Elbow pit slapping has been recommended for treating and preventing heart attack for many years now, but does it really work?
Elbow Pit Slapping For Heart Attack : What Is It?
The elbow pit slapping method is based on traditional Chinese medicine belief that there are three acupressure (meridian) points around the left arm, that affects the heart and lungs.
The idea is that slapping the left elbow pit, until it turns red, will restore qi (energy) and blood circulation to the heart and lungs.
It also claims that slapping the left elbow pit on a daily basis can prevent heart disease, and reduce the risk of a heart attack.
Elbow Pit Slapping For Heart Attack : The Evidence?
People are sharing this message together with a video showing a man who apparently had a heart attack while watching a movie in a cinema.
A sudden heart attack in a Singapore theater. The Singapore doctor & helpers slapped their hands on the patient’s arms and he recovered after about 2 minutes.
This video gives you advice on emergency situations to pay attention to heart patients and how to deal with a heart attack that usually happens suddenly.
Many become so helpless and die on the way to the hospital.
Please remember:
1. By slapping the inner elbow of the left hand as shown in the video, it stimulates the three acupressure points around the left side which are related to the heart and lungs.
2. Slapping will speed up blood circulation, which makes the person feel warm and stops sweating.
3. You need to know that a heart attack is due to a blockage of blood circulation. By tapping and slapping the inner elbow of the hand, you can increase body temperature, avoid aggregation, and facilitate blood circulation. Then immediately take the person to the hospital.
4. It is good to pat this part the inside of the left elbow every day as it can prevent any heart disease and reduce the incidence of heart attack.
Must be shared with all contacts. Small efforts can save lives. God bless you.
Truth : Elbow Pit Slapping Does NOT Work For Heart Attack!
Fact #1 : Slapping Elbow Pit Does Not Treat / Prevent Heart Attack
The truth is slapping the elbow pit will not revive someone with a heart attack. Neither can slapping your elbow pit on a daily basis help prevent heart disease, or a heart attack.
There is simply no scientific basis, never mind actual fact, behind such claims. It is DANGEROUS to teach people to do this.
People who use this method, instead of calling for medical assistance, will likely cause more harm, even death.
Do NOT play doctor! If you encounter someone suffering from a heart attack, you should quickly call for an ambulance, and perform CPR!
Fact #2 : It Has Been Debunked By Taiwanese Doctors
As our fact check video above shows, the Taiwanese Ministry of Health and Welfare asked doctors to publicly debunk this elbow pit slapping method.
They pointed out that believing such fake stories could result in poor outcomes for the victims, because proper treatment would likely be delayed.
The incident in the viral video very likely did not happen in Singapore.
A careful listening of the voices will reveal that they are speaking Mandarin with a Mainland Chinese accent. So the video was most likely recorded in China.
Fact #4 : It Appears To Be Video Of A TCM Seminar
A careful examination of the video will show that while they appear to be in a mini theatre, they don’t appear to be watching a movie.
A purple podium with Chinese characters can be seen on the left side of the screen, and the staff appears to be wearing purple uniforms – one is even wearing an orange sash.
It is likely that this may be some kind of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) seminar being held in a cinema.
Fact #5 : The Man Doesn’t Look Like He Had A Heart Attack
The man did not appear to be suffering from a heart attack. Instead of clutching his chest in pain and breaking out in cold sweat, he was just unconscious.
And when they revived him, he appeared disorientated, shook his head and got up several times. He also appeared to be breathing normally.
Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
It is official – Bob Saget died from blunt head trauma, and not his COVID-19 vaccine booster dose!
Here is what you need to know…
Antivaxxers Claim Bob Saget Died From Vaccine Booster Dose!
Right after Bob Saget was reported to have died in his Orlando, Florida hotel room, antivaxxers immediately claimed that he died from his COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.
Bob Saget died from vaccine complications in his hotel room, on the first night of his fully vaccinated comedy tour.
He just received his COVID booster a few weeks ago.
Another victim of the jab.
To make those claims more credible, they often include a link to an article about Bob Saget’s death.
Bob Saget Died From Head Trauma, Not Vaccine!
I had earlier written a fact check article explaining why it was simply NOT POSSIBLE for Bob Saget to have died from the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.
Well, it’s official – Bob Saget died from a blunt head trauma, not his COVID-19 vaccine dose!
On 10 February 2022, his family issued a statement announcing that (with my emphasis in bold) :
The authorities have determined that Bob passed from head trauma. They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep. No drugs or alcohol were involved.
As we continue to mourn together, we ask everyone to remember the love and laughter that Bob brought to this world, and the lessons he taught us all: to be kind to everyone, to let the people you love know you love them, and to face difficult times with hugs and laughter.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office conducted an autopsy of his body a month ago, and issued this statement (my emphasis in bold) :
An autopsy was performed on Robert Lane Saget, a 65-year-old male. Mr. Saget was found unresponsive in his hotel room, on January 10, 2022. All testing and further studies have now been completed.
In consideration of the circumstances surrounding the death and after examination of the body, toxicology analysis, histology, and a respiratory pathogen panel, it is my opinion that the death of Mr. Saget, was the result of blunt head trauma. His injuries were most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall. A toxicology analysis did not reveal any illicit drugs or toxins. The manner of death is accident.
Our condolences go out to Mr. Saget’s loved ones during this difficult time.
Now that Bob Saget’s autopsy report has been finalised and confirmed, there can be no doubt – he died from a blunt head trauma, not his COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.
In other words, he died after hitting the back of his head in an unwitnessed fall. That blunt head trauma could have caused significant brain bleeding that he may not have been aware of.
The autopsy report also revealed other details of the injury, and Bob Saget’s health at the time of death :
there was an abrasion on his scalp
there was a fracture at the base of his skull
there were fractures around his eye sockets
there were bleeding in the space between his brain and skull
there were bruises to his brain
he had Clonazepam (a tranquilliser taken for seizure and anxiety) as well as Trazodone (an anti-depressant) in his system.
he had an enlarged heart, which was 95% blocked on one side, and
he tested positive for COVID-19, but there was no inflammation in his respiratory system
On March 15, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando released an incident report, which stated that :
There were fractures around Bob Saget’s eye sockets, and bleeding around this brain.
The injury was caused by Bob Saget hitting “something hard, covered by something soft”, such as a carpeted floor.
The impact causing those fractures “would have stunned Mr. Saget”, and he would have experienced dizziness.
If there was people present, they would have noticed his “confusion, [lack of] balance and/or slurred speech”.
There were also no signs of blood on the hotel bed’s sheets or bedspread.
The countertops, tables and nightstands were ruled out, but the floor and bed headboard were lightly padded and are thus the “possible mechanisms of injury”.
A toxicology report showed that Bob Saget did not have any illicit drugs or toxins in his body when he died.
Sadly, his death has been further abused by antivaxxers to drive the fear of COVID-19 vaccines. He now joins Betty White as yet another celebrity whose death was falsely and maliciously attributed to the booster dose.
Will these antivaxxers apologise? Correct themselves? Nope. They will just move on to the next celebrity death.
Now that you know the truth, please SHARE this out, and get VACCINATED against COVID-19!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did beloved actor and comic Bob Saget die from his COVID-19 vaccine booster dose?
