Claim: Half of the UK’s imported Covid-19 cases are from Pakistan. Fact: The majority of imported Covid-19 cases in the UK are from European countries. Soch Fact Check received a screenshot of an article published on The Telegraph for verification on Whatsapp. The article’s headline stated that half of the United Kingdom’s imported Covid 19 […]
Claim: Fumigation of outdoor spaces with a disinfectant is an effective way to curtail the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19). Fact: Spraying or fumigation of outdoor spaces is not recommended and is ineffective in preventing the spread of Covid-19. Since the start of the Novel Coronavirus outbreak, we have seen videos and images from […]
Claim: Covid-19 is a bacterium and not a virus. Fact: Covid19 is caused by the novel coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2). A widely circulating WhatsApp message claims that the Italian health ministry has discovered that Covid-19 is caused by bacteria. However, this is not the case. There are multiple kinds of coronaviruses and some of them cause illnesses […]
Claim: A bus caught on fire near Quetta after an accident on the N-25 National Highway claiming 47 lives. Fact: No such incident took place. Pictures and videos shared on social media were taken out of context On 8 June 2020, Soch Fact Check received a Facebook post for verification regarding a fatal bus accident […]
Claim: The “GOP Health Department” issued a notice announcing an immediate ban on poultry due to the presence of Covid-19. Fact: Various official sources clarified that no such notification has been issued. Covid-19 cannot spread to poultry. The following image of an alleged government notification dated 4 June 2020 was received by Soch Fact Check […]
On June 1, Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation after a meeting with the National Coordination Committee (NCC) regarding Covid-19. This address was delivered at a time when Pakistan is seeing the biggest spike in Covid related deaths since the beginning of the outbreak. In his speech, Imran Khan said that the novel coronavirus […]
Claim: A viral message forwarded on Whatsapp shared pictures allegedly from a Pakistani mall and warned potential mall-goers that the mould in the pictures could cause serious respiratory infections. Fact: The pictures are from a Malaysian store called Metrojaya in Kuala Lampur, not a Pakistani mall. The pictures were originally posted to Facebook by the […]
Claim: Liquor shops have been directed to reopen by the excise and taxation department Islamabad under lockdown. Fact: Deputy Commissioner Islamabad M Hamza Shafqaat clarified on Twitter the notification is fake. Liquor shops have been shut since lockdown began in Islamabad. On 20 May 2020, the following image of an alleged government notification dated 19 […]
Claim: The Ozone layer is recovering after a larger than usual hole formed above the Arctic in April 2020 due to a reduction in aerosol pollutants caused by Covid-19 lockdowns. Fact: The polar vortex is a system of strong and cold circular winds in the Arctic which caused the formation of the hole, and when […]
Claim: Walk-through disinfection gates kill the virus that causes Covid-19 and helps restrict its transmission. Fact: Spraying water, chlorine (bleach) and alcohol over the body does not prevent the spread of Covid-19. In the earliest stages of the pandemic, various methods of discouraging the spread of the virus had been put in place by local […]
Claim: You should wear a surgical mask every time you step out of the house to restrict the spread of COVID-19. Fact: You can wear any kind of mask as long as it covers your mouth and nose. As we learn more about the Covid-19 virus, we get a clearer idea of how to take […]
Claim: COVID-19 can be contracted through inanimate objects. Fact: The novel coronavirus does not survive for long on surfaces. The rapid spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus has convinced a lot of people that they can contract COVID-19 through inanimate objects as well as through direct contact with humans. Many have taken to social media […]