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Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, theories have swirled online about its source. Many early posts claimed the virus originated in a Chinese lab as a bioweapon. PolitiFact and other fact-checkers debunked those conspiracies. Now, there is new reporting that suggests the virus could have come from a lab in Wuhan, China, the epicenter […]

As government officials assess when and how to reopen the United States economy, health experts say there needs to be more widespread coronavirus testing. Opening back up amid a testing shortage will limit officials’ ability to detect and subsequently contain future outbreaks. There are many reasons why COVID-19 testing in the U.S. has been met […]

Contact tracing is a key step toward slowing the spread of the coronavirus. It means tacking the movements of patients and who they’ve interacted with — possibly by using their cell phones.  Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that some states could start seeing a “rolling re-entry” […]

President Donald Trump laid out specific accusations against the World Health Organization as he announced that the United States would halt its financial support  during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The world depends on the WHO to work with countries to ensure that accurate information about international health threats is shared in a timely manner, and if […]

A campaign ad for President Donald Trump tells Americans that Joe Biden sided with China at their expense during the coronavirus pandemic, portraying the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as both aloof and self-interested during a crisis. The ad weaves a misleading narrative by splicing video and audio and cutting out significant context. Missing from the […]

As Americans yearn for a future with work, shopping and outings with friends, one concept may become a crucial prerequisite: the widespread use of antibody tests. Antibody tests, also known as serology tests, are designed to detect the presence of antibodies — proteins that are key elements of the body’s immune response to germs. Antibodies […]

President Donald Trump opened the April 13 daily coronavirus task force briefing with a video that more had to do with polishing Trump’s image than delivering new developments in the fight against COVID-19. “The media minimized the risk from the start,” were the video’s opening words.  And after showing experts playing down the threat, the […]

Recent surveys show that Dr. Anthony Fauci is one of the federal officials most trusted by Americans to handle the country’s coronavirus response. But not on Facebook. One post published April 6 lays out a more than 2,000-word conspiracy theory about the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and his connection […]

A top government scientist went on Good Morning America last week and told millions of viewers that Philadelphia and other nearby cities had become coronavirus hot spots of great concern to the Trump administration. “We are concerned about the metro area of Washington, and Baltimore, and we’re concerned about the Philadelphia area,” White House Coronavirus […]

“The Week in Fact-checking” compiles short summaries of our best work; the links will take you to our full reports. Want this report early and via email? Sign up here.  This week: All about a coronavirus vaccine … Bye bye, Bernie … Were there U.S. inspectors in China? … Trump gets impeachment history wrong … […]

Flanked in the Rose Garden by executives from Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Target, President Donald Trump announced almost a month ago that his administration would help major retailers set up drive-thru coronavirus testing sites at their locations.  “The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave […]

Stay home, stop the spread of COVID-19 — except on holidays? Not exactly. Health experts caution against making plans for Passover, Easter and Ramadan and other holidays amid the pandemic, including local family visits. Stay-at-home regulations vary depending on the state and city you live in, but there are currently only a handful of states […]