There is no doubt that a global pandemic is a scary phenomenon. Hence, it is not surprising that many stories regarding the event will surface and be communicated. For COVID-19 a number of stories containing inaccurate or misleading information have populated social media. We list here the stories of this type that have been identified. Whether they are being spread by those knowing they are inaccurate maliciously, as a joke, or simply to discuss the inaccuracy is under study at this time. The point here is simply that these stories are not accurate.

It is important to note that in every disaster or crisis situation disinformation and misinformation appear. It is also the case that many of these stories are short lived and have little impact. Further, many of these stories can be stopped simply by people calling them out, or making fun of them with satire. In many cases the spread of the stories can increase if they are rebroadcast by celebrities or news agencies. The irony is that in many cases, readers cannot tell when satire is being used, and may mistake the satire for fact. Another irony is that stories that talk about a story containing disinformation may spread both the inaccurate information and the information that it is inaccurate.

List of Known Misinformation and Disinformation Regarding Corona Virus in Social Media [pdf]

IDeaS Center and CASOS Center – Under Direction of Dr. Kathleen M. Carley

Last updated 3/27/2020

Stories containing inaccurate information regarding COVID-19 fall into many categories:

1) Stories relating inaccurate information about cures or preventative measures or treatments that make it worse2) Stories relating inaccurate information about the nature of the virus3) Stories relating inaccurate information that are conspiracy stories4) Stories relating false diagnosis procedures5) Stories relating inaccurate information about emergency responses6) Stories relating inaccurate but funny or feel good stories7) Stories relating to social misbehavior

We note that there are also stories containing inaccurate information with respect to the number of deaths, politicians’ response, the original source, the first reported cases, and other government activities. Such stories have not been tracked.

Following is a list of stories of each type.

Preventions and Cures

Stories relating inaccurate information about cures or preventative measures, or things that make it worse

1. gargling with bleach will prevent/cure – also appears as satire2. drinking corona beer will prevent/cure – also appears as satire3. taking acetic acid will prevent/cure4. taking steroids will prevent/cure5. taking colloidal silver will cure6. taking MMS (which contains chlorine dioxide) can cure7. using essential oils will prevent8. gargling with salt water will prevent/cure9. gargling with ethanol will prevent/cure10. eating raw garlic will prevent11. garlic will cure12. spraying normal drinking alcohol on body will prevent13. spraying chlorine on body prevents coronavirus14. drinking or washing in sesame oil prevents coronavirus15. using a hand dryer will kill corona virus16. drinking water every 15 minutes will wash virus to the stomach where it will die17. drinking hot water will kill the virus18. avoiding eating ice cream will prevent19. rinsing your nose with saline will prevent20. aspirating boiling water vapor for five minutes deactivates the coronavirus21. having a pneumonia shot will prevent you from getting the disease22. having a flu shot will prevent you from getting the disease23. using cocaine prevents/cures24. Asians are more likely to get COVID-1925. Wearing more than one mask will help prevent the virus26. It is dangerous to receive packages from china27. It is dangerous to eat in a Chinese restaurant (more so than other restaurants)28. Cold weather and snow can kill off the SARS-CoV-2 virus29. Warmer weather will kill off the SARS-CoV-2 virus30. Taking a hot bath prevents COVID-1931. Hand dryers are effective in killing off the SARS-CoV-2 virus32. Antibiotics are effective in preventing and treating the SARS-CoV-2 virus33. Vinegar is more effective than hand sanitizer34. Gargling with Vinegar prevents COVID-1935. Hand sanitizer does not work36. Shuanghuanglian (Chinese medical herb) can prevent37. drinking cow urine and applying cow dung on the body can cure coronavirus38. there is no risk to mass public gatherings as the virus is impossible to contract outdoors39. drinking water every 15 minutes will prevent coronavirus40. Miracle Mineral Supplement/Solution (MMS) cures41. silver-infused toothpaste will kill the virus42. Kenneth Copeland can cure the virus directly from his tv studio43. you have to be with someone for 10 minutes to catch the virus from them44. taking ibuprofen makes COVID-19 worse, especially in new patients45. reading the Quran will make you immune46. you can kill the virus by holding a blow dryer up to your nose47. Sheep head’s soup is a preventative48. Lemon and bicarbonate kill the virus49. Lemon juice with salt is a cure50. Lemon juice with Chinese mesona is a cure51. Lemon juice with turmeric prevents52. Consuming alcoholic beverages may help reduce the risk of infection by the novel coronavirus53. Coronavirus will be cured after 14 hours of curfew54. Bitter gourd juice can cure coronavirus in two hours55. “Gale of the wind” and neem tree leaves can prevent corona virus56. Sitting in the sunlight will cure COVID-1957. Coronavirus can be cured by sniffing clove and camphor58. Green chiretta can cure59. Eating bananas will prevent60. 15 minutes in Sauna will kill the virus61. Morel mushrooms increase risk by 200%62. Eating onions with salt will cure63. Propolis cures COVID-1964. Arsenic album-30 homeopathic medicine can prevent coronavirus65. Drinking boiled garlic water cures66. A bovine vaccine can be used to inoculate people against coronavirus67. Shaving your beard prevents68. Turkish raki prevents69. Constant sex kills coronavirus70. An alkaline diet prevents71. Volcanic ash kills coronavirus72. Ketamine can cure73. Putting an opinion in your room can prevent74. Black tea can prevent75. Pu’er tea can prevent76. Environmental enzymes can prevent77. Cocaine kills coronavirus78. Eating Nigella with honey prevents as it contains 100% hydroxychloroquine79. Masks can be sanitized by microwaving them for 2-3 minutes80. Teas with lemon and bicarbonate can cure81. Mustard oil kills the coronavirus82. Coffee can cure COVID-1983. Chlorine dioxide can cure COVID-1984. Green tea can cure COVID-1985. Eating high alkalinity foods can cure COVID-1986. Lifting lockdowns will exterminate coronavirus