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2022-07-17 : Added details of his death incident report. Updated @ 2022-03-25 : Added details of his Long COVID symptoms. Updated @ 2022-02-12 : Added more details of Bob Saget’s autopsy report. Updated @ 2022-02-11 : Added Bob Saget’s autopsy report Originally posted @ 2022-01-11
Claim : Bob Saget Died From COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose!
Antivaxxers are claiming that beloved actor and comic Bob Saget died from his COVID-19 vaccine booster dose!
Bob Saget died from vaccine complications in his hotel room, on the first night of his fully vaccinated comedy tour.
He just received his COVID booster a few weeks ago.
Another victim of the jab.
To make those claims more credible, they often include a link to an article about Bob Saget’s death.
Truth : Bob Saget Did NOT Die From COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by antivaxxers to scare people from protecting themselves with the COVID-19 vaccines.
The truth is – like Betty White, Bob Saget did NOT die from the COVID-19 booster dose, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Evidence Bob Saget Died From COVID-19 Vaccine
While antivaxxers are claiming that Bob Saget died from the COVID-19 vaccine, they offer absolutely NO EVIDENCE for their claim.
The articles they shared as “evidence” do not mention that Saget died from the COVID-19 vaccine, only that he was found dead in his Orlando hotel room on 9 January 2022.
They only added those article links to mislead you into thinking that they are evidence that he died from the COVID-19 vaccine.
Bob Saget was once infected with COVID-19, and he spoke about how bad it was on a podcast – A Corporate Time with Tom & Dan, just 4 days before his death.
It is not good, it does not feel good. I don’t know if I had Delta or … I might have had a combo.
Maybe at one point they [Delta and Omicron] were working together.
It should be noted that Saget only spoke about the pain of his COVID-19 infection, and never complained about vaccine side effects.
In fact, he joked about the vaccine and called for people to get vaccinated:
I get vaccinated five to six times a day and I feel great!!
Please people, I don’t wanna preach, but please get your visine today. Sorry, auto-correct— I meant vaccine… Help save eyes…Sorry, damn this auto-correct! I meant save lives.
According to his autopsy report, Saget was COVID-19 positive at the time of his death. However, that may not mean he had an active infection, as a PCR test can detect COVID-19 weeks after an infection.
Fact #3 : Bob Saget Had His Booster Dose A Month Earlier
Bob Saget was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, and mentioned in his December 13, 2021 podcast, that he got his booster dose a day or two earlier :
I try not to preach you know about — I got my booster shot, I’m 65, so I got it yesterday — day before — and I was hurting… I’ve been telling people I got it in my ass.
If he suffered any adverse effects from the booster dose, they not only would have happened earlier, they would have prevented him from going on a tour.
Yet, Saget not only kicked off his standup comedy tour, he also went on the podcast with Tom & Dan just 4 days before his death.
Loving beyond words being on tour —And doing an all new show of standup and music. Hope to see you out there. More dates being added continually as we go further into 2022… For tickets, go to: https://t.co/nqJyTi0Dbkpic.twitter.com/ECSOpGt1K0
All deaths in Orange County (where Orlando is located) are investigated by the homicide unit, and so, an autopsy was performed on his body.
Bob Saget’s official cause of death has been revealed by his family and the Orange County government on 10 February 2022.
His family issued a statement announcing that (with my emphasis in bold) :
The authorities have determined that Bob passed from head trauma. They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep. No drugs or alcohol were involved.
As we continue to mourn together, we ask everyone to remember the love and laughter that Bob brought to this world, and the lessons he taught us all: to be kind to everyone, to let the people you love know you love them, and to face difficult times with hugs and laughter.
Joshua Stephany MD, the Chief Medical Examiner for the Orange and Osceola Counties issued this statement (my emphasis in bold) :
An autopsy was performed on Robert Lane Saget, a 65-year-old male. Mr. Saget was found unresponsive in his hotel room, on January 10, 2022. All testing and further studies have now been completed.
In consideration of the circumstances surrounding the death and after examination of the body, toxicology analysis, histology, and a respiratory pathogen panel, it is my opinion that the death of Mr. Saget, was the result of blunt head trauma. His injuries were most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall. A toxicology analysis did not reveal any illicit drugs or toxins. The manner of death is accident.
Our condolences go out to Mr. Saget’s loved ones during this difficult time.
The autopsy report also revealed other details of the injury, and Bob Saget’s health at the time of death :
there was an abrasion on his scalp
there was a fracture at the base of his skull
there were fractures around his eye sockets
there was bleeding in the space between his brain and skull
there were bruises to his brain
he had Clonazepam (a tranquilliser taken for seizure and anxiety) as well as Trazodone (an anti-depressant) in his system
he had an enlarged heart, which was 95% blocked on one side, and
he tested positive for COVID-19, but there was no inflammation in his respiratory system
Joshua Stephany MD
On March 15, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando released an incident report, which stated that :
There were fractures around Bob Saget’s eye sockets, and bleeding around this brain.
The injury was caused by Bob Saget hitting “something hard, covered by something soft”, such as a carpeted floor.
The impact causing those fractures “would have stunned Mr. Saget”, and he would have experienced dizziness.
If there was people present, they would have noticed his “confusion, [lack of] balance and/or slurred speech”.
There were also no signs of blood on the hotel bed’s sheets or bedspread.
The countertops, tables and nightstands were ruled out, but the floor and bed headboard were lightly padded and are thus the “possible mechanisms of injury”.
A toxicology report showed that Bob Saget did not have any illicit drugs or toxins in his body when he died.
Fact #5 : He May Have Been Suffering From Long COVID
On 24 March 2022, it was revealed that Rosalie Cocci – the lead producer of Saget’s show at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – told Orange County police that Saget was having a hard time recovering from Long COVID-19.
I did hear him say, ‘I don’t feel good but I’m ready to do the show. This is what I do this for.’ He kinda seemed like he was talking himself up.
He stated himself that… it was taking his body a long time to get over [COVID]. He said that his hearing had been off and that was the case that night. He was asking the sound guys to turn everything up.
He said he had been sick the night before, he said he had a sore throat, that he was happy he had lozenges for the stage.
Despite that, Cocci told the police that Saget “seemed okay” and he was able to complete his set without any issues :
He wasn’t sweating, he didn’t miss a beat, nothing slurred. He seemed okay. He really did and it was very surprising the next day… He came out very energetic, and in the half-an-hour, I saw him, he was very much entertaining the crowd.
Bob Saget Won’t Be Last Celebrity To Be Abused By Antivaxxers
Now that Bob Saget’s autopsy report has been finalised and confirmed, there can be no doubt that he died from a blunt head trauma, not his COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.
He died after hitting the back of his head in an unwitnessed fall – the blunt head trauma causing significant brain bleeding that he may not have been aware of.
Sadly, his death has been further abused by antivaxxers to drive the fear of COVID-19 vaccines. He now joins Betty White as yet another celebrity whose death was falsely and maliciously attributed to the booster dose.
Will these antivaxxers apologise? Correct themselves? Nope. They will just move on to the next celebrity death.
Please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends, and help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS!
And please protect yourself and your family by vaccinating against COVID-19!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
An orchid called the Flower of the Holy Spirit appears to change from a saint to a flying dove, when it blooms!
Learn more about this spectacular and divine miracle, and find out what the facts really are!
Flower of the Holy Spirit : From Saint To Dove!
People are sharing these photos of the Flower of the Holy Spirit, together with this helpful explanation :
This is one of the orchid species named Flower of the Holy Spirit. It starts blooming during Pentecostal period once a year.
