Covid19-myth-busting

The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned an abundance of misinformation [1–4], described by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) as an ‘infodemic’ [5] . In many countries, misinformation preceded the outbreak of COVID-19 infections and posed a serious threat to public health [6]. False statements such as “prolonged use offace masks cause health problems” [7], “over 90% of positive COVID-19 tests are false” and “the new COVID-19 vaccine will alter your DNA” [7] reduce compliance with health advice [8] and oblige health teams to compete with science denialism groups. For this reason, the WHO identifies COVID-related misinformation 24 h a day [9].

(Aimée Challenger*, Petroc Sumner and Lewis Bott: COVID-19 myth-busting: an experimental
study)