader, which are devastating for health care systems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of November 2019, MERS-CoV has caused a total of 2494 cases and 858 deaths, the majority in Saudi Arabia.Based on those specific figures, MERS appeared to have a mortality rate of about 34.4 percent. The authors said  it appeared that the fatality rate of 2019-nCoV was lower than that of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV; “however,” they added, “the ultimate scope and effects of the outbreak remain to be seen.”Throughout the article, authors demonstrate differences between coronaviruses (such as SARS, MERS, and COVID-19) and respiratory infections (among which is the “common cold.”) While respiratory infections can develop into pneumonia, an infection observed alongside coronaviruses, MERS patients in particular often present with “prominent gastrointestinal symptoms and often acute kidney failure”; SARS patients frequently presented with “fever, cough, dyspnea, and occasionally watery diarrhea.”The article concluded by emphasizing nascent public health information about COVID-19, calling for immediate action and timely countermeasures to prevent a larger outbreak of the strain:While the trajectory of this outbreak is impossible to predict, effective response requires prompt action from the standpoint of classic public health strategies to the timely development and implementation of effective countermeasures. The emergence of yet another outbreak of human disease caused by a pathogen from a viral family formerly thought to be relatively benign underscores the perpetual challenge of emerging infectious diseases and the importance of sustained preparedness.Both SARS and MERS had years of epidemiology behind them; COVID-19 was not identified until December 2019. As of February 2020, the strain had been known for roughly three months. A February 12 2020 Vox piece explained why COVID-19’s mortality rate had been elusive:The mortality rate, known to epidemiologists as the “case fatality risk,” is vital for assessing the possible impact of an outbreak. Unfortunately, most of what has been reported about the mortality rate of the novel coronavirus is wrong.Many media reports simply compare the total reported number of deaths with the overall reported number of cases. This is, intuitively, the fraction of people who die from the disease. But early in an outbreak, this type of simple calculation is often misleading.The first cases identified in an outbreak are typically people who are quite ill, which is how their disease comes to the attention of health authorities in the first place. For this reason, early mortality rates estimated from only those early patients who require medical care will be high.Later in the outbreak, as physicians and epidemiologists get better at identifying cases, the opposite problem emerges. As the outbreak grows, more people are diagnosed each day than were diagnosed a week ago, meaning that most people are still in the midst of their illness. Mortality estimates that include those people who do not have an outcome yet will undercount the mortality rate.Vox provided an example of how tenuous the estimated mortality rate for the novel coronavirus was:For example, many outlets are reporting that the mortality rate of COVID-19 is around 2 percent, because 1,017 of 42,708 cases in China have died. But of those 42,708, about half were diagnosed just in the last seven days and are likely still experiencing symptoms, so their outcome is not yet known.As of late February 2020, COVID-19 was often described as having a three percent mortality rate. But a study’s press release issued by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and published in JAMA provided updated figures on February 24 2020, suggesting a 2.3 percent rate of mortality based on limited data collected after December 2019 by researchers in China:Researchers from China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention today describe the clinical findings on more than 72,000 COVID-19 cases reported in mainland China, which reveal a case-fatality rate (CFR) of 2.3% and suggest most cases are mild, but the disease hits the elderly the hardest. The study, published in JAMA, is the largest patient-based study on the novel coronavirus, which was first connected to seafood market in Wuhan, China, in December, and has since traversed the globe.Another area where Limbaugh’s common cold comparison looked inaccurate was the case-fatality rate (CFR) in critical cases, which was 49 percent:The overall case-fatality rate (CFR) was 2.3% (1023 deaths among 44 672 confirmed cases). No deaths occurred in the group aged 9 years and younger, but cases in those aged 70 to 79 years had an 8.0% CFR and cases in those aged 80 years and older had a 14.8% CFR. No deaths were reported among mild and severe cases. The CFR was 49.0% among critical cases. CFR was elevated among those with preexisting comorbid conditions—10.5% for cardiovascular disease, 7.3% for diabetes, 6.3% for chronic respiratory disease, 6.0% for hypertension, and 5.6% for cancer. Among the 44 672 cases, a total of 1716 were health workers (3.8%), 1080 of whom were in Wuhan (63%). Overall, 14.8% of confirmed cases among health workers were classified as severe or critical and 5 deaths were observed.Researchers added again that a complete picture was not available based on limited data and disparate CFRs. Study authors advised interpreting early numbers with caution, emphasizing that further research was required:As of the end of February 18, 2020, China has reported 72 528 confirmed cases (98.9% of the global total) and 1870 deaths (99.8% of the global total). This translates to a current crude CFR of 2.6%. However, the total number of COVID-19 cases is likely higher due to inherent difficulties in identifying and counting mild and asymptomatic cases. Furthermore, the still-insufficient testing capacity for COVID-19 in China means that many suspected and clinically diagnosed cases are not yet counted in the denominator. This uncertainty in the CFR may be reflected by the important difference between the CFR in Hubei (2.9%) compared with outside Hubei (0.4%). Nevertheless, all CFRs still need to be interpreted with caution and more research is required.Limbaugh claimed that a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was “the common cold,” and outbreaks were being exaggerated for political purposes. Common colds are typically caused by rhinoviruses, not coronaviruses. Information about COVID-19 remained preliminary, with researchers constantly emphasizing the need for additional information before drawing conclusions about factors such as case-fatality rate, or CFR. Common colds have no known rate of mortality (although in rare cases death can occur), and coronaviruses can have double-digit rates of fatality. The most recent estimate for COVID-19’s mortality rate was 2.3 percent, a number that could change and was described in published research as “crude” — but the severity of the novel strain of coronavirus was inarguably stronger than that of the common cold.


Most U.S. doctors fail to discuss alcohol with patients: study.

Explanation: Doctors are failing to find out if their patients drink too much alcohol, despite evidence that at least 38 million American adults consume an excessive amount, a U.S. health agency said on Tuesday.

An estimated 88,000 people die in the United States each year from drinking too much alcohol, but only one out of six adults overall and one in four binge drinkers have discussed their drinking habits with their doctors, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That practice needs to change, CDC Director Thomas Frieden said. “It should be a part of routine patient care,” Frieden said. “In the same way we screen patients for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, we should be screening for excess alcohol use.”  The study’s findings were based on 166,000 interviews in 44 states and the District of Columbia in 2011. The percentage of patients who had ever discussed their drinking with a health care provider ranged from a low of 8.7 percent in Kansas to 25.5 percent in Washington, D.C.  Doctors are often too busy to screen patients for alcohol abuse and may view treatment options as ineffective, the CDC said. But asking patients about their alcohol use and then offering advice on how to reduce it, or referring the most serious cases for specialized treatment, can be effective in many cases, Frieden said. “Counseling for five, 10, 15 minutes can result in a substantial reduction in problem drinking,” he said. Drinking too much can increase chances of heart disease, liver damage, breast cancer and other health problems, the CDC said. The CDC defines binge drinking as five or more drinks in a few hours for men and four or more for women. Adult men should average no more than two drinks a day and women no more than one daily, the health agency said. The federal Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires new insurance plans to cover alcohol screening with no patient co-pay, Frieden said.


Explanation: The story presents bioidentical hormones as a new option for relieving bothersome symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, cold sweats and vaginal discomfort. The story accurately reports that the active ingredients of these supposedly “natural” hormones are the same ones used in synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, these hormones are not as well-regulated or well-tested as synthetic versions. The story provides no evidence that bioidentical hormones are more effective or safer than traditional HRT. Positive testimonials from a physician employee of a bioidentical hormone supplier, a celebrity and women who have experienced reduced menopausal symptoms with  bioidentical hormones are not a substitute for quantitative evidence. The comment that a hormone product can be tailored to a woman's chemistry is not proven. Additionally, the story does not mention the cost of bioidenticals, which are typically about $50/month, similar to the cost of conventional HRT. Any physician can provide a prescription for bioidentical hormones in a routine office visit. The story appropriately stresses that menopause is a natural part of aging and not a disease which necessitates medical intervention. The story also mentions that short-term use of HRT in any form should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Unless symptoms are very bothersome, many women do not need to take HRT to ease symptoms common in menopause. While the bioindentical hormones are marketed as a natural alternative to balancing hormones and easing bothersome symptoms of hormonal fluctuations during menopause, the story fails to mention the least risky “natural” interventions for managing symptoms of menopause, such as exercise and wearing loose, cool clothing to prevent discomfort from hot flashes and cold sweats. The story also does not mention non-hormonal, evidence-based pharmaceutical options for managing symptoms. However, using these medications for treatment of hot flashes would be considered an off-label prescription. (See a previous review of a story on this topic.)