Before bloom, it looks like praying saints, when the flower blooms, it looks like a flying dove. How amazing is God’s Creation!
Flower of the Holy Spirit : It Would Be A Miracle Indeed!
It would be a miracle if either of the two pictures above are the Flower of the Holy Spirit. The sad fact is that this is yet another divinely-inspired fake story.
The only factual thing about the whole post is that they are both orchids. Everything else was made up.
Fact #1 : Neither Are The Flower of the Holy Spirit
There is an orchid called The Flower of the Holy Spirit – Peristeria elata.
Also known as the Holy Ghost orchid, dove orchid, or flor del Espiritu Santo in Spanish, this is what it looks like!
Fact #2 : The Orchid On The Left Is Green-Yellow Catasetum
The orchid that looks like praying saints? That’s Catasetum viridiflavum, commonly known as the Green-Yellow Catasetum.
We hate to burst your divine bubble again, but generally their “arms” do not fold inwards. It’s hard to find photos that show these “saints” praying…
You have to look for the rare examples with drooping petals, and take the photos at a specific angle to make it look like a praying saint.
Fact #3 : The Orchid On The Right Is White Egret Flower
The orchid that looks like a flying dove is Pecteilis radiata, commonly known as the White Egret Flower, the fringed orchid or sagisō – the official flower of the Setagaya ward of Tokyo.
Not only is an egret a type of heron, not a dove… bird-like lip of this orchid droops downwards.
You need to frame the shot from underneath the orchid, at a certain angle, in order to obtain a photo that “appears” to show a flying dove.
Fact #4 : They Do Not Bloom During Pentecost
As far as we can tell, orchids do not observe the Pentecost – which is generally around mid-May to mid-June.
Catasetum viridiflavum (the “praying saints”) blooms sometime between end June to end September.
Pecteilis radiata (the “flying dove”) blooms sometime between early December and February.
Neither of the orchids in the picture actually bloom during Pentecost…
Fact #5 : It Would Be A True Miracle If It Happens
It would be a textbook case of a true miracle if Catasetum viridiflavum blooms into Pecteilis radiata during the Pentecost, or any other time for the matter.
But it is impossible for one orchid species to change into a different orchid species, just like how it is impossible for a Chihuahua to transform into a Doberman.
We will be sure to update you if this miracle ever happens. But for now, this is just … divine inspiration?
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did China create these amazing robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland, beating even the Japanese?
Watch the viral clip for yourself, and find out what the FACTS really are!
Claim : China Created Classic Robot Dancers At Shanghai Disneyland!
Here is the video that countless people have been sharing on social media and even on YouTube. It is often paired with a short explanation in (broken) English.
This classic dance is only created in China and broadcast in Shanghai Disneyland. They are not female dance artists, but all robots made in China.
The performance time is only about 5 minutes, but the ticket queue time takes 4 hours. The ticket price is 499 yuan.
It has surpassed Japan in complexity, and its perfect facial expressions. Send this video to everyone to watch. Let us enjoy together…
Truth : They Are NOT Robot Dancers At Shanghai Disneyland!
The agility and grace of these dancers are amazing, but they are NOT robot dancers created by China for Shanghai Disneyland!
The less gullible would point out that it is something you would only expect from professional human dancers, and they would be right.
Fact #1 : That Is A Video Of A CBDF Competition
That was actually a video clip from one of the many competitions organised and broadcast by the CBDF (Chinese Ballroom Dance Federation).
Although we cannot ascertain who the dancers are, you can see the CBDF logo in the background, at 4:03 and 4:38.
No robot made today can match their agility and grace.
Fact #2 : 499 Yuan Was The Entry Price To Shanghai Disneyland
The fake story claimed that the ticket to watch this performance costs 499 Yuan – about US$73 / £55 / RM303. That would be ridiculously exorbitant for a single show.
In truth, that was the cost of an entry ticket to the Shanghai Disneyland when it first opened in February 2016.
Since 6 June 2018, it has been priced at 399 Yuan (off-peak), 575 Yuan (peak) and 665 Yuan (peak holiday).
Fact #3 : Disneyland Does Not Charge Extra To Watch Certain Shows
Anyone who has been to Disneyland knows that the entry fee is pricey. That’s because it covers all rides and shows inside Disneyland.
You only need to pay for food and drinks, and arcade games. Or if you opt to purchase Disney Fastpasses (Fastpass, FastPass+, MaxPass) to bypass long queues at popular rides or shows.
Otherwise, all rides and shows are free to enjoy once you enter Disneyland.
Fact #4 : That Is Not The Only Fake Video Of Chinese Robot Dancers
That is not the only fake video of Chinese robot dancers.
This one circulated earlier, claiming to be of a female robot dancer that handily beats all Japanese made-robots.
In that example, they took the video clip from the 2018 World Dance Sport Federation Championship in Lithuania…
Who Would Create Fake Stories About Robot Dancers?
With China’s aggressive foreign stance in recent years, it is not uncommon to see such fake stories being created and shared.
Some believe it’s part of a concerted attempt to burnish China’s image overseas.
Others believe the many fake stories are being created to drown out the negative coverage of China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, and their aggressive moves in the South China Sea.
Whatever the reasons may be, it is our duty as global citizens to stop the proliferation of such fake stories.
Please share this fact check with your friends, so they know the truth!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Are six states in Malaysia coming under MCO / PKP next week due to the massive Omicron surge?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : MCO For 6 States In Malaysia Next Week!
On 9 February 2022, two viral infographics went out on WhatsApp and Facebook, claiming that Malaysia recorded almost 20,000 new cases and will implement the Movement Control Order (MCO) for 6 states.
The first viral infographic was allegedly posted by the CoronaVirus Malaysia Facebook group, claiming that Malaysia recorded 19,944 new cases on 9 February 2022.
The second viral infographic was allegedly posted by the I Love Malaysian Food group, claiming that Kedah, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Terengganu and Perlis will come under MCO restrictions from 15 February until 1 March 2022.
Truth : Malaysia Will Not Implement MCO Again
The truth is – both viral infographics areFAKE NEWS, and here are the reasons why…
On 9 February 2022, Malaysia only recorded 17,134 new cases, not 19,944 cases.
There has been no announcement by the government that six states would come under MCO.
In fact, the Malaysia COVID-19 Minister Quartet announced on the same day, that the government will NOT implement MCO on a large scale.
If there is a spike of cases in a certain area, they will implement the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) for that particular area instead.
It is also illogical to target those six states, since other states have higher mortality, hospitalisation and new case rates.
Please help us fight fake news. SHARE this fact check with your friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Professor Jacob Giris admit on video that the COVID-19 vaccine cannot prevent severe COVID-19 disease?
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Video : Prof. Jacob Giris Says COVID-19 Vaccine Cannot Prevent Severe COVID-19!
Antivaxxers have been sharing a video of Professor Jacob Giris (whom they wrongly call Yaakov Jerris) speaking on Israel’s Channel 13 news.
They claim that the video is proof that Professor Giris admitted that the COVID-19 vaccine cannot prevent severe COVID-19 disease.
Here is an example of the kind of comments accompanying the viral video :
“In Israel, 80% of severe COVID cases are fully vaccinated,” Ichilov Hospital director, Professor Yaakov Jerris told Channel 13 news TV, “Vaccine has no significance when it comes to severe illness“.
