Home: COVID-19: Coronavirus Updates, Information, and Resources: Misinformation and the Infodemic

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Tracking Misinformation

Although coronavirus poses a health risk, that doesn't stop misinformation about the virus. Misinformation has become so serious that the World Health Organization has characterized it as an "infodemic" in February 2020.

We're seeing recommendations like drinking bleach (please don't) and coating your hands in oil (that won't work and everything will end up sticky) are options and they are not.

Please use this page to fact check, learn more, and share with others to help with spreading accurate and timely information about COVID-19.

Fighting Fake News in the Pandemic
An article on the Programming Librarian concerning fact checking which curates a number of resources to use.
Libraries Respond: Combating Xenophobia and Fake News in light of COVID-19
ALA resources page that includes "selected resources for sharing the facts and examples of how libraries are interrupting not only the spread of misinformation but also related racism and xenophobia"

Fact Checking Sources

NewsGuard: Coronavirus Misinformation Tracking Center
"As the Wuhan coronavirus and the disease it causes — also known as COVID-19 — spread across the globe, so does disinformation and misinformation. Follow the spread of this dangerous information with NewsGuard’s new Coronavirus Misinformation Tracking Center." This list includes sites in the U.S., the U.K., France, Italy, and Germany that have been identified as publishing materially false information about the virus.
Politifact.com: Coronavirus
PolitiFact started in 2007 as an election-year project of the Tampa Bay Times (then named the St. Petersburg Times), Florida’s largest daily newspaper.
Snopes: The Coronavirus Collection - Misinformation and Memes
"Snopes investigates the memes, rumors, jokes, and misinformation spreading on social media in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak."
WHO: 12 facts to know to avoid coronavirus misinformation contagion
"As the new coronavirus spreads globally, the online battle to keep misinformation about the disease is also stepping up with organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) updating its information pages on the virus as more about the deisease becomes known."
WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth busters
Wikipedia: Misinformation related to the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
World Health Organization Instagram
WHO, the United Nations Health Agency has been sharing these blue infographics about coronavirus and will be updating them as misinformation arises.