The story does not mention the cost of bioidenticals, which are typically about $50/month, similar to the cost of conventional HRT. On the website of a company mentioned, BodyLogicMD, costs are estimated at $200-400 for an initial visit, $125 to $250  for a follow-up visit (recommended every 3 months) and $30-$100 a month for the hormones themselves, this is not a good benchmark for costs of bioidentical hormone treatment. The BodyLogicMD site touts specific physicians in 6 states who provide an exam, testing, and prescription, but any physician can provide a prescription for bioidentical hormones at a routine office visit. The story provides no quantitative data about the safety or efficacy of bioidentical hormones. Positive testimonials from a physician employee of a bioidentical supplier, a celebrity and women who have experienced fewer menopausal symptoms are not a substitute for quantitative evidence. The comment that a unique "natural" hormone product can be tailored to a woman's chemistry is not proven. The story provides appropriate caveats that the bioidentical hormones are not carefully regulated by the FDA and they may pose the same health risks to some women as synthetic HRT (i.e. increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease). The story mentions that until  definitive data exist, we do not know if these hormones are safe. The story provides no evidence that bioidentical hormones are more effective or less risky than synthetic hormone replacement medications. There is poor balance – not even an expert to counter the claims of the proponents, let alone other evidence. (For example, the North American Menopause Society's official published position is that bioidentical hormones should not be assumed to be any safer than conventional HRT.) The story appropriately stresses that menopause is a natural part of aging and not a disease which necessitates medical intervention. Unless symptoms are very bothersome, many women do not need to take hormone therapy replacement (HRT) to ease symptoms common in menopause, such as hot flashes, cold sweats and vaginal dryness and discomfort. Susan Love is the only unbiased expert commenting on safety. There are two other highly biased experts speaking in favor of bioidentical hormones. The reporter's comments provide important counterweight. But the balance of the piece is thrown off by the inclusion of two  quotes from a representative of BodyLogicMD, a distributor of bioidentical hormone therapy. And the story never mentions that the company is, indeed, a distributor of bioidentical hormone therapy. The story does mention that traditional hormone therapy should be evaluated on a case by case basis. Short-term use is not risky for every woman if the benefits of reduced symptoms outweigh increased risks of breast cancer and heart disease. What is not mentioned are less risky lifestyle changes and evidence-based, non-hormonal pharmaceutical options for dealing with menopausal symtoms. In randomized controlled trials, certain anti-depressant and anti-seizure medications have been shown to reduce hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause in some women. (See a review of a previous story on this topic.) Specifically, the story does not talk about the least invasive  treatments for managing symptoms of menopause such as exercise, vaginal creams, and wearing loose, cool clothing to prevent discomfort from hot flashes and cold sweats. The story does not mention where bioindentical hormones are available. However, the story mentions that 3,000 pharmacies in the U.S. fill orders for custom-made hormonal compounds. The story mentions these hormones are not well-regulated and we are not told if you need a prescription. The story presents bioidentical hormones as a newer option to relieve bothersome symptoms of menopause. The story accurately reports that the active ingredients of these "newer" hormones are the same ones used in synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We can't judge if the story relied solely or largely on a news release. Several sources were quoted, although two of the quotes came from a representative of a company promoting these products.


Critics gear up for response to lease sale in Arctic refuge.

Explanation: Opponents of oil drilling in America’s largest wildlife refuge have a message for oil drillers and the people who finance them: Don’t become the company known for the demise of America’s polar bears.

Wildlife, Polar bears, Bears, Anchorage, Arctic, Alaska, Environment, U.S. News, General News

The Department of the Interior hopes to conduct a lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by the end of the year but environmental groups say they will challenge those plans in federal court and the court of public opinion. “We will not tolerate the administration’s brazen attempt to paper over the impacts of this disastrous proposal, and we will see them in court,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, executive director of Defenders of Wildlife. They claim an environmental review was rushed, incomplete and preordained and that it presents only a fraction of the long-term damage that will occur if drilling rigs are allowed into what’s now a wilderness area. “Speculative threats of legal action cannot cloud the reasoning contained in our analysis, which was developed with information provided by numerous stakeholders, including tribal elders, wildlife biologists, anthropologists and elected officials, in addition to data-sharing with the Canada government’s Environment Yukon and dialogue with the International Porcupine Caribou Board, as well as almost 2 million public comments submitted during the process,” Bureau of Land Management spokesman Derrick Henry said in an email to The Associated Press. “This analysis is a big step in carrying out the clear mandate we received from Congress to develop and implement a leasing program for the Coastal Plain,” Henry wrote, adding that any future actions would require separate environmental analysis. The refuge in the northeast corner of Alaska was created in 1960 and expanded by Congress in 1980 to nearly the size of South Carolina. About 12,500 square miles (32,375 sq. kilometers) are formally designated as wilderness. However, Congress ordered that 2,300 square miles (5,957 sq. kilometers) of refuge coastal plain be studied for natural resources. The coastal plain is the area between the Arctic Ocean and mountains of the Brooks Range. During winter, pregnant polar bears use it for dens. In spring, it’s the preferred nursery for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the plain holds 10.4 billion barrels of oil. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has called the coastal plain North America’s greatest prospect for conventional petroleum production. Drilling is supported by virtually everyone elected in recent years to statewide office in Alaska because it would create jobs, put oil in the trans-Alaska pipeline and put cash in the coffers of state government. Congress did not take a direct vote on opening the refuge. Instead, a provision for lease sales was included in President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017. The law amended the tax code, reduced tax rates for businesses and individuals and aimed to make up for the loss of that revenue with new money generated by sources that include lease sales in the Arctic wildlands. Henry said that act requires a lease sale by 2021. The Bureau of Land Management spent a year on an environment review and by February was holding public hearings in Alaska on the document. The environmental review listed a “no-sale” alternative but the agency did not consider it, said Joe Balash, the Interior Department’s assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the time. “A no-action alternative would fly in the face of what Congress told us to do,” Balash said at the Anchorage hearing. Environmental groups that fended off oil rigs in the Arctic Refuge for four decades were mortified. More than 30 subsequently formed a coalition for its protection, the Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign. The group on Oct. 15 took out a half-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal telling potential bidders that they will face legal challenges and damage to their reputations if they bid on the refuge. “It’s not something we are just going to accept because it was snuck into a tax bill,” said director Desiree Sorenson-Groves. “There should have been fair and open debate and there wasn’t,” she said. “If oil companies and folks want to bid on this, they need to do it with their eyes wide open.” Environmental attorneys say the environmental review is flawed. “Until we see the record of decision, we can’t say anything about potential lawsuits or the specific grounds for them, but I can tell you that the final EIS (environmental impact statement) is so deficient in how it looks at impacts to the coastal plain, and so dismissive of the legal requirements for protecting these sacred lands, that there could be many, many grounds for a lawsuit,” said Brook Brisson, an attorney for Trustees of Alaska. More than 80% of the coastal plain serves as critical denning habitat for threatened polar bears, said attorney Kristen Monsell of the Center for Biological Diversity, adding the BLM significantly underestimates effects of seismic testing and other exploration activity. Polar bear primary habitat is sea ice, which has been significantly reduced by climate change. Polar bear preferred denning habitat is on shore. To protect polar bear dens, the review relies on den detection studies conducted in advance of oilfield activity, Monsell said. “Even under ideal conditions, den detection surveys are effective only 50% of the time,” she said. “This means that the agency arbitrarily dismissed the risks from seismic, including the likelihood that denning polar bears will be run over and killed by seismic vehicles.” The review fails to take a hard look at greenhouse gas pollution on polar bears, she said, both emissions from oilfield operations and emissions produced by oil extracted from the refuge. “It does not acknowledge how the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of opening the refuge to drilling will affect the likelihood of sea ice loss destabilizing the established polar bear recovery thresholds,” she said. Changing the law that requires lease sales is the ultimate goal, said Sorenson-Groves. The short-term goal is to let oil companies, financial institutions and insurance companies that there will be consequences if they are involved with bidding on refuge leases. “Do you want to be the oil company that helped put polar bears on the endangered species list?” she asked. “These are serious questions that you have to grapple with. They’re not going to get a pass.”