Truth : Prof. Jacob Giris Was Quoted Out Of Context
The video is genuine, but what Professor Jacob Giris said in the Channel 13 news interview was taken out of context.
Whether that was intentional or not, I do not know. But I do know now that it was WRONGLY / FALSELY reported as evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine does not work.
The Channel 13 news segment was in Hebrew, which I did not understand. So I roped in a native Hebrew speaker to check it out for me, and this was the opinion :
The translation and explanation in the articles you sent were taken out of context.
He was saying that for critically ill people with existing health conditions, the vaccine is less relevant. In his hospital, most COVID-19 patients are much older and come in with co-morbidities.
He was not against the vaccine, he was just saying that it was less relevant for this particular group of patients.
Let me emphasise this – Professor Giris was telling Channel 13 that the COVID-19 vaccine had “no significance” because most of his patients were elderly, and coming in sick from another disease, with co-morbidities.
Those factors are why they developed severe COVID-19 disease, not the fact that they were fully-vaccinated.
This actually matches what he stated just days earlier (27 February 2022) on the official hospital Facebook page.
most patients are coming into his hospital for other conditions, and incidentally found to have COVID-19
the mortality rate is very low
COVID-19 is often not the cause of death for his patients
the public should not panic
He posted in Hebrew, which does not translate well using machine translation, so I had to correct some of the grammar to make it readable :
Hi, this is Prof. Jacob Giris, the Director of Internal Medicine Department and COVID-19. My team and I have been on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 since the second wave.
I read the news about the mortality reports, hospital wards that are full of patients and expert alerts to postpone the cancellation of isolation for children and I would like to give you a snapshot of the situation in my department here in Ichilov.
This wave is different from the previous waves. The patients that arrive are coming in because of other diseases and not because of the Omicron variant. The rate of turnover in the ward is like that of a movie – every day ten patients are admitted and discharged on average.
Most of them come to get treatment for some other disease. The mortality rate is very low, and even when it happens, the Omicron variant is not the cause of death.
In fact, I remember much more turbulent times, where we suffered especially violent outcomes like 4 waves ago. This wave, what’s different for me is that I treat a wider variety of internal diseases and we are all suffering from isolation.
I felt compelled to give you the real picture of the situation in the field, give the public confidence and prevent unnecessary fear. We should not only strengthen internal medicine measures during difficult times, or when there is an epidemic, but as part of a national plan.
Until then, have fun with the children who need to see the spectacular sights of snow and breathe the fresh air outside in our beautiful country. Have a peaceful, white weekend.
The truth is – antivaxxers are intentionally quoting the video out of context, to falsely suggest that the vaccines do not work.
COVID-19 vaccines have been proven, over and over again, to greatly reduce hospitalisation and death.
For more details, you can read my exhaustive fact check of the false claims about what Professor Jacob Giris told Channel 13.
Please help us fight fake news – SHARE THIS fact check with your friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Professor Yaakov Jerris from Ichilov Hospital just admit that the vaccine cannot prevent severe COVID-19 disease?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Prof Yaakov Jerris Said Vaccine Can’t Prevent Severe COVID!
Antivax and conspiracy websites are claiming that Ichilov Hospital director, Professor Yaakov Jerris admitted that the vaccine cannot prevent severe illness from COVID-19.
Are Israeli hospitals really overburdened with COVID patients who haven’t been vaccinated? The situation, according to Prof. Yaakov Jerris, director of Ichilov Hospital’s coronavirus ward, is radically different. According to the professor, COVID vaccines cannot protect us from severe illness as we are being told.
“Right now, most of our severe cases are vaccinated,” Jerris told Channel 13 News. “They had at least three injections. Between seventy and eighty percent of the serious cases are vaccinated. So, the vaccine has no significance regarding severe illness, which is why just twenty to twenty-five percent of our patients are unvaccinated.”
Jerris also highlighted some of the ambiguity in case reporting. He addressed ministers at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, “Defining a serious patient is problematic. For example, a patient with a chronic lung disease always had a low level of oxygen, but now he has a positive coronavirus test result which technically makes him a ‘serious coronavirus patient,’ but that’s not accurate. The patient is only in a difficult condition because he has a serious underlying illness.”
Prof Yaakov Jerris Did Not Say Vaccine Can’t Prevent Severe COVID!
This appears to be a “variant” of the earlier misinformation being shared on anti-vaccination and conspiracy website.
Just like the earlier version, this is FAKE NEWS created by antivaxxers, who likely based it on a bad translation (which could be intentional).
Here are the facts of this case…
Fact #1 : Hospital Is Called Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
There is no longer an Ichilov Hospital. That is the former and colloquial name for the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
The original Ichilov Hospital was established in 1961, and renamed as the Sourasky Medical Center in June 1973.
That hospital was then combined with two other municipal hospitals in 1980, and renamed as the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
Fact #2 : He Is Professor Jacob Giris, Not Yaakov Jerris
There is no Professor Yaakov Jerris listed amongst the staff of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. That name was likely a translation mistake by someone using Google Translate / Bing Translate.
His actual name is Professor Jacob Giris (יעקב ג’ריס), and he is the director of their Internal Medicine department.
Fact #3 : His Words Were Taken Out Of Context
I managed to obtain a video of Professor Giris speaking on Channel 13, which I will share below.
It was in Hebrew, which I don’t understand. So I had a native Hebrew speaker check it out for me, and this was the opinion :
The translation and explanation in the articles you sent were taken out of context.
He was saying that for critically ill people with existing health conditions, the vaccine is less relevant. In his hospital, most COVID-19 patients are much older and come in with co-morbidities.
He was not against the vaccine, he was just saying that it was less relevant for this particular group of patients.
Fact #4 : He Said Earlier That Most COVID-19 Patients Now Don’t Die
About a week earlier, Professor Giris posted this statement in Hebrew on 27 January 2022, where he stated that :
most patients are coming into his hospital for other conditions, and incidentally found to have COVID-19
the mortality rate is very low
COVID-19 is often not the cause of death for his patients
the public should not panic
היי, כאן פרופ׳ גריס יעקוב, מנהל מחלקה פנימית ו׳ קורונה. הצוות שלי ואני נמצאים בחזית המאבק לקורונה מאז הגל השני ברציפות. אני קורא את הידיעות על שיאי התחלואה, המחלקות שמפוצצות בחולים והתראות מומחים לדחות את ביטול הבידודים לילדים ואני מבקש לתת תמונת מצב מהמחלקה שלי כאן באיכילוב.
הגל הזה אמרו לפניי ואחזור גם כעת, שונה מכל הגלים. החולים שמגיעים הינם עם מחלות רקע רבות ולא בגלל האומיקרון. קצב התחלופה במחלקה הוא של סרט נע – כל יום מתקבלים ומשתחררים עשרה חולים בממוצע. רובם באים לקבל טיפול למחלה המקורית ממנה הם סובלים. אחוז התמותה מאוד נמוך וגם כשכן האומיקרון זו לא סיבת המוות. למעשה, אני זוכר חורפים הרבה יותר סוערים אז סבלנו משפעות אלימות במיוחד כמו לפני 4 שנים. החורף הזה, הדבר ששונה עבורי זה שאני מטפל במגוון רחב יותר של מחלות פנימיות ושכולנו סובלים מהבידודים.
