Managing Editor Lori Robertson discussed several of our recent SciCheck articles on the public radio show “Conversations on Health Care.”
SciCheck on the Radio
Viral Posts, Pundits Distort Fauci Emails
Thousands of pages of redacted emails to and from Dr. Anthony Fauci are now publicly available, thanks to journalists’ Freedom of Information Act requests. Some of those messages have been distorted in viral posts, particularly about face masks, the origins of the coronavirus and the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine.
Understanding Pennsylvania’s Proposed Bill on Handling Fetal Remains
Q: Did Pennsylvania lawmakers vote to “fine” women who miscarry?
A: No. But a bill proposes to mandate that health care providers bury or cremate fetal remains, regardless of when or how the pregnancy ends. Experts say such requirements could translate to additional costs for women or their insurers.
Biden Exaggerates Opposition Votes from Moderates
President Joe Biden went too far when he claimed he hasn’t gotten more done legislatively because Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin “vote more with my Republican friends.” By one measure, both have voted with Biden’s position 100% of the time since he has been in office.
Dominion’s Defamation Lawsuits Are Still Active
Dominion Voting Systems has sued Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell for making false accusations of election fraud that defamed the company after the 2020 election. Both of those lawsuits are ongoing, but a false claim circulating on social media says that “Dominion LOST their law suits.”
Is Unemployment Bonus Keeping Workers on Sideline?
Despite a stubbornly high unemployment rate of 6.1% in April — representing 9.8 million people who say they are actively looking for work — many employers are reporting that they can’t find people to hire.
Caitlyn Jenner Overstates California’s Share of U.S. Homeless Population
As of January 2020, California had a little more than one-quarter of all the homeless people in the United States, according to the most recent federal estimates of homelessness.
Story Twists Facts on Diagnosing Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases
A viral headline shared on social media falsely asserts that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed testing thresholds to “virtually eliminate” COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals. That’s wrong. The threshold in question simply applies to whether or not there is enough virus present in a sample for further analysis.
Vaccine Ingredient SM-102 Is Safe
The COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna uses an ingredient called SM-102 to deliver the mRNA that carries instructions for how to develop antibodies against the novel coronavirus. A widely shared video is now spreading the falsehood that SM-102 is harmful, but the warning label it shows is for chloroform, not SM-102.
Insurance Companies Provide Coverage After COVID-19 Vaccination
Insurance companies do not deny claims when someone dies after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the American Council of Life Insurers. But a viral social media post has falsely claimed that beneficiaries of a person who dies after getting the vaccine cannot collect life insurance payments.