A video shows a piece of 5G equipment with "COV-19" inscribed on it.

Explanation: Hannstar does not manufacture 5G equipment. Hannstar is a Taiwan-based company that makes television parts and computer monitors. We reached out to Hannstar for help identifying this specific piece of equipment and will update this article if more information becomes available.

In May 2020, a video emerged and circulated widely on social media that supposedly shows a person revealing the shocking discovery that the word “COV-19” was inscribed on a piece of 5G equipment: But the piece of equipment featured in this video did not come from a 5G tower. This is actually a circuit board from an old set-top television box. The word “COV-19” is also inauthentic. The above-displayed video deals with a widespread (and repeatedly debunked) conspiracy theory that the COVID-19 coronavirus disease was being spread by 5G cellular towers. This is not true. This conspiracy theory is a blend of two other false notions about mobile technology and the COVID-19 global pandemic. First, some people have been expressing concern over the impact of mobile technology on human health for years. These concerns are largely overblown, however, as research from such entities as the World Health Organization has shown that “no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies.” Second, a number of conspiracy theories concerning the origins of COVID-19 have been floated since the beginning of the pandemic, including the far-fetched idea that the disease was a “bio-weapon.” This, again, is not true. At some point, conspiracy theorists started to tap into general fears about mobile technology in order to spread unfounded rumors about the spread of COVID-19. The man in this video claims he is not an adherent of these conspiracy theories, but mentions that he also can’t explain why “COV-19” was written on a piece of 5G equipment. He states: “I don’t really know any product by any company that produces circuitry like this that has the brand name COV-19, but that’s what it says on the fucking circuit board. I’m not a fucking conspiracy theorist, but obviously I’ve read all that stuff online about coronavirus and COVID-19, but why the fuck are they putting circuitry like that in towers like that?” But this piece of equipment was not taken from a 5G tower, and the word “COV-19” was likely added to this circuit board in an attempt to falsify “evidence” for this conspiracy theory. While this video never provides a truly clear glimpse of this piece of equipment, we were able to glean some details by taking screenshots from the video. At one point, for instance, the name of the company that actually manufactured this device (Hannstar) can be seen:


Gene therapy raises hope for a future AIDS cure

Explanation: Our one criticism is for the headline writer, who had to frame it as “hope for a future AIDS cure” despite these caveats in the body of the story:  It’s far too early to know if this scientific first will prove to be a cure, or even a new treatment. The research was only meant to show that, so far, it seems feasible and safe. A researcher “warned that it would be ‘way overstated’ to suggest that the results so far are a possible cure”  A competing MedPage Today story had this headline: “HIV-Resistant T Cells on Horizon.” That story said that the researchers “cautioned reporters not to use the word “cure” at this early stage. But this AP story still used the word “cure” 12 times. It is possible to report on very preliminary research – even involving only six people – and even on a topic like HIV/AIDS – and to do so in a reasonable way. This story achieved that goal – despite the repeated use of “cure”.

We like this story’s approach. The story could have easily stated that it’s just too early to know – end of story. Instead, it stated: The story gave very specific details on what happened to trial subjects’ cell counts – and over what span of time. Of course it’s too soon to know if those lab results will translate into differences in the peoples’ lives. But a MedPage Today story carried a more significant statement from a member of the conference program committee:  “We do not know yet from the experiments whether there is any antiviral activity.” Good job in saying: “The only side effect was two days of flulike symptoms. It will take longer to determine safety” Lots of details on what the evidence showed. Many caveats included. There could have been some more, though. A MedPageToday story stated “all six patients involved in the study had well-controlled HIV, so it was impossible to see if there would be a therapeutic effect.” That same story also noted that another presentation at the same meeting gave results of a similar process in mouse research – but the protective effect wore off over time. This AP story could have included that same information to be more complete. The story also could have included a reminder that the research was published only as a short abstract and presented at a scientific conference – and that it had not undergone the kind of rigorous peer review that a journal article would be expected to undergo. No disease mongering here. Several independent sources were quoted. Within the realm of other gene therapy attempts, the story explained, “This is the first time researchers have permanently deleted a human gene and infused the altered cells back into patients. Other gene therapy attempts tried to add a gene or muffle the activity of one, and have not worked against HIV” The story  made it clear that this was a very preliminary report. The story explained this was the first test of the new approach and that a report on a second, federally-funded study was due in another day. It’s clear that the story did not rely on a news release.


Wichita man to bike 1,000 miles to honor daughter’s death.

Explanation: For most of her 34-year life, Bridget Harrison lived with perfection and pain.

Anxiety, Health, Kansas, Wichita, Anorexia nervosa, Eating disorders, United States

