FROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 13Drinking concentrated
alcohol DOES NOT
protect against Covid-
and is dangerousAdding pepper to your
soup or other meals
DOES NOT prevent or
cure Covid-Exposing yourself
to the sun or
temperatures higher
than 25 C DOES NOT
protect you from Covid-fact/fiction. Old news, truthfully retoldFACTS. CHECKEDWhile there can be no doubt that misinformation does
have a damaging impact, there is little evidence to show
that 800 deaths can be attributed to it.
Some of the stories, most notably that of the BBC, do
acknowledge this. In fact, the number could be a lot higher.
First to the study. Researchers identified 2 , 311 reports of
rumours, stigma, and conspiracy theories in 25 languages
from 87 countries from online fact-checking agency
websites, Facebook, Twitter, and online newspapers between
December 31 last year and April 5.
The claims they investigated were related to illness,
transmission and mortality (24 per cent), control measures
(21 per cent), treatment and cure (19 per cent), cause of
disease including the origin (15 per cent), violence (one per
cent), and miscellaneous (2 0 per cent). Of the 2 , 276 reports
for which text ratings were available, 1 ,8 56 claims were false
( 82 per cent), according to the research.
The figures discussed in the news stories are accurately
reported from the study, which does refer to 800 people who
are believed to have died from alcohol poisoning in Iran. The
report reads: “A popular myth that consumption of highly
concentrated alcohol could disinfect the body and kill the
virus was circulating in different parts of the world. Following
this misinformation, approximately 800 people have died,
whereas 5 ,8 76 have been hospitalised and 60 have developedcomplete blindness after drinking methanol as a cure
for coronavirus”.
But therein lies the problem – this report never set out to
produce a definitive figure for how many people have died
as a result of misinformation across the globe. That’s why the
headlines from this story that quoted the 800 -people figure
can be considered, rather ironically, to be misleading.
In fact, the figures for the Iranian deaths aren’t exactly
trustworthy, as the BBC notes and Big Issue Changemakers
Full Fact also report. Doubt has been cast on the Iranian
health ministry’s coronavirus death figures in recent news
reports, making it a weak base for these stories.
It would take a much more extensive study to uncover
the number of deaths caused directly by misinformation.
With the World Health Organization warning that the false
information spreads almost as quickly as the virus, it would
be difficult to keep up.
So even though these reports don’t quite uncover the
full impact on public health, it is an impact that must not
be played down.
There is a reason, after all, that the WHO has run
a mythbusters column on its website throughout the
pandemic. Check sources with authority for up-to-date
information on the virus – health bodies know better than
@dave3ro58u 3 8t on Twitter.Are reports of death by misinformation
in themselves misleading?HOW IT WAS TOLD
Misinformation has been rife throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This column
has tackled plenty of the dubious claims, baseless stories and outright lies.
The infodemic, as it has become known, has been a source of contention on
social media as well as on mainstream media outlets.
But stories last week took on the gargantuan task of reporting on the impact
of misinformation during the global crisis.
And they seemingly uncovered the shocking figure that misinformation was
behind 800 deaths, according to a study published in the American Journal
of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
The story was widely covered in the UK and abroad. Some stuck to the 800
figure, others kept the tally vaguer in their headlines.
The Sun was in the former category discussing some of the misinformation
that has been doing the rounds, opting for: “KILLER TROLLS: Coronavirus fake
news such as cow dung ‘cures’ killed over 800 people, study claims as Facebook
axes seven million posts”.
The BBC ran the headline: “‘Hundreds dead’ because of Covid-
misinformation” while The Independent took a similar approach: “Coronavirus
tracked: Hundreds of deaths caused by conspiracy theories and other
misinformation, study finds”.
Elsewhere, the new AI editors of MSN kept it succinct with their version of
the Business Insider story, stating: “False coronavirus information isn’t just
a nuisance, it could be deadly. At least 800 people have died as a result of
misinformation about the virus that spread online during the first three months
of the year, study finds”.
But is the 800 figure accurate?
Illustration: Miles ColeREPEATINGWORTHAre men over six feet
tall more likely to get
Covid? And do hiccups
really teach babies
how to breathe?
Read all our Fact/
Fictions online at
bigissue.com/tag/
fact-fiction/FROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM| 13
Drinkingconcentrated
alcoholDOESNOT
protectagainstCovid-
and is dangerousAddingpeppertoyour
souporothermeals
DOESNOTprevent or
cure Covid-Exposingyourself
tothesunor
temperatureshigher
than 25 CDOESNOT
protect you from Covid-fact/fiction. Old news, truthfully retold
FACTS. CHECKEDWhiletherecanbenodoubtthatmisinformationdoes
haveadamagingimpact,thereislittleevidencetoshow
that 800 deathscanbeattributedtoit.
Someofthestories,mostnotablythatoftheBBC,do
acknowledgethis.Infact,thenumbercouldbea lothigher.
Firsttothestudy.Researchersidentified 2 ,311reportsof
rumours,stigma,andconspiracytheoriesin25languages
from 87 countriesfromonlinefact-checkingagency
websites,Facebook,Twitter,andonlinenewspapersbetween
December31lastyear andApril5.
Theclaimstheyinvestigatedwererelatedtoillness,
transmission andmortality(24percent),controlmeasures
(21percent),treatmentandcure(19percent),causeof
diseaseincludingtheorigin(15percent),violence(oneper
cent),andmiscellaneous(2 0 percent).Ofthe 2 ,276reports
for whichtextratingswereavailable, 1 ,856claimswerefalse
( 8 2percent),accordingtotheresearch.
Thefiguresdiscussedinthenewsstoriesareaccurately
reportedfromthestudy,whichdoesreferto 800 peoplewho
arebelievedtohavediedfrom alcoholpoisoninginIran. The
reportreads:“A popular myththatconsumption of highly
concentratedalcoholcoulddisinfectthebodyandkillthe
viruswas circulatingindifferentpartsoftheworld.Following
thismisinformation,approximately 800 peoplehavedied,
whereas 5 ,8 76 have been hospitalised and 60 have developed
completeblindnessafterdrinkingmethanolasacure
forcoronavirus”.
Butthereinliestheproblem–thisreportneversetoutto
produceadefinitivefigurefor how manypeoplehavedied
asa resultofmisinformationacrosstheglobe.That’swhythe
headlinesfromthisstorythatquotedthe 800 -peoplefigure
canbeconsidered,ratherironically,tobemisleading.
In fact,thefiguresfortheIraniandeathsaren’texactly
trustworthy,astheBBCnotesandBigIssueChangemakers
FullFactalsoreport.DoubthasbeencastontheIranian
healthministry’scoronavirusdeathfiguresinrecentnews
reports,makingitaweakbaseforthesestories.
Itwouldtakea muchmoreextensivestudytouncover
thenumberofdeathscauseddirectlybymisinformation.
WiththeWorldHealthOrganization warningthatthefalse
information spreadsalmostasquicklyasthevirus,itwould
bedifficulttokeepup.
Soeventhoughthesereportsdon’tquiteuncoverthe
fullimpacton publichealth,itisanimpactthatmustnot
beplayeddown.
Thereisareason,afterall,thattheWHOhasrun
a mythbusterscolumnonitswebsitethroughoutthe
pandemic. Checksourceswithauthorityforup-to-date
information onthevirus–health bodies know better than
@dave3ro58u 3 8t on Twitter.Are reports of death by misinformation
in themselves misleading?
HOWITWASTOLDMisinformationhasbeenrifethroughouttheCovid-19pandemic.Thiscolumn
hastackledplentyofthedubiousclaims,baselessstoriesandoutrightlies.
Theinfodemic,asit hasbecomeknown,hasbeena sourceofcontentionon
socialmediaaswellasonmainstreammediaoutlets.
Butstorieslastweektookonthegargantuantaskof reportingontheimpact
ofmisinformationduringtheglobalcrisis.
Andtheyseeminglyuncoveredtheshockingfigurethatmisinformation was
behind 800 deaths,accordingtoastudypublishedintheAmericanJournal
ofTropicalMedicineandHygiene.
Thestorywas widelycoveredintheUKandabroad.Somestucktothe 800
figure,otherskeptthetallyvaguerintheirheadlines.
TheSunwasintheformercategorydiscussingsomeofthemisinformation
thathasbeendoingtherounds,optingfor: “KILLERTROLLS:Coronavirusfake
newssuchascowdung‘cures’killedover 800 people,studyclaimsasFacebook
axessevenmillion posts”.
TheBBCrantheheadline:“‘Hundredsdead’becauseof Covid-
misinformation”whileTheIndependenttookasimilar approach:“Coronavirus
tracked:Hundredsofdeathscausedbyconspiracytheoriesandother
misinformation,studyfinds”.
Elsewhere,thenewAIeditors of MSNkeptitsuccinctwiththeirversion of
theBusinessInsiderstory,stating:“Falsecoronavirusinformationisn’tjust
anuisance,itcouldbedeadly.Atleast 800 peoplehavediedasaresultof
misinformation aboutthevirusthatspread online during the first three months
oftheyear,studyfinds”.
But is the 800 figure accurate?Illustration:Miles Cole
REPEATINGWORTHAremenoversixfeet
tallmorelikelytoget
Covid?Anddohiccups
reallyteachbabies
howtobreathe?
ReadallourFact/
Fictionsonlineat
bigissue.com/tag/
fact-fiction/