FactCheck.org’s SciCheck focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy. Recently the site has been checking facts around news of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Here are a few samples of their reports. Go to https://www.factcheck.org/scicheck/ for the full stories. 

Will the New Coronavirus ‘Go Away’ in April?

February 13, 2020

President Donald Trump suggested that the new coronavirus would “go away” in April, as temperatures warm. While some viruses are seasonal, it’s not yet clear if the new virus will follow the same pattern—and experts caution against banking on the weather to resolve the outbreak. 

Baseless Conspiracy Theories Claim New Coronavirus Was Bioengineered

February 7, 2020

Several online stories inaccurately claim that the new coronavirus contains HIV “insertions” and shows signs of being created in a lab. But there is no evidence that the new virus was bioengineered, and every indication it came from an animal.

No, Clorox and Lysol Didn’t Already ‘Know’ About New Coronavirus

January 31, 2020

Numerous social media posts falsely suggest that because Clorox and Lysol products list “Human Coronavirus” on their bottles, the new coronavirus driving the outbreak in China was already known. It wasn’t. There are many human coronaviruses, and these products were tested against a strain that causes the common cold.

Q&A on the Wuhan Coronavirus

January 30, 2020

An outbreak of viral pneumonia that began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 has now sickened thousands, and led to more than 100 deaths. In this report, we answer some key questions about what is known so far about the outbreak and the virus.

Social Media Posts Spread Bogus Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory

January 24, 2020

Multiple social media posts are spreading a bogus conspiracy theory about the deadly Wuhan virus. The posts falsely claim that the virus has been patented and a vaccine is already available. That’s not true; the patents the posts refer to pertain to different viruses.