With an IQ of more than 200, she graduated from Wichita East High School’s IB program with enough college credits to enter college as a sophomore, earned top honors in her medical class, completed a residency at one of the United States’ top plastic surgery programs and became a hand and reconstruction surgeon in Houston. But her genius-level mind and her personal demand for perfection turned on her when it came to her own body. On May 5, 2018, she succumbed to the pain caused by the eating disorder anorexia nervosa and the accompanying depression and anxiety she had been diagnosed with at age 12, the Wichita Eagle reported. Her father, Paul Harrison, a Wichita trauma surgeon who retired from a 40-year practice this year, is sharing Bridget’s story to raise awareness about eating disorders and is going even further — nearly 1,000 miles on a bike trip from Wichita to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada — to raise funds for research for the National Eating Disorders Association. Harrison, his older brother Kelly and their childhood friend Rick Stephens are setting out for an anticipated 11-day trip at 8 a.m. on May 10 from the Wichita State Woodman Alumni Center in Wichita. The three are all WSU alums. National surveys estimate about 20 million women and 10 million men in America will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives, according to the NEDA. The cause can’t be pinpointed, but consensus is that a range of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors contribute, the NEDA says. Eating disorders are serious mental and physical illnesses and include not only the more familiar anorexia or bulimia disorders but others such as pica, in which non-food substances are eaten. According to the NEDA, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health concern. Many deaths are by suicide, said Bridget’s longtime therapist, Beth Hartman McGilley, a certified clinical eating disorders specialist. Bridget had been openly talking about ending her life for about seven years, said Harrison. After years of severely restricting her diet and over-exercising her underweight body with a rigid routine — common behaviors for anorexics, Bridget was experiencing more physical pain along with the mental pain of her disorder. She was recovering from hip surgery at the time of her death. “When she would talk about wanting to die, I would tell her, ‘You don’t realize how much that would hurt your family,’ and she would say, ‘You don’t realize how much I hurt,’” Harrison recalled, emphasizing the I. Bridget wasn’t always in pain. Born Oct. 6, 1983, she was the youngest of Paul and Carolyn Harrison’s three children, all daughters driven to excel. Oldest daughter Alicia is an orthopedic surgeon and Megan has a career with ExxonMobile. Carolyn is a nurse-educator, specializing in advanced directives. “She was the sweetest, happiest, little girl,” Harrison said, of Bridget. “She had a quirky sense of humor.” For some individuals with eating disorders, a traumatic incident can cause the disease’s onset, said McGilley, whose own former struggle with the condition was triggered at age 16 when her mother died by suicide. For Bridget, the onset was something seemingly less harsh. It was the suggestion by a fellow player on her basketball team that they go on a diet. The girls were about 12, a time when young girls can be vulnerable about their body image and the changes that happen to their body. “The other girl bailed on the diet, but Bridget had to see it through to the nth degree. And from then on it was our life focus. We never stopped worrying,” said Harrison. “Every meal we’d hope she’d eat, but she didn’t. The holidays were confrontational. Her sisters didn’t understand why she wouldn’t eat.” Anxiety was a huge part of her affliction, Harrison said, which is a common accompanying condition. “She would get so anxious about not getting a perfect score, but when she did, it was like it was no biggie, like anyone could do that, and wouldn’t take praise for it. She always had to be the best.” “Perfectionist drive is a hallmark of people with eating disorders, especially among those with anorexia,” McGilley said. In many ways, Bridget was bold, successful and generous, Harrison said, citing one case in which Bridget organized a fundraiser for a patient’s family to enjoy the holidays. Her obituary listed volunteering at free clinics and working as a translator. She loved traveling and had visited places all over the world, often solo: Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Prague, Istanbul, Russia and many trips to Spain. She was a fluent Spanish speaker who loved having Spanish music playing in her operating room. After the Wichita to Winnipeg bike trip, Harrison and the rest of his immediate family will travel to Spain to spread Bridget’s ashes. She was very focused on caring for patients, Harrison noted. A private person who would withdraw from communicating with her family during times of depression, it’s as if she gave every ounce of her being to treating patients. “She loved caring for others but couldn’t help herself,” Harrison said. On May 4, Bridget called Harrison to tell him the pain in her hip from her surgery wasn’t getting better. He reminded her she would have an appointment with her doctor in a few days and he might have a solution. “She said, ‘Dad, you don’t understand. It’s never going to get any better. I just wanted to hear your voice,’” Harrison recalled, tearfully. “She was telling me she was going to die. It was the last time I talked to her.” An eating disorder is complex and so is the treatment and insurance coverage for it. At least three times in her life, Bridget was hospitalized or in treatment centers for her eating disorder and accompanying anxiety and depression. McGilley met her during her first such hospitalization, at what was then known as Charter Hospital in Wichita, when Bridget was still in middle school. Bridget also received group and outpatient therapy from McGilley. Because Kansas doesn’t have an eating disorders residential treatment center, Bridget was treated in out-of-state centers. Residential treatment, which can last from three months to a year, is the most effective form of treatment, McGilley said, but it’s often not covered by insurance. Bridget rarely stayed that long, saying she needed to get back to her studies or residency. While the Harrisons had resources to self-pay for Bridget’s residential treatment stays, other families often end up “stepping down” from a residential center, McGilley said. Generally, insurance will cover shorter treatment options such an inpatient hospitalization to stabilize a patient and outpatient therapy, she said, but there can be insurance denials. According to the NEDA website, common denials of insurance include the patient having a chronic condition and not progressing in treatment. In addition to raising awareness, the bike trip Harrison, his brother and his friend will embark on will give them some time to reflect on Bridget and maybe process the heartache. It’s a long, challenging ride, but it’s incomparable to the challenge and pain Bridget endured, they said. Several years ago, Stephens realized biking long distances is a good way to process the difficulties of life. He’s one of the few survivors of the 1970 plane crash in Colorado that caused the deaths of 31 people; most were WSU football players, administrators and survivors. He’s done several long-distance rides in memory or in honor of individuals. In 2016, Paul Harrison and Stephens rode to Winnipeg on a fundraising trip for Alzheimer’s research after Harrison’s father was diagnosed with the disease. “It is very difficult, almost impossible, to make sense of this affliction and the ways it impacted Bridget’s life,” said Harrison in a release about the upcoming ride. “From a very young age, she suffered from it in ways that broke our hearts and hers, I have to hope that future research and additional treatment options will help.” Called Bridget’s WREATH (Wichita to Winnipeg Ride for Eating Disorder Awareness), the trip has a goal of raising $100,000. The effort had raised nearly $20,000 by early May. If you or someone you know has an eating disorder, you can find more information, take a confidential screening and find resources about eating disorders at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org. ___ Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com


Heart Hormone Linked to Calorie-Burning Brown Fat

Explanation: There’s no denying our collective interest in treatments that will magically burn fat without requiring us to eat less or get off of our couches. And we’ll grant that the “brown fat” discussed in this story is scientifically intriguing in that it seems to burn calories rather than storing them as garden-variety “white fat” does. But we think it’s far too soon to be touting a group of heart hormones as holding “the key to an effective weight loss treatment” merely because they increase brown fat levels in a single study conducted in mice. Although the story did introduce some caveats, they came too late to counterbalance the overoptimistic tone of the coverage. How long will it be before supplement marketers start touting pills that “activate brown fat” based on this very preliminary research? Oh, wait– they already are.

Not applicable. There are no established ways to increase brown fat. The story suggests that certain heart hormones, if they behave the same way in humans as they do in mice, may hold “the key to an effective weight loss treatment.” We think this is a premature and misleading statement. Even if these hormones do activate brown fat in humans (something yet to be determined), there’s no guarantee this will translate into weight loss or that the weight loss that is produced will be safe or beneficial (see more under the “harms” criterion). We’ll give the benefit of the doubt here because the story does mention the possibility of unintended harms from brown fat-activating treatments. However, we thought it was worth noting — as the authors of the study did in their paper — that the hormones that activated brown fat in this study are elevated during heart failure and cancer-related wasting. Thus, any weight loss they produce may be accompanied by important adverse effects. Although we’re tempted to award a grudging satisfactory based on the caveats introduced late in the text, we think the story didn’t quite measure up. The studies discussed involved mice and 6 human volunteers. In other words, they represent very preliminary steps toward understanding how brown fat works and how we might be able to manipulate it. We are years away from any drug that might capitalize on this research. The story should have been clearer about this and included its cautions higher up in the text. There was no disease mongering in this story. The story quotes an independent clinician, who offers useful context. We are not aware of any conflicts that should have been identified. The story does not discuss evidence-based strategies for weight loss, such as behavioral weight loss programs. It could also have mentioned other new research which shows, at least in mice, that exercise helps turn white fat brown. Not applicable; there’s no product or treatment that can increase brown fat. The story quotes Dr. David Katz regarding the clinical importance of this research. It could also have cited his blog post on the topic, which discusses other recent studies on brown fat and notes that brown fat’s role in regulating body temperature is long established. This line of research is not as new as recent media reports suggest. Since it includes an independent perspective, we can be sure the story was not based entirely on a press release.


London's Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan banned images of "sexy" women because they're offensive to Islam.

Explanation: What's true: London's Mayor Sadiq Khan "announced that Transport for London would no longer run ads which could cause body confidence issues, particularly among young people." What's false: Khan did not "ban" all "sexy images" because they were offensive to Muslims. What's undetermined: Whether the changes would affect anything but weight loss advertisements.

On 14 June 2016, unreliable web site Gateway Pundit published an article suggesting that London Mayor Sadiq Khan — who is Muslim — “banned” provocative advertisements because they offended Islam: What a complete shock! London’s new Muslim mayor plans to ban sexy women in advertisements in London’s public transport system. Allahu Akbar! The Gateway Pundit referenced earlier reporting from Daily Caller: Sadiq Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor, announced Monday that “body shaming” advertisements will no longer be allowed in London’s public transport … Recently, advertisements featuring bikini-clad models in the British city of Birmingham were spray painted over. Birmingham has a high Muslim population. On 13 June 2016, Khan tweeted: No one’s confidence or body image should be undermined by ads on our transport system. I’ve strengthened @TfL policy https://t.co/AJ7qYDQW0T — Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) June 13, 2016 On 13 June 2016, the Evening Standard published an article with further information about Khan’s policy. According to the piece, only a small fraction of advertisements in London would be affected by the policy change: Adverts which put Londoners under pressure over body image are to be banned from the Tube and bus network. Sadiq Khan announced that Transport for London would no longer run ads which could cause body confidence issues, particularly among young people. The Mayor, a father of two teenage daughters, warned the ads could “demean” women and encourage them to conform to unrealistic or unhealthy body shapes. TfL’s new advertising policy, which does not include all images of people in their underwear or swimming gear, is only expected to affect a handful of the 12,000 adverts a year which run across the network, including at bus shelters and on-street sites. Khan was quoted on the reasons he opted to enact the new policy: As the father of two teenage girls, I am extremely concerned about this kind of advertising which can demean people, particularly women, and make them ashamed of their bodies. It is high time it came to an end … Nobody should feel pressurised, while they travel on the Tube or bus, into unrealistic expectations surrounding their bodies and I want to send a clear message to the advertising industry about this. As for the mayor’s motivations, the outlet reported that public outcry (not Khan’s religion) was a major cause for the action: It means controversial adverts like Protein World’s “Are you beach body ready?” poster, which provoked a huge backlash when it appeared last year, would no longer be allowed. The weight-loss ad, which featured a bikini-clad model, sparked a protest in Hyde Park as well as a petition on Change.org with more than 70,000 signatures, although it was not banned by the Advertising Standards Authority … The change comes a result of passenger feedback, rather than public consultation, but City Hall denied it was nannying Londoners. As the Evening Standard reported, the change came in part as a result of massive public outcry over one specific ad. A Change.org petition gathered more than 70,000 signatures, and its grievances were unrelated to Islam: Protein World is directly targeting individuals, aiming to make them feel physically inferior to the unrealistic* body image of the bronzed model, in order to sell their product. *for the majority of people to ‘achieve’: everyone has an individual body shape Perhaps not everyone’s priority is having a ‘beach body’ (by the way, what is that? ), and making somebody feel guilty for not prioritising it by questioning their personal choices is a step too far. A body’s function is far more intricate and important than looking ‘beach ready’, so in fact it is Protein World who have confused their priorities, if anyone. The question I would like to pose to whoever gave this advert the go-ahead would be: what is ‘Beach Body Ready’? And who would not be? Khan didn’t specify how standards for advertisements on public transit would be strengthened, but no credible reporting indicated that all “sexy” or revealing advertisements would be banned across London. The ban will solely affect “body shaming” content, not bikinis or scantily-clad women.