Nature of Virus or Disease

Stories relating inaccurate information about the nature of the virus

1. Corona virus is just a cold2. COVID-19 is a normal flu and is no more dangerous than that3. Children cannot catch corona virus4. SARS-CoV-2 is mutating faster than normal viruses5. Pregnant women who have COVID-19 can pass the virus through the placenta to the unborn child6. COVID-19 only affects the elderly7. The SARS-CoV-2 virus can be transmitted through mosquito bite8. Africans are immune9. Vegetarians are immune10. People in India can resist the coronavirus11. People with type-A blood are more prone to get coronavirus12. Everyone with COVID-19 dies13. There is no corona (virus)14. This is “fake news” invented by Trump to strengthen the dollar15. Chloroquine in any amount can cure COVID-1916. The outbreak of covid -9 is not real 117. COVID-19 breeds rapidly in toilet paper18. Turks area immune to COVID-1919. Coronavirus is caused by snakes20. Coronavirus activates all bacterias and viruses in your body21. Streets in Roma filled with dead birds due to corona poisoning in air

Conspiracy theories including bioweapons

Stories relating inaccurate information regarding weaponization or other conspiracies

1. It was created in a lab2. It is a US/CIA created bioweapon3. It is a Chinese bioweapon4. It is a Russian bioweapon5. It leaked from a bio-weapons lab in China6. It leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China7. It was caused by an infected rat biting a student in the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China8. March 12, Ayatollah Khamenei falsely claimed that there is evidence that COVID-19 might be a “biological attack.”9. Electromagnetic fields and the introduction of 5G wireless technologies led to COVID-19 outbreaks10. Washing hands is propaganda by soap companies11. This was a plan from Gate Foundation to increase the Gate’s wealth12. Qatar knew about COVID-19 since 2015 and Doha paid billions to China to “grow the virus”13. Corona virus is being spread by Coca-Cola14. US military brought the virus to Wuhan on October 201915. Bill Gates and Vatican have a plan to depopulate world with coronavirus vaccine16. Saddam Hussein in 90s told his cabinet that US threatened to spread coronavirus if he didn’t follow US commands17. Cuba gave a vaccine to China18. Cuba has a vaccine called Interferon19. Israel found the cure20. China finds a vaccine 3/1721. Institut Pasteur in France invented COVID-1922. COVID-19 is no worse than other outbreaks, it is just being hyped to hurt Trump23. COVID-19 is a scripted narrative to justify closed borders24. COVID-19 is a scripted narrative to force people to stay at home25. Egypt developed cure (doctor developed a fluid)26. Egypt gave China the vaccine27. US has 40 thousands troops immune to COVID-19 conducting an invasion of Europe28. CDC admits coronavirus originated in the US29. Cow urine and feces can cure30. COVID-19 was created in 2014 by an English Institute31. Ecuadorean doctor develops vaccine 3/332. Filipino student develops vaccine and gets 5million US from Alibaba founder Jack Ma33. Raúl Rodolfo Abhduz Khan, biochemical engineer from Karmalah Laboratories, is the creator of coronavirus.34. RS 2000 notes scattered in Delhi to spread coronavirus35. US soldiers who drank snake blood in Thailand carried coronavirus to Wuhan for Military World Games36. Coronavirus is a hoax used to coverup the secret installation of a 5G network in Zagreb Croatia37. American researcher Charles Lieber arrested for selling SARS-Cov-2 to Chinese38. 5G exposure compromises hemoglobin in cells and worsens COVID-19 pandemic

