Fake News Alert! Here's a List of Disinformation Spreading About the Coronavirus

An outbreak of coronavirus that started in Wuhan, China, and spread to the United States and other parts of the globe has caused greater than 26 deaths in greater than 800 cases, in step with Chinese officials.

We have compiled a list of falsehoods and unverified information following the outbreak.

1. A website for the Hal Turner Show noted false numbers of what number of human beings have been affected.

Have 23 million people quarantined, 2.8 million infected, and 112,000 people killed from the coronavirus in China? No, that's not true. While China restricted the travel to and from Wuhan due to the outbreak, the story published by Hal Turner Radio Show exaggerated the numbers of infections and casualties of the new strain of coronavirus. The story cited "covert intelligence sources" who were former colleagues of Turner from his "15 years with the FBI, with his remaining five years handling National Security, Terrorism, and Foreign Counter-Intelligence." Unnamed officials could confirm the claims on the record.

2. A story about children being deserted in an airport has circulating extensively on social media because of 9Gag.

While health control is getting more stringent at the airports due to coronavirus spreading across China and other countries, a Hong Kong-based online platform and social media website 9Gag – citing a witness – said a young son was not allowed to board a flight to Changsa from the Nanjing Lukou International Airport due to fever. The report added that parents eventually left their kids at the airport and boarded the flight themselves after arguing with the staff at the boarding gate for 3 hours. The post also claimed the "ground crew didn't have a choice but to take care of these children." However, the story has not been confirmed by any credible sources about the children being left behind the flight.

3. The statistics on the tweet below is false.

While Wuhan became a 'Zombieland' with dead people left on deserted streets, which was probably caused by the coronavirus, the director of the World Health Organization did not say that each country is on its own regarding the issue on 2019-nCoV.

4. There is a "vaccine" or cure for coronavirus that the government won't release.

A viral Facebook post, containing a screengrab of a patented "coronavirus vaccine" filed by the CDC. While the post makes no sense on even the most superficial level, the screengrabbed patent refers to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which killed hundreds of people in 2002 and 2003.

Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Health Security, told PolitiFact there had been reports of companies receiving funding to developing a vaccine for n-CoV. Adalja clarified, "there are no vaccines available for any coronaviruses let alone the (Wuhan) one."