Candidate Biography, Criminal Justice, Crime, Texas, David Dewhurst,

In a Dallas-area call on behalf of a jailed niece, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Texas law enforcement agencies consistently rank him fairest of them all. In his Aug. 3, 2013, call to the Allen Police Department, a recording of which was later released in response to a request from NBC 5, KXAS-TV, Dewhurst inquired into what he needed to do to hasten the release of Ellen Bevers, described in the station’s news report as a schoolteacher detained for allegedly shoplifting at a grocery store. His call did not yield special treatment; Bevers was released after posting bond the next day, according to an Aug. 22, 2013, Austin American-Statesman news story. But critics including Dewhurst challengers in the 2014 Republican primary charged him with trying to throw his weight around. Readers zeroed in on a curious Dewhurst claim. "Sergeant, you don't know me," Dewhurst is heard saying on the police call, "but I am every year the No.1 pick of all of the law enforcement agencies within Texas." First and foremost? Agencies do not rank officeholders, we found, though law officer associations make candidate endorsements as do other advocacy groups with an interest in what happens in government. By email, Dewhurst spokesman Travis Considine pointed out that Dewhurst was endorsed by several officer groups in his 2006 re-election race and in his 2012 U.S. Senate race. Also, Considine noted, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas deemed Dewhurst its Texas Crime Fighter of the Year in 2003, his first year in what many consider the state’s most powerful post. A Nov. 24, 2003, association press release credits Dewhurst with steering reforms in drunken-driving laws and helping on other measures. CLEAT spokesman Charlie Wilkison is quoted describing Dewhurst as a "real friend" to the state’s law enforcement community. By telephone, Wilkison, poised to become the group’s executive director, told us that in 2012 the association gave Dewhurst a lifetime achievement award thanks to his consistent support over the years. Especially notable, Wilkison said, Dewhurst has repeatedly volunteered to keynote a biennial Texas Capitol ceremony honoring fallen officers at which he comforts survivors including children, one by one. Wilkison said he believes that in the call to the police department, Dewhurst meant to say he was No. 1 with law enforcement groups, instead making a common semantic mistake by saying "agencies." Like representatives of other law enforcement advocacy groups that have supported Dewhurst in elections, Wilkison agreed that agencies do not rank officeholders; the agencies are supposed to be politically disinterested. Kevin Lawrence, executive director of the Texas Municipal Police Association, another influential group, said by phone that it has enjoyed a great relationship with Dewhurst. "Law enforcement agencies have no business endorsing candidates," Lawrence said, and while associations or unions make candidate endorsements, they do not pick one officeholder over another--assigning ranks, that is--unless the officeholders face each other on the ballot. "Associations don’t sit around saying who is our favorite politician," Lawrence said. Gary Chandler, a Department of Public Safety sergeant and president of the DPS Officers Association, later said by phone: "We don’t rank the government officials or public officials," instead focusing on trooper salaries and benefits. Then again, Chandler said: "As government works, the lieutenant governor of Texas is a very powerful person. We have worked with David Dewhurst the last three" legislative "sessions at least." He said that personally, Dewhurst "has been my No. 1 guy," though every legislator "is important to us when it comes to accomplishing our goals… I wouldn’t mind calling them all No. 1 at some point." Lacking any sign of agencies ranking officeholders, we turned back to Considine, who said the cited endorsements demonstrate Dewhurst's appeal to law enforcement organizations. Our ruling Dewhurst said  that "every year, I'm the No.1 pick of all the law enforcement agencies in Texas." This declaration falters in substantive ways. Law enforcement agencies do not rank elected officials against one another in any way. Nor do law enforcement advocacy groups, though Dewhurst has drawn multiple re-election endorsements. Then again, such endorsements do not occur every year. The election for lieutenant governor occurs every four years. We rate this claim as . -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  – The statement is not accurate.


A Facebook post is correct in saying N95 masks, surgical masks, and cloth masks can be dangerous and/or ineffective in protecting against the spread of COVID-19 based on CDC and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.

Explanation: What's true: N95 respirators with valves do allow unfiltered exhaled air to reach others, increasing the risk of spreading infection. Cloth and surgical masks do not protect the wearer from airborne infection. Cloth masks also get dirty easily, which is why OSHA and CDC recommend regular washing. What's false: However, contrary to the posts, OSHA and CDC have not recommended against wearing face coverings of any kind. Also contrary to the posts, cloth and surgical masks are not entirely ineffective because they prevent the wearer from transmitting infection to others through droplets. Surgical masks also protect wearers from getting potential infections via droplets. In addition, people who wear these masks are in little to no danger of breathing in too much carbon dioxide.

Another day, another viral claim about the effectiveness (or not) of face masks amid the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. A popular Facebook post that had been copied and pasted numerous times in June repeated spurious but familiar claims about masks, this time selectively citing U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) recommendations:  In July 2020, a similar post — this time attributed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — made almost identical claims about N95 masks, surgical masks, and cloth masks. This photo circulated online:   The lengthy posts focused on three different types of protective masks: N95 masks, surgical masks, and cloth masks. We tackle assertions about each one below. According to the posts your unfiltered, potentially infectious breath could harm others if you are breathing through an N95 respirator. N95 masks: are designed for CONTAMINATED environments. That means when you exhale through N95 the design is that you are exhaling into contamination. The exhale from N95 masks are vented to breath straight out without filtration. They don’t filter the air on the way out. They don’t need to. Conclusion: if you’re in Stewart’s and the guy with Covid has N95 mask his covid breath is unfiltered being exhaled into Stewart’s (because it was designed for already contaminated environments, it’s not filtering your air on the way out) This is mostly true, except it only applies to N95 respirators with valves. Such masks were designed for construction/factory workers or miners, to keep out dust and other particles, but not to prevent infectious particles from leaving the mask. When the wearer inhales, the one-way valve closes so pathogens can’t get through, but when the user exhales, the valve opens. In May, the San Francisco Department of Public Health tweeted that N95 masks with valves in the front weren’t safe and “may actually propel your germs further.” Hospitals largely use N95 masks without valves for this reason, and in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations. OSHA’s guidelines on N95s primarily focus on how they are meant “to prevent workers from inhaling small particles, including airborne transmissible or aerosolized infectious agents,” and should be required in workplaces where respirators are needed. The Facebook post argues that wearing a surgical mask makes you a “walking virus dispenser,” as follows: Surgical Mask: these masks were designed and approved for STERILE environments. The amount of particles and contaminants in the outside and indoor environments where people are CLOGG these masks very Very quickly. The moisture from your breath combined with the clogged mask will render it “useless” IF you come in contact with Covid and your mask traps it You become a walking virus dispenser. Everytime you put your mask on you are breathing the germs from EVERYWHERE you went. They should be changed or thrown out every “20-30 minutes in a non sterile environment” OSHA guidelines seem to contradict some of these claims, arguing that surgical masks protect workers “against [potentially infectious] splashes and sprays,” and also “contain” the wearer’s respiratory droplets to protect others. OSHA says these masks should be placed on sick individuals to prevent transmission via droplets. Surgical masks do, however, offer ineffective protection from transmission via airborne particles due to their loose fit. While the post argues that such masks should be thrown out every 20-30 minutes, OSHA simply recommends that they “should be properly disposed of after use.” The Facebook post’s and letter’s claims about cloth masks are mostly false and have been debunked by Snopes before. The author claims: Cloth masks: today three people pointed to their masks as the walked by me entering Lowe’s. They said “ya gotta wear your mask BRO” I said very clearly “those masks don’t work bro, in fact they MAKE you sicker” the “pshh’d” me. By now hopefully you all know CLOTH masks do not filter anything … ALL of them offer NO FILTERING whatsoever. As you exhale you are ridding your lungs of contaminants and carbon dioxide. Cloth masks trap this carbon dioxide the best. It actually risks health. The moisture caught in these masks can become mildew ridden over night. Dry coughing, enhanced allergies, sore throat are all symptoms of a micro-mold in your mask. OSHA guidelines already state that cloth masks are ineffective filters against airborne particles. They are worn to protect other people from risk of infection via respiratory droplets. People wearing them are in little to no danger of breathing in unhealthy amounts of carbon dioxide. The posts point out the danger of dirty masks, which is why both OSHA and CDC recommend washing cloth masks after use.