False Diagnostic Procedures

Stories describing false diagnosis procedures

If you can hold your breath for 10 seconds you don’t have COVID-19

Emergency Measures

Stories describing inaccurate information about emergency measures

1. NYC is under martial law 3/202. Only people who have tested positive need to stay home and isolate themselves3. Only large gatherings have to be stopped4. All human interaction needs to be stopped5. Coronavirus is spread only by coughing and sneezing6. Social distancing will lead to dramatic immediate results7. 1 month of social distancing will stop the epidemic permanently8. Friend/relative at Pentagon said the US is going on total lockdown9. Friend/relative at White House said the US is going on total lockdown10. Russia has unleashed over 500 lions to ensure that people stay inside their homes amid the coronavirus outbreak11. In Spain – free internet during 60 days due to quarantine12. Polish telecommunications company used quarantine as a cover up to put 100 5G antennas in Gdynia13. Riots in London due to unavailability of food leading to lockdown and martial law 3/2214. In USA Helicopters are spraying disinfectants to try to eradicate coronavirus15. Bangalore Municipal body will be spraying medicine in the air to kill coronavirus16. Homeland Security is mobilizing the national guard to combat coronavirus 3/2017. Janta curfew in India will break the chain of transmission18. Elderly people in Brazil who are caught wandering outside with have their pensions cancelled by the government19. People in Spain are committing suicide due to quarantine 3/2020. Parks in Adra Spain are being fumigated with poison21. Spanish helicopters are spreading medicines against coronavirus22. Oman helicopters are spraying pesticides to eliminate coronavirus23. Venezuela helicopters are going to spread chemicals against coronavirus24. Trump will impose a nationwide mandatory quarantine in 38 to 72 hours 3/1625. Military in Philadelphia are preparing to invoke martial law and bring citizens to FEMA camps26. Supermarkets are recalling coronavirus-infected toilet paper27. Pence urges people with coronavirus to go to police 3/228. Police in China kill COVID-19 patients 3/229. Chinese coronavirus patients are being cremated alive 2/2530. Hungary forcing men over 50 to quarantine in government facilities31. Countries throwing dead bodies of COVID-19 victims into sea32. Kenya hires Maasai tribe to enforce lockdown33. Idia deploys army in Telangana to curb coronavirus situation34. Indian police beat street children not abiding by lockdown

Good News Stories

Stories relating inaccurate but funny or feel good stories

3. Elephants break into a village due to social distancing and get drunk on corn wine

1. Pandemic caused Venice’s water to be clear so the swans returned2. Pandemic caused Venice’s water to be clear so the dolphins returned4. Sri Lankan Sambar deer graze on Yala Park beach5. Deers walking down streets in Ciudad Real Spain6. Deers rome Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu

Misbehavior and Scams Stories

Stories relating inaccurate accounts misbehavior or crimes that violate lockdown or social distancing

1. Kerala migrant laborers gambling with huge stashes of money2. Hindu man in Rajathan killed by Muslims amidst the lockdown3. Starving family in India commits suicide4. Americans placed a nude statue of President Trump in NYC because he failed to handle the US situation5. Criminals handing out masks with chemicals to make people pass out so they can commit robbery6. Brazil takes money from hospitals to finance cultural projects7. CostCo stimulus plan food for providing your information8. 24 hour hotline for getting essential food items during Sri Lankan curfew9. Hindus drop religious statues in sea because they are useless in COVID-19 crisis10. People in India beating police enforcing lockdown11. Man in Italy commits suicide after he loses family to coronavirus12. 59 people die as pastor gives them Dettol to drink to prevent coronavirus13. Delivery boy opens packers of bread and spits on slices to spread corona virus14. Muslim owned restaurants in Bengaluru are spreading corona virus by spitting in food