One of the most insidious difficulties with the COVID-19 pandemic is that the information keeps changing—and changing rapidly. What makes this especially dangerous is that what we think we know about the disease has a direct impact on our social and hygiene practices and, therefore, our health. With updated data and new understandings of the respiratory illness coming to light daily, misinformation abounds. Delayed news coverage and disagreements among health experts have cast shadows of doubt on the veracity of information related to COVID-19. 

For our comprehensive coverage and latest updates on COVID-19 click here.

While knowledge of the disease is still evolving—making it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction—it is imperative to stop the spread of half-truths and misinformation. With this in mind, here is recent information that has either proven to be true or been dispelled. 

CLAIM: COVID-19 is just like the flu

VERDICT: False

Anthony Fauci, MD, director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), debunked certain COVID-19 myths in an interview with media personality. A big misperception—even among physicians—is that COVID-19 is akin to the seasonal flu.