US Sen. Reed wants to shorten the suicide prevention hotline.

Explanation: U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is helping lead an effort to create a three-digit suicide prevention hotline.

Rhode Island, Mental health, Providence, Health, Jack Reed, Tammy Baldwin, Jerry Moran, Suicide prevention, Cory Gardner, Archive

The Rhode Island Democrat worked with three of his colleagues, Sens. Cory Gardner, Tammy Baldwin and Jerry Moran, to introduce a bill to designate 9-8-8 as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It would include the Veterans Crisis Line. Reed says the current hotline is 10 digits and that’s a barrier. Reed says a shorter number will help get people into care, but it’s just a first step and the federal government must “put up real resources.” Rhode Island residents who dial the current hotline, (800) 273-TALK, are connected to BH Link. Reed says the East Providence behavioral health facility received more than 5,000 mental health and substance use crisis calls in the past year.


U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted in November 2009 that "Obama's handling of this whole pandemic has been terrible!" and that he "would never let thousands of Americans die from a pandemic while in office.

Explanation: In contrast, Trump said in March 2020 that, “I don’t take responsibility at all” when asked about the lack of testing in the United States for COVID-19.

In April 2020, as the death toll in the United States from the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic topped 30,000, an image gained traction on social media that supposedly showed a screenshot of an old tweet from now-U.S. President Donald Trump. In the tweet, Trump appeared to criticize President Barack Obama’s handling of a 2009 pandemic and stated that he would “never let thousands of Americans die from a pandemic while in office”:    The tweet read: Obama’s handling of this whole pandemic has been terrible! As President, ALL responsibility becomes yours during a crisis like this, whether or not you’re entirely to blame. John McCain, and for that matter myself, would never let thousands of Americans die from a pandemic while in office. This is not a genuine tweet from Trump in November 2009, some seven years before he became president. The tweet does not appear on Trump’s timeline, nor is it included in the Trump Twitter Archive or Fact Base’s archive of deleted tweets. In fact, we weren’t able to find any record of this message prior to April 2020, indicating that this is a modern creation with a falsified date. Furthermore, the text of this tweet contains nearly 300 characters. But at the time it was supposedly sent, back in November 2009, Twitter had a limit of 140 characters per tweet. While the above-displayed tweet is fake, Trump has made similar comments on Twitter. In November 2013, he tweeted that leaders were always responsible no matter what happens:


Stephanie Grisham got DUIs in 2013 and 2015.

Explanation: What's true: Grisham was arrested on suspicion of DUI in 2013 and 2015. She pleaded guilty to DUI in the 2015 case and was convicted. What's false: Grisham was not convicted of DUI in the 2013 case. As part of a plea agreement, that charge was dropped.

In October and November 2019, we received multiple inquiries from readers about various claims that White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham had, on two separate occasions, been charged with or convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in Arizona. On Oct. 24, the Facebook page American News X posted a widely shared meme that contained a quotation attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump (“I only hire the best people”) and two pictures that appeared to be police booking mugshots of Grisham, one with the caption “DUI, 2013” and the other with the caption “DUI, 2015”:    The left-leaning, anti-Trump Facebook page Occupy Democrats published another meme on the same day, including the same mugshot photographs, which the page described as Grisham’s “DUI mugshots.” Social media users also re-shared an older post by the website PoliticalFlare.com, which claimed Grisham had “two recent DUIs.” On Nov. 12, MSNBC host Chris Hayes responded to a tweet by Trump related to purported arrests of certain immigrants, writing: “The [White House] press secretary [Grisham] has two DUIs.” The WH press secretary has two DUI’s https://t.co/mHC19xzRxO — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 13, 2019   Grisham has indeed been arrested and charged with DUI in Arizona on two separate occasions — in January 2013 and December 2015. In the 2013 case, she pleaded guilty to a different charge, so the charge of DUI was dropped and she was not convicted of it in that instance. However, police records obtained by Snopes clearly show that she recorded a blood-alcohol content (BAC) level above the legal limit of .08 percent. A police incident report also indicates that she repeatedly lied to officers about having consumed alcohol on that occasion. In the 2015 case, Grisham pleaded guilty to DUI, a Class 1 misdemeanor offense. She paid a series of fines and, according to news reports, completed a treatment program. Around 11:30 p.m. on the night of Jan. 9, 2013, Grisham was pulled over by police near the intersection of Gilbert Road and Elliot Road in Gilbert, Arizona, about 20 miles east of Phoenix. According to the incident report obtained by Snopes, the arresting officer, Christopher Robinson, stopped Grisham for driving her 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor SUV at 35 mph in a 25 mph zone. A man accompanied her in the car. After stopping Grisham, Robinson reported that “she showed signs and symptoms of alcohol impairment,” adding, “Her eyes were bloodshot and watery and I detected the odor of intoxicating beverage coming from the vehicle interior.” Robinson checked Grisham’s license and discovered that it had been suspended due to her alleged failure to appear on a traffic citation in Mesa, Arizona, in August 2012. She denied any knowledge of the citation or suspension, and Robinson asked her to exit the vehicle. In his report, he wrote: “I then detected the odor of intoxicating beverage coming directly from her breath. I informed her of such and she again denied consuming any alcohol, exclaiming that I could not smell alcohol on her breath. She then blew directly in my face and I detected the odor of intoxicating beverage to be even stronger …” Robinson conducted a horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test (a sight test), and found Grisham was exhibiting signs of intoxication, namely nystagmus (involuntary eye movements) and swaying on her feet. At 11:45 p.m., he arrested her on suspicion of DUI and driving with a suspended license. In his report, Robinson noted that Grisham repeatedly denied having consumed any alcohol. In one instance, she recorded a BAC of .099 percent on a breath test (above the legal limit of .08 percent). When Robinson showed her the result on the breathalyzer, Grisham reportedly once again denied drinking that evening. At the Gilbert police station, Grisham provided blood samples that were later tested by a forensic scientist at Mesa Police Department. The samples revealed a BAC of 0.105 grams of ethyl alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood (.105 percent) — even further above the legal limit of .08 than the preliminary breath test performed during the traffic stop. Those results can be viewed here. We asked Grisham whether, in the face of that forensic evidence, she still denied having consumed alcohol that evening, and if she no longer denied that, why she had repeatedly told the arresting officer that she had not been drinking when, demonstrably, she had. We did not receive a response. According to Gilbert Municipal Court records, Grisham ultimately reached a plea agreement, pleading guilty to a charge of reckless driving, with the charges of DUI and driving with a suspended license being dropped. She received two years’ probation (which she completed in 2016) and had to pay $943 in fines. Gilbert Police Department provided Snopes the mugshot from the 2013 case, which can be viewed here. In December 2015, Grisham was again pulled over, this time by Phoenix police. The details of that incident are not entirely clear. Snopes has requested a copy of the arrest report, and we will update this article once we receive it. What is certain is that Grisham was charged with a lighted lamps violation, DUI, and DUI with a BAC over .08 percent. She again reached a plea agreement, but this time, she pleaded guilty to DUI, with the other two charges being dismissed, according to Scottsdale Municipal Court records. Grisham was forced to pay hundreds of dollars in fines, and in June 2019 she told The New York Times she had undergone what she described as a “safety class.” Grisham has been arrested twice on suspicion of DUI. On the first occasion, in 2013, she reached a plea agreement, which meant that charge of DUI was dropped, and she was not convicted of DUI. However, police records obtained by Snopes show that forensic examination of a blood sample she provided revealed a BAC of .105 percent, above the legal limit of .08 percent. On the the second occasion, in 2015, Grisham pleaded guilty to and was convicted of DUI. Because she was convicted in one case, but not in the other (notwithstanding the forensic evidence that she was driving while over the legal limit), we are issuing a “Mixture” rating on the claim that Grisham “has two DUIs.”


Kayla Mueller, the 26-year-old woman who died while being held hostage   by the Islamic State terrorist group, “deserves no tears” because she   supported terrorist groups.

Explanation: Hostage Kayla Mueller’s Death “Deserves No Tears” Because She Supported Terrorism

Kayla Mueller did not support terrorist groups, and the idea that her   death “deserves no tears” is an incendiary claim that was designed to   provoke a strong reaction. A family spokesperson      said the Islamic State took Kayla Mueller captive outside a   Spanish Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria, in August of   2013. The White House      confirmed on February 10, 2015, that Mueller was killed while   being held captive by the Islamic State, but the circumstances of her   death are unknown. Mueller had worked with humanitarian organizations in   India, Israel and the Palestine territories before she went to Turkey to   aid Syrian refugees, according to the statement. Shortly after Kayla Mueller’s death, false claims that she had supported   Palestinian terrorist groups began to appear in forwarded emails like   this one:    	  	“The myth that this ISIS hostage was a wonderful altruistic young   	woman is a lie. She was an anti-Israel activist and human shield for   	Palestinian Terror Groups. Kayla Mueller was a member of the   	International Solidarity Movement (ISM) who spent at least two years   	working with that terrorist support group.”     The International Solidarity Movement said that   Kayla Mueller did volunteer with the group for two months in 2010. However, the email’s characterization of the ISM as      terrorist group is false. According to the ISM’s website:    	  	“The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a Palestinian-led   	movement committed to resisting the long-entrenched and systematic   	oppression and dispossession of the Palestinian population, using   	non-violent, direct-action methods and principles. Founded in August   	2001, ISM aims to support and strengthen the Palestinian popular   	resistance by being immediately alongside Palestinians in olive   	groves, on school runs, at demonstrations, within villages being   	attacked, by houses being demolished or where Palestinians are   	subject to consistent harassment or attacks from soldiers and   	settlers as well as numerous other situations. “Currently, ISM supports weekly Palestinian-led, non-violent   	demonstrations against land confiscation in several villages,   	including Nabi Saleh, Kufr Qaddum, Ni’lin and Bil’in. Previously,   	ISM supported demonstrations in the villages of Budrus and Biddu,   	where peaceful community marches have succeeded in altering the   	Annexation Wall’s path.”      ISM      said that Mueller participated in a handful of nonviolent   protests and accompanied children to school during her two-month stint   with the group in 2010. Her involvement was kept under wraps during her   captivity out of fear that it could jeopardize her safety. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to Kayla Mueller’s   death is further proof that the chain email’s claims are false. Netanyahu      said, “On behalf of the people of Israel, I wish to send   condolences to President Obama, the American people and the family of   Kayla Mueller. We stand with you.”      After her two-month stint with the ISM in 2010, Mueller volunteered with   numerous      humanitarian organizations, including an HIV/AIDS clinic in   Arizona. Her work with Support   to Life and the Danish   Refugee Council brought her to the border of Turkey and Syria   to help refugees in December of 2013. The chain email’s claim that Kayla Mueller “deserves no tears” because   she spent two months volunteering with a nonviolent Palestinian group is   baseless. Comments


South Korea expands poultry cull on bird flu fears.

Explanation: South Korea is expanding a poultry cull in a bid to contain the spread of bird flu that has been found on an increasing number of farms around the country and in migratory birds.

The country’s agriculture ministry said the H5N8 strain of bird flu had been detected on six poultry farms and that there had been 13 cases in migratory birds since the first outbreak earlier this month. No human infection has been reported, while the ministry is looking into four additional reports from poultry farms and more than 50 other suspected cases in migratory birds, it said in a statement on Monday. Asia’s fourth-largest economy has had four bird flu outbreaks in the past 10 years, without any cases of human infection reported. South Korea will slaughter over 1.4 million farm birds, including 644,000 that have already been killed, according to the ministry. That would be under 1 percent of the country’s total 160 million poultry population. The first case of H5N8 bird flu was found on January17 at a duck farm in the southwestern province of North Jeolla, about 300 km (186 miles) from Seoul. The government is stepping up disinfection measures for migratory bird at 37 sites across the country as it suspects they are the source of the latest outbreak. It will also control the movement of some livestock workers in affected areas ahead of the Luna New Year holidays from Thursday through Sunday when many Koreans travel to family gatherings.


300,000 pounds of rat meat sold as chicken wings across America.

Explanation: U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co Inc on Monday received approval from the European Commission to market (bit.ly/2NZ0QMB) its Ebola vaccine, less than a month after a European medicines panel backed the first-ever vaccine against the deadly virus.

The vaccine, Ervebo, is approved for individuals aged 18 years and older and has already been used under emergency guidelines to try to protect against the spread of a deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo. The shot is also being reviewed by U.S. health regulators and a decision is expected in the first quarter of next year. The Ebola virus causes hemorrhagic fever and spreads from person to person through direct contact with body fluids. It kills around half of those it infects. Since the middle of last year, the Congo Ebola outbreak has killed more than 2,100 people, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak in history, after the 2013-16 epidemic in West Africa that killed more than 11,300. “The EU is supporting international efforts to combat Ebola on all fronts, from vaccine development to delivering humanitarian aid on the ground,” EU Ebola Coordinator Christos Stylianides said in a statement dated Nov. 10. Merck has said its priority was to get regulatory approval of its Ervebo manufacturing site in Germany so that licensed supply of the vaccine “can be used to support global public health preparedness”.


Tim O'Brien Says Bernie Sanders has said “things like women get cancer from having too many orgasms, or toddlers should run around naked and touch each others' genitals to insulate themselves from porn … He's written about women's rape fantasies.

Explanation: O’Brien was referring to essays Sanders contributed to a left-leaning alternative newspaper called the Vermont Freeman almost 50 years ago. In 1969, Sanders wrote one essay that cited studies purporting to link cervical cancer to women having too few orgasms, not too many, and another essay that criticized rules against toddlers being naked on beaches. In 1972, Sanders wrote about women’s sexual fantasies as part of an essay commenting on gender stereotypes. He’s since called it “bad fiction.”

Editors’ note: This fact-check contains graphic content and content related to sexual assault. Bloomberg campaign adviser Tim O’Brien ripped Democratic frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders in a CNN interview ahead of the South Carolina primary, accusing the Vermont senator of saying "loopy stuff" about orgasms and cervical cancer, children’s nudity and women’s rape fantasies. Yes, you read that right. Not your typical morning on CNN. "Bernie has all of this loopy stuff in his background, saying things like women get cancer from having too many orgasms, or toddlers should run around naked and touch each others' genitals to insulate themselves from porn," O’Brien told CNN "New Day" anchor Alisyn Camerota. "Why has this stuff not been more surfaced?" O’Brien said. "He's written about women's rape fantasies. That hasn’t been surfaced. That’s the loony side of Bernie." JUST NOW: @MikeBloomberg Senior Adviser @TimOBrien goes there on @BernieSanders.Orgasms. Rape fantasies. Children running naked. All there. @NewDaypic.twitter.com/EUckLVYNR0 O’Brien’s claim caught our attention and generated a number of headlines, so we decided to check it out. Galia Slayen, a spokesperson for former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s campaign, said O’Brien "misspoke" with regard to the claim about cancer and orgasms. "He meant that Sanders believes it was a lack of orgasms that leads to cancer," she said. Now that that’s cleared up, here’s what we found: The Bloomberg adviser was drawing from essays Sanders contributed to a left-leaning alternative newspaper about 50 years ago. Not everything O’Brien said needs a correction. Bloomberg’s campaign cited 2015 articles in the New York Times and Mother Jones that examined Sanders’ writings for the Vermont Freeman in the late 1960s and early 1970s. According to the New York Times, Sanders wrote roughly a dozen pieces when he was in his late 20s and early 30s, before his political career took off. The writings became a source of controversy for Sanders during his presidential campaign in 2016. We fact-checked a claim related to his essay on women’s fantasies of rape. At the time, Sanders campaign spokesman told CNN the 1972 essay was a "dumb attempt at dark satire in an alternative publication" that "in no way reflects his views or record on women." Sanders downplayed the writings as "bad fiction" and told late-night host Seth Meyers that he "learned my lesson." He said the "poorly written" article mentioning rape was meant to confront "gender stereotypes of the period," according to the New York Times. (The Sanders campaign pointed us to his remarks during the 2016 campaign when we asked about his writings.) Below, we’ll compare what Sanders wrote with O’Brien’s descriptions on CNN. O’Brien’s description: "Women get cancer from having too many orgasms." Sanders’ 1969 article: Sanders’ point in an essay titled "Cancer, Disease and Society" was that lack of sex — rather than too much sex — could lead to poor health or, specifically, cancer. "In another article in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine ... it is stated that ‘sexual adjustment seemed to be very poor in those with cancer of the cervix (who) were found to have a lower incidence of orgasm during sexual intercourse,’" Sanders wrote, quoting a 1954 study. "The manner in which you bring up your daughter with regard to sexual attitudes may very well determine whether or not she will develop breast cancer, among other things," he wrote. Throughout the essay, Sanders quoted freely from various studies and from a book by Austrian psychologist Wilhelm Reich, who believed in connections not only between sexual energy and good health but also between sexual repression and fascism. For the record, the American Cancer Society has said "there’s no reason to believe that emotions can cause cancer or help it grow." O’Brien’s description: "Toddlers should run around naked and touch each others' genitals to insulate themselves from porn." Sanders’ 1969 article: "In Vermont, at a state beach, a mother is reprimanded by Authority for allowing her 6-month-old daughter to go about without her diapers on. Now, if children go around naked, they are liable to see each others sexual organs, and maybe even touch them. Terrible thing! If we (raise) children up like this it will probably ruin the whole pornography business, not to mention the large segment of the general economy which makes its money by playing on peoples sexual frustrations." Sanders writings often criticized cultural oppression, according to Mother Jones. In one piece, Sanders wrote that a function of schools was to "set up in children patterns of docility and conformity." In the essay in question, which was titled "The Revolution is Life Versus Death," Sanders wrote about the monotony of life, his frustrations with the status quo, and a nonviolent revolution that he believed was on the horizon in the United States. "The revolution comes when two strangers smile at each other, when a father refuses to send his child to school because schools destroy children, when a commune is started and people begin to trust each other, when a young man refuses to go to war, and when a girl pushes aside all that her mother has ‘taught’ her and accepts her boyfriend’s love," he said. O’Brien’s description: "He's written about women's rape fantasies." Sanders’ 1972 article: "A man goes home and masturbates his typical fantasy. A woman on her knees. A woman tied up. A woman abused. A woman enjoys intercourse with her man — as she fantasizes being raped by three men simultaneously … Do you know why the newspapers with the articles like ‘Girl, 12, raped by 14 men’ sell so well? To what in us are they appealing?’’ The column, "Man and Woman," was about changing gender stereotypes and roles. Later in the essay, Sanders suggested men and women should reconsider how they relate to each other. O’Brien said Sanders has said "things like women get cancer from having too many orgasms, or toddlers should run around naked and touch each others' genitals to insulate themselves from porn … He's written about women's rape fantasies." O’Brien got the first detail backwards. Nearly five decades ago, Sanders wrote about the possibility that women could get cancer from having too few orgasms, not too many. Sanders also wrote about a revolutionary order in which toddlers would not be chastised for public nudity, noting that such a world could have negative consequences for the porn industry. Finally, Sanders wrote about women’s rape fantasies in an essay on gender stereotypes. We rate O'Brien's statement .


A new male contraception product allows a man to control the flow of sperm by flicking a switch.

Explanation: What's true: A new male contraception product called Bimek SLV would allow men to control their sperm flow with the flick of a switch. What's false: The product is currently available for purchase.

In January 2016, a rumor started circulating that a German carpenter had invented a new male contraception product which would give men the ability to control their sperm flow by flicking a switch: A German carpenter says his invention will switch men to a new contraception alternative. Clemens Bimek says he discovered how to insert a valve that can allow men to turn the flow of sperm on and off — all by flipping a switch located under the skin of the scrotum, according to German magazine Spiegel. “Many of the doctors I consulted didn’t take me seriously,” Bimek said. “But there were some who encouraged me to go on tinkering and helped me with their expertise.” While it’s true that Clemens Bimek invented a “sperm switch,” it’s unclear how well this product works, how well it will be received, and when it will be available to the public. According to the Bimek SLV web site, the first clinical trials will be conducted later this year:  The SLV has not yet been officially approved. As with all medical devices, the SLV first has to undergo extensive clinical trials in which volunteers are tested to determine its effects and safety, before it can be modified and released to the market. In addition, there are technical checks and the manufacturing certification, packaging, sterilisation and further matters are required in order to obtain a CE mark. Only then will the SLV be ready and released on the market. The Bimek SLV is a small valve that is fitted to the spermatic duct. The valve can then be closed or opened to regulate release of sperm cells. According to the web site, the procedure would only take about a half hour:  Bimek SLV is a small valve fitted to the spermatic duct that can regulate the release of sperm cells. When the valve is closed the SLV’s principle function is to obstruct the release of sperm cells during ejaculation. The result of this function is that the seminal fluid released is sterile. With the SLV you are able to regulate when you can procreate. After the valve is inserted, and after the waiting period, you will only be fertile when the valve is opened again. While the SLV could conceivably pass clinical trials with flying colors and quickly get approved by the FDA, some experts are skeptical about the device. Wolfgang Bühmann, spokesman for the Professional Association of German Urologists, told the Telegraph that he had his doubts about the sperm switch. For one, Bühmann said that implanting a valve could scar the vas deferens, which would render the switch useless since sperm could still flow through even in the closed position. Bühmann also said that he feared that the valve could be become clogged if it was left in the “closed” position for too long: “My assessment is that implanting the valve could cause scarring where it meets the vas deferens.” While it’s true that a “sperm switch” has been invented, this form of male contraception has not been tested or approved by the FDA. As of January 2016, Clemens Bimek is the only man who has undergone the procedure.


Italy's coronavirus death toll climbs by 578, new cases continue to slow.

Explanation: Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 578 on Wednesday, down from 602 the day before, while the number of new cases slowed to 2,667 from a previous 2,972, continuing the recent downward trend.

The number of new cases was the lowest since March 13 but the daily tally of deaths remains stubbornly high. It has hovered between 525 and 636 for the last 11 days, except for a steep drop to 431 on Easter Sunday, which was immediately reversed the following day. The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 rose to 21,645 the Civil Protection Agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States. The number of officially confirmed cases climbed to 165,155, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain. There were 3,079 people in intensive care on Wednesday against 3,186 on Tuesday — a 12th consecutive daily decline. Of those originally infected, 38,092 were declared recovered against 37,130 a day earlier.