הרגשתי חובה לשקף תמונת מצב אמיתית מהשטח כדי לתת בטחון לציבור ולמנוע פחד מיותר. השינוי צריך להיות בחיזוק הרפואה הפנימית לא רק בחודשי החורף או כשיש מגיפה אלא כחלק מתוכנית לאומית. עד אז, תהנו עם הילדים שזקוקים לזה כל כך ממראות השלג המרהיבים ותנשמו את האוויר הצח בחוץ של ארצנו היפה.
Here is the English translation, which I attempted to clean up and make more understandable :
Hi, this is Prof. Jacob Giris, the Director of Internal Medicine Department and COVID-19. My team and I have been on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 since the second wave.
I read the news about the mortality reports, hospital wards that are full of patients and expert alerts to postpone the cancellation of isolation for children and I would like to give you a snapshot of the situation in my department here in Ichilov.
This wave is different from the previous waves. The patients that arrive are coming in because of other diseases and not because of the Omicron variant. The rate of turnover in the ward is like that of a movie – every day ten patients are admitted and discharged on average.
Most of them come to get treatment for some other disease. The mortality rate is very low, and even when it happens, the Omicron variant is not the cause of death.
In fact, I remember much more turbulent times, where we suffered especially violent outcomes like 4 waves ago. This wave, what’s different for me is that I treat a wider variety of internal diseases and we are all suffering from isolation.
I felt compelled to give you the real picture of the situation in the field, give the public confidence and prevent unnecessary fear. We should not only strengthen internal medicine measures during difficult times, or when there is an epidemic, but as part of a national plan.
Until then, have fun with the children who need to see the spectacular sights of snow and breathe the fresh air outside in our beautiful country. Have a peaceful, white weekend.
The viral news report called him Professor Yaakov Jerris, and the quotes attributed to him are grammatically odd.
After using Google Translate and Bing Translate to translate his Hebrew post (see Fact #3), I realised that the viral news report was most likely mistranslated from Hebrew.
With that in mind, and based on what he said a week earlier, this was my interpretation of what he said :
He believes that the reporting of severe cases is wrongly labelling serious COVID-19 patients, when they have a different serious condition and only happen to have COVID-19.
Between 70% and 80% of his severe cases are vaccinated with at least three shots.
Vaccination status has no significance, because these patients are seriously sick from their admitting condition
This would match what he said a week earlier, about many patients coming into his department with other diseases, and incidentally discovered to have COVID-19.
And this was confirmed by the Hebrew translator who watched the video. See Fact #3.
Fact #6 : He Never Said Vaccine Can’t Prevent Severe COVID-19
A bad translation is one thing, but this new fake news “variant” claims that Professor Giris admitted that the vaccine cannot prevent severe COVID-19 disease.
That’s not what he said. He is quoted to have said, “the vaccine has no significance regarding severe illness“.
You don’t have to be a linguist to know that there is a big difference between “no significance regarding severe illness”, and not being able to prevent severe illness.
And in the video, he actually said that the vaccine had no significance, because the patients that came in were already severely sick with other diseases. See Fact #3.
Fact #7 : Misleading To Use Percentage
It is misleading to report that 80% of severe COVID-19 cases are of vaccinated people, without the necessary context. After all…
In a country with zero vaccination, 100% of severe COVID-19 cases will be of unvaccinated people.
In a country with 100% vaccination, 100% of severe COVID-19 cases will be of vaccinated people.
In addition, the vaccinated-unvaccinated ratio for severe COVID-19 is highly dependent on age, co-morbidities, and whether the patients came in for other medical problems.
Senior citizens with co-morbidities, and coming in for other medical problems, are far more likely to develop severe COVID-19, than young adults without co-morbidities.
Without context – data – it is impossible to know the true situation. But that is perhaps why anti-vaccination and conspiracy websites are reporting the claim without context.
Fact #8 : This Is Base Rate Fallacy At Work
As explained above, we should expect more cases of vaccinated people getting severe COVID-19 than unvaccinated people, simply because there are far more vaccinated people than unvaccinated people.
This concept is sometimes difficult to grasp, which is why it’s being abused by antivaxxers to trick you into thinking that vaccinated people are more likely to get severe COVID-19. That’s nonsense.
This is the Base Rate Fallacy at work, which Marc Rumilly demonstrates in this visualisation.
At first glance (left), it may appear that more vaccinated people are getting hospitalised than unvaccinated people.
But if you “zoom out” and look at the population as a whole (right), the risk profile is completely different. It is obvious now that unvaccinated people are far more likely to be hospitalised than vaccinated people.
Fact #9 : Unvaccinated People Have 6X Higher Risk Of Severe COVID-19
Marc took actual data from the Israel Ministry of Health, to demonstrate how the Base Rate Fallacy masks the fact that unvaccinated people in Israel are 6X more likely to get severe COVID-19 than vaccinated people.
Many studies have already proven, time and time again, the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing infections, hospitalisations and deaths.
Let’s take a look at one example – the October 2021 study in Israel which looked at the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in preventing new infections and deaths of people over 70 years old.
New Cases dropped by 20X after vaccination
Deaths dropped by 6X after vaccination
Please help us fight fake news – SHARE THIS fact check with your friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Professor Yaakov Jerris just admit that 80% of severe COVID-19 cases in Israel are fully-vaccinated?
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Most Severe COVID-19 Cases In Israel Fully Vaccinated!
Antivax and conspiracy websites are claiming that Professor Yaakov Jerris, an Ichilov Hospital director, admitted that 80% of severe COVID-19 cases in Israel are fully-vaccinated.
Are Israeli hospitals really overloaded with unvaccinated COVID patients? According to Prof. Yaakov Jerris, director of Ichilov Hospital’s coronavirus ward, the situation is completely opposite.
“Right now, most of our severe cases are vaccinated,” Jerris told Channel 13 News. “They had at least three injections. Between seventy and eighty percent of the serious cases are vaccinated. So, the vaccine has no significance regarding severe illness, which is why just twenty to twenty-five percent of our patients are unvaccinated.”
Jerris also revealed some of the confusion in reporting cases. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, he told ministers, “Defining a serious patient is problematic. For example, a patient with a chronic lung disease always had a low level of oxygen, but now he has a positive coronavirus test result which technically makes him a ‘serious coronavirus patient,’ but that’s not accurate. The patient is only in a difficult condition because he has a serious underlying illness.”
Truth : Fully Vaccinated In Israel Not At Most Risk Of Severe COVID-19!
I can now confirm that this is FAKE NEWS created by antivaxxers, who likely based it on a bad translation (which could be intentional).
Here are the facts of this case…
Fact #1 : Hospital Is Called Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
There is no longer an Ichilov Hospital. That is the former and colloquial name for the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
The original Ichilov Hospital was established in 1961, and renamed as the Sourasky Medical Center in June 1973.
That hospital was then combined with two other municipal hospitals in 1980, and renamed as the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
Fact #2 : He Is Professor Jacob Giris, Not Yaakov Jerris
The Ichilov Hospital director mentioned in the news report was extremely hard to track down, because he was wrongly named.
There is no Yaakov Jerris or Yaakov Jeris listed amongst the staff of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. That name is most likely a translation mistake by someone using Google Translate / Bing Translate.
However, I managed to track him down as Professor Jacob Giris (יעקב ג’ריס), the director of their Internal Medicine department.
Fact #3 : His Words Were Taken Out Of Context
I managed to obtain a video of Professor Giris speaking on Channel 13, which I will share below.
It was in Hebrew, which I don’t understand. So I had a native Hebrew speaker check it out for me, and this was the opinion :
The translation and explanation in the articles you sent were taken out of context.
He is saying that for critically ill people with existing health conditions, the vaccine is less relevant. In his hospital, most COVID-19 patients are much older and come in with co-morbidities.
He is not against the vaccine, he was just saying that it was less relevant for this particular group of patients.
Fact #4 : He Said Earlier That Most COVID-19 Patients Now Don’t Die
About a week earlier, Professor Giris posted this statement in Hebrew on 27 January 2022, where he stated that :
most patients are coming into his hospital for other conditions, and incidentally found to have COVID-19
the mortality rate is very low
COVID-19 is often not the cause of death for his patients
the public should not panic
What he said earlier matches what he said in his Channel 13 news interview.
היי, כאן פרופ׳ גריס יעקוב, מנהל מחלקה פנימית ו׳ קורונה. הצוות שלי ואני נמצאים בחזית המאבק לקורונה מאז הגל השני ברציפות. אני קורא את הידיעות על שיאי התחלואה, המחלקות שמפוצצות בחולים והתראות מומחים לדחות את ביטול הבידודים לילדים ואני מבקש לתת תמונת מצב מהמחלקה שלי כאן באיכילוב.
הגל הזה אמרו לפניי ואחזור גם כעת, שונה מכל הגלים. החולים שמגיעים הינם עם מחלות רקע רבות ולא בגלל האומיקרון. קצב התחלופה במחלקה הוא של סרט נע – כל יום מתקבלים ומשתחררים עשרה חולים בממוצע. רובם באים לקבל טיפול למחלה המקורית ממנה הם סובלים. אחוז התמותה מאוד נמוך וגם כשכן האומיקרון זו לא סיבת המוות. למעשה, אני זוכר חורפים הרבה יותר סוערים אז סבלנו משפעות אלימות במיוחד כמו לפני 4 שנים. החורף הזה, הדבר ששונה עבורי זה שאני מטפל במגוון רחב יותר של מחלות פנימיות ושכולנו סובלים מהבידודים.
הרגשתי חובה לשקף תמונת מצב אמיתית מהשטח כדי לתת בטחון לציבור ולמנוע פחד מיותר. השינוי צריך להיות בחיזוק הרפואה הפנימית לא רק בחודשי החורף או כשיש מגיפה אלא כחלק מתוכנית לאומית. עד אז, תהנו עם הילדים שזקוקים לזה כל כך ממראות השלג המרהיבים ותנשמו את האוויר הצח בחוץ של ארצנו היפה.
Here is the English translation, which I attempted to clean up and make more understandable :
Hi, this is Prof. Jacob Giris, the Director of Internal Medicine Department and COVID-19. My team and I have been on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 since the second wave.
I read the news about the mortality reports, hospital wards that are full of patients and expert alerts to postpone the cancellation of isolation for children and I would like to give you a snapshot of the situation in my department here in Ichilov.
This wave is different from the previous waves. The patients that arrive are coming in because of other diseases and not because of the Omicron variant. The rate of turnover in the ward is like that of a movie – every day ten patients are admitted and discharged on average.
Most of them come to get treatment for some other disease. The mortality rate is very low, and even when it happens, the Omicron variant is not the cause of death.
In fact, I remember much more turbulent times, where we suffered especially violent outcomes like 4 waves ago. This wave, what’s different for me is that I treat a wider variety of internal diseases and we are all suffering from isolation.
I felt compelled to give you the real picture of the situation in the field, give the public confidence and prevent unnecessary fear. We should not only strengthen internal medicine measures during difficult times, or when there is an epidemic, but as part of a national plan.
Until then, have fun with the children who need to see the spectacular sights of snow and breathe the fresh air outside in our beautiful country. Have a peaceful, white weekend.
The viral “news report” called Professor Giris “Yaakov Jerris” or “Yaakov Jeris“, and the quotes attributed to him were peculiar grammatically.
After using Google Translate and Bing Translate to translate his Hebrew post (see Fact #4), I realised that the viral news report was most likely mistranslated from Hebrew.
With that in mind, and based on what he said a week earlier, this was my interpretation of what he said :
He believes that the reporting of severe cases is wrongly labelling serious COVID-19 patients, when they have a different serious condition and only happen to have COVID-19.
Between 70% and 80% of his severe cases were vaccinated with at least three shots.
Vaccination status has no significance, because these patients are seriously sick from their admitting condition
This would match what he said a week earlier, about many patients coming into his department with other diseases, and incidentally discovered to have COVID-19.
And this was confirmed by the Hebrew translator who watched the video. See Fact #3.
Fact #6 : Misleading To Use Percentage
It is misleading to report that 80% of severe COVID-19 cases are of vaccinated people, without the necessary context. After all…
in a country with zero vaccination, 100% of severe COVID-19 cases will be of unvaccinated people.
in a country with 100% vaccination, 100% of severe COVID-19 cases will be of vaccinated people.
In addition, the vaccinated-unvaccinated ratio for severe COVID-19 is highly dependent on age, co-morbidities, and whether the patients came in for other medical problems.
Senior citizens with co-morbidities, and coming in for other medical problems, are far more likely to develop severe COVID-19, than young adults without co-morbidities.
Without context – data – it is impossible to know the true situation. But that is perhaps why anti-vaccination and conspiracy websites are reporting the claim without context.
Fact #7 : This Is Base Rate Fallacy At Work
As explained above, we should expect more cases of vaccinated people getting severe COVID-19 than unvaccinated people, simply because there are far more vaccinated people than unvaccinated people.
This concept is sometimes difficult to grasp, which is why it’s being abused by antivaxxers to trick you into thinking that vaccinated people are more likely to get severe COVID-19. That’s nonsense.
This is the Base Rate Fallacy at work, which Marc Rumilly demonstrates in this visualisation.
At first glance (left), it may appear that more vaccinated people are getting hospitalised than unvaccinated people.
But if you “zoom out” and look at the population as a whole (right), the risk profile is completely different. It is obvious now that unvaccinated people are far more likely to be hospitalised than vaccinated people.
Fact #8 : Unvaccinated People Have 6X Higher Risk Of Severe COVID-19
Marc took actual data from the Israel Ministry of Health, to demonstrate how the Base Rate Fallacy masks the fact that unvaccinated people in Israel are 6X more likely to get severe COVID-19 than vaccinated people.
Many studies have proven, time and time again, the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing infections, hospitalisations and deaths.
Let’s take a look at one example – the October 2021 study in Israel which looked at the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in preventing new infections and deaths of people over 70 years old.
New Cases dropped by 20X after vaccination
Deaths dropped by 6X after vaccination
Please help us fight fake news – SHARE THIS fact check with your friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did German scientists and experts confirm that a warm salt water gargle kills COVID-19?
Take a look at the viral advice, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : German Experts Say Salt Water Gargle Kills COVID-19!
People are sharing this advice by German scientists who claim that their studies show that a warm salt water gargle like Abmonak kills COVID-19!
They have allegedly also advised the German government that if people gargle with this Abmonak solution several times a day, COVID-19 can be eliminated in Germany within a week!
It’s a long post, so just skip to the next section for the facts…
The end of the Corona virus with this German prevention.
German scientists announced, after a series of studies, that the Corona virus not only reproduces in the lungs like the SARS virus in 2002, but also spreads widely in the throat during the first week of infection.
Scientists suggested to the German chancellor and the Minister of Health that they ask people to do a simple task several times a day, which is to gargle with a semi-hot solution of Abmonak.
They have long stressed the need to do this, and now, after the results of experiments conducted by German biologists on the multiplication of the Corona virus in the throat, they have emphasized once again the necessity of gargling with a lukewarm solution of water and salt ..
German scientists assure the German Ministry of Health: if all people clear their throat several times a day by gargling with a semi-hot solution of salt water, then the virus will be completely eliminated throughout Germany within a week.
Experiments have shown that by gargling with a solution of water and salt, we constantly turn our throats into a completely alkaline environment, and this environment is the worst environment for the coronavirus, because with salt water, the pH of the mouth changes to an alkaline pH, and if we gargle several times a day by gargling with saline Almost hot, we are not giving the coronavirus a chance to multiply.
It is therefore necessary for all people to gargle with a semi-hot saline solution several times a day several times a day especially in the morning and before leaving the house and after returning home, so as not to allow the Corona virus to multiply at all in the same initial period.
Let’s ask all people to apply these important and simple health tips with commitment
As this article goes viral, you too will be in the circle of those fighting the spread of the coronavirus
Truth : German Experts Did NOT Say Salt Water Gargle Kills COVID-19
The truth is – German scientists and experts did NOT say that a salt water gargle like Abmonak can kill COVID-19.
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Abmonak Does Not Exist
Abmonak appears to be a made-up name. There is no such gargle solution called Abmonak, in Germany or anywhere else in the world.
Fact #2 : German Health Authorities Do NOT Use Salt Water Gargle
Just to be clear – German health authorities do NOT use salt water gargle to prevent COVID-19.
Neither do German scientists and experts advocate the use of salt water gargle against COVID-19.
Fact #3 : Gargling Cannot Prevent COVID-19
Gargling cannot prevent COVID-19, because the SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted through three principle ways :
inhalation of respiratory droplets and aerosol particles,
deposition of respiratory droplets and aerosol particles on exposed mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eye, and
touching mucous membranes of the mouth, nose or eye, with contaminated hands
Gargling cannot prevent infection when you breathe in the coronavirus, or if infectious droplets fall onto your eyes.
Neither can gargling prevent infection when you accidentally touch your mouth, nose or eye with contaminated hands.
Fact #4 : COVID-19 Does Not Germinate In Your Throat
The fake news suggests that COVID-19 germinates for a week in your throat. That’s utter nonsense.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus will not “chill out” and multiply in your throat for a week, before heading to your lungs. So trying to gargle it away is NOT going to work.
Fact #5 : Semi-Hot Gargle Can Be Dangerous
You should also be careful about gargling with semi-hot salt water, as it could scald your throat if it’s too hot.
The high temperature will not help prevent COVID-19 in any case, as it is only temporary. Your throat will return to normal temperature within seconds.
Fact #6 : Salt Water Does Not Reduce Viral Load
An October 2021 study by Tiong et. al in Malaysia actually looked at the effectiveness of salt water gargle in directly destroying SARS-CoV-2.
The study found that salt water “did not show any reduction in viral load“, compared to commercial mouthwashes.
Gargle
Log10 Reduction In Viral Titres
Clean Condition
Dirty Condition
Colgate Plax
5.0
5.0
Bactidol
5.0
5.0
Oradex
4.0
4.0
Thymol Mouthwash
0.5
0.5
Salt Water
0.0
0.0
Fact #7 : Gargle Reduces Transmission, Not Prevent Infection
Gargling does not help prevent infection, but it can help reduce transmission by infected persons who may be asymptomatic.
Gargling with povidone-iodine has been proven to reduce saliva viral load, which helps prevent COVID-19 positive individuals from infecting dental professionals.
Hence, Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) guidelines recommend the use of mouthwash containing 1.0–1.5% hydrogen peroxide or 0.2–1.0% povidone iodine prior to dental examination and treatments.
In short, gargling with solutions like povidone-iodine is meant to protect dentists from being infected by their patients. It does not prevent you from being infected.
Fact #8 : Salt Water Is Slightly Alkaline
Salt water has an average pH of around 8.1, which means it is slightly alkaline.
Gargling with salt water can temporarily make your throat and oral cavity slightly alkaline, but this only lasts until you swallow some saliva or drink water.
Try gargling with salt water and see how long you can maintain (live with) the salty taste. Didn’t take long for you to swallow, did it?
That’s why it is practically useless to gargle with salt water (or anything else), if you want to create a truly alkaline environment in your throat.
Fact #9 : Making Throat Alkaline Is Pointless
Turning your throat alkaline is also pointless because the SARS-CoV-2 virus generally does not infect you through the throat.
It mainly infects you through your nose, mouth and eyes. See Fact #2. So focusing on the throat is like watering the garden plants while your house is on fire…
Fact #10 : COVID-19 Is Not Caused By Coronavirus Mouse Hepatitis Virus 4
This fake news is based on a misunderstanding of a 1991 research paper called “Alteration of the pH Dependence of Coronavirus-Induced Cell Fusion: Effect of Mutations in the Spike Glycoprotein”.
The paper was talking about a completely different coronavirus – MHV4 (Coronavirus Mouse Hepatitis Type 4), which is completely different from SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
In fact, the paper also pointed out that the wild-type MHV4 virus has no problem infecting cells at neutral pH. The scientists had to create variants that were specifically dependent on acidic pH to fuse host cells.
In other words, the fake news creators misrepresented what the paper said, to mislead you about the effect of alkaline pH on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Don’t waste your time gargling. Protect yourself by getting vaccinated against COVID-19!
And please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
This “Breaking News from CNN” is going viral on WhatsApp, claiming that Theophylline, Theobromine and Methylxanthine can cure or prevent COVID-19!
Breaking News from CNN :-
Documented casefiles for research purposes had in the case files a proposed cure that would significantly decrease the impact of the COVID – 19 Virus on the human body. The chemical Methylxanthine, Theobromine and Theophylline stimulate compounds that can ward off these virus in a human with atleast an average immune system.
Whats more shocking is that these complex words that were so difficult for people in China to understand is actually called COFFEE * in India, YES, our regular COFFEE has all these chemicals already in it.
The main Methylxanthine in COFFEE is the stimulant caffeine. Other Methylxanthines found in COFFEE are two chemically similar compounds, Theobromine and Theophylline. The COFFEE plant creates these chemicals as a way to ward off insects and other animals.
Who would have known that all the solution to these virus would be a simple cup of COFFEE and that is the reason so many patients in China are being cured. The hospital staff in china has started serving COFFEE to the patients 3 times a day, And the effect is finally in *Wuhan “The centre of this Pandemic” has been contained and community transmission has almost stopped.
Please Share this message to your friends and family to make them aware about this blessing in the form of COFFEE in your kitchen. DRINK MORE COFFEE
Forwarded as received.
Truth : Caffeine, Theophylline, Theobrominee Cannot Cure COVID-19!
The fake news creator removed references to Dr. Li Wenliang and attributes the discovery to “documented casefiles for research purposes“.
Here are the facts, and reasons why this is nothing more than another example of COVID-19 fake news…
Fact #1 : There Is No Such CNN News Report
A quick check of the CNN website and Google reveals that there is no such CNN news report, claiming that caffeine, theophylline and theobromine can cure or prevent COVID-19.
There is certainly no CNN report on the Chinese using coffee to cure or prevent COVID-19 infections.
Fact #2 : Methylxanthines Are Found In Chocolate, Coffee & Tea
Methylxanthines (or methylated xanthines) are a group of chemicals which include caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine. They are found not only in tea, but also chocolate and coffee.
Theophylline is predominant in tea, while theobromine is abundant in chocolate, and caffeine is the main methylxanthine in coffee.
If methylxanthines can really prevent COVID-19, why didn’t the writer suggest eating chocolate and drinking both coffee and tea for maximum effect?
Fact #3 : China Consumes More Coffee Than India
The Chinese may not drink as much coffee as they do tea, but it is really racist to say that unlike Indians, the Chinese do not know that coffee contains those compounds.
In 2019, the 1.43 billion Chinese population consumed US$8.2 BILLION worth of coffee, while the 1.37 billion Indian population consumed only US$903 MILLION worth of coffee.
In other words, the Chinese consume 8.7X more coffee per capita than the Indians. Could that suggest they are probably more aware of its health benefits?
If caffeine, theophylline and theobromine can prevent COVID-19, countries with high coffee consumption would see far fewer cases.
Yet the top 5 consumers of coffee in the world – Iceland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland – have over 4.5 million COVID-19 infections as of 22 October 2021, while China only has just over 96,700 infections.
Those 5 countries have a population of only 42 million, while China has 34X more people – 1.43 billion of them!
In other words, drinking coffee appears to make people 1584X more likely to get infected by COVID-19!
Of course, we are not so silly as to make that claim, because correlation does NOT mean causation!
But what we can say is that statistically, drinking coffee does not appear to help cure or prevent COVID-19.
Fact #5 : COVID-19 Vaccines Prevent COVID-19!
As of 22 October 2021, monoclonal antibodies can treat early COVID-19, while dexamethasone can reduce mortality in severe COVID-19.
Fortunately, we now have several vaccines that can prevent COVID-19, including :
So the best way to protect yourself isn’t to drink coffee, but to take an approved COVID-19 vaccine ASAP!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is HR 748 – the CARES Act – evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic was planned – a plandemic?
Find out what HR 748 (CARES Act) is all about, and what the FACTS really are!
Note : This article was originally posted on 5 May 2020, and was updated and reposted on 11 June 2021 because the Brian Young video is being recirculated again!
Claim : HR 748 CARES Act Is Proof Of COVID-19 Plandemic!
Conspiracy theorists are pointing out that the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, also known as HR 748, was introduced in January 2019.
Since this was many months BEFORE COVID-19 started appearing in Wuhan, they believe it is evidence that COVID-19 must have been designed and manufactured in a US lab.
One of these conspiracy nut jobs is one Brian Young, who creates all sorts of BS videos on his YouTube channel – High Impact Vlogs.
Here is a “high impact” screenshot of his “documented proof” video, in which he described it as a Plandemic designed to give governments tighter control.
Such videos and claims continue to be shared on social media, with comments like this :
Must watch this video. It shows that based on public documents…. etc, US goverment came out with an act to tackle Corona Virus way back in January 2019!!!
That’s partly because Brian Young himself refused to remove his fake video after it was exposed, probably to keep earning advertising money from it.
These claims are UTTER BULLSHIT based on an intentional “misunderstanding” of the facts :
HR 748 was introduced in January 2019 as a completely different act called Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019
It was amended by the US Senate in March 2020, becoming the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act at that point.
The Trump Administration was not prepared for the pandemic, which would not happen if this was really a planned pandemic.
Brian Young admitted he was wrong, but kept his video up – probably to keep making money off it, even though he knows it’s completely FALSE!
This is yet another example of why conspiracy theorists are nothing more than lying charlatans. You would be wise to stop believing these “geniuses”.
CARES Act (HR 748) : The Facts
Fact #1 : HR 748 Was Introduced On January 24, 2019
US House Bill HR 748, which is now known as the CARES Act, was indeed introduced by Congressman Joe Courtney on Connecticut on January 24, 2019.
It passed in the House of Representatives on July 17, 2019, and was sent to the Senate on July 18, 2019.
Fact #2 : HR 748 Was Not The CARES Act In 2019
When it was introduced and passed in the House of Representatives, HR 748 was not known as the CARES Act.
It was the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019, and was explicitly meant to repeal “the excise tax on employer-sponsored health care coverage for which there is an excess benefit (high-cost plans).”
Fact #3 : HR 748 Became The CARES Act In March 2020
Mitch McConnell kept HR 748 in his legislative graveyard from July 2019 until March 2020, when he needed to introduce a third stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That was when HR 748 was massively amended and became the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act. It was signed into law on March 27, 2020.
Photo Credit : WSJ
Fact #4 : The CARES Act Was Third US Bill Related To COVID-19
What conspiracy theorists fail to notice is that the CARES Act was not even the first US bill to address the COVID-19 crisis.
The first was the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020 – a $8.3 billion bill signed into law on March 6, 2020.
The second was the Families First Coronavirus Response Act – a $104 billion bill signed into law on March 18, 2020.
Fact #5 : The Trump Administration Did Not Prepare For COVID-19
Conspiracy theorists also ignored a very critical flaw with their argument – the Trump Administration’s actions show that they simply did not prepare for COVID-19.
The Trump Administration only created a coronavirus task force on January 29, 2020.
By the end of February 2020, the United States did not even have proper tests, because of tainted reagents.
Only on February 29 did the FDA finally announce that US labs would be allowed to use their own COVID-19 tests.
Only on March 13, 2020 did US President Trump finally declare a national emergency.
Only on April 3, 2020, did the Trump Administration start recommending that people start wearing face masks, but made it voluntary.
More importantly, by May 5, 2020, the United States had the most coronavirus cases in the world – over 1.2 million infected, and the most deaths from COVID-19 – over 69,000 dead.
Help Support My Work!
If you would like to support my work, you can do so via bank transfer / PayPal / credit card.
Name : Adrian Wong
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Pictures of a Chinese Communist Revolution Monument in Penang have gone viral, with calls from netizens to TEAR IT DOWN!
Find out what’s going on, and what the facts really are!
Claim : DAP Created A Communist Monument In Penang!
Pictures of a Chinese Communist Revolution Monument in Penang are being shared on Facebook and social media, with messages like this (translated into English) :
DAP created a Communist monument in Penang after they took power.
Communist monument on Flag Hill in Penang.
What are you waiting for? When are you going to tear it down?
Do You Know?
In Penang, there is a World War II memorial called the Revolution Memorial.
But it’s full of Chinese letters and the figures are all dressed as Communists.
There is absolutely no information in English or Bahasa Melayu, much less Tamil.
When people say it’s racist, [you get] angry
This monument was built as soon as DAP took over Penang from Gerakan.
Here is a selection of comments that were posted with that misleading picture, showing how it instigates hate and racial tensions :
Roboh kan semuanya,, pulau Pinang ialah tanah Melayu,,jgn lupa tu,, DAP memang haprak
Demolish it all. Penang is Malay soil. Don’t forget that. DAP is useless.
DAP are traitors, enemies of the Malays, enemies of Islam.
Robohkan Tugu peringatan pembunuh anak anak peribumi Melayu. kenapa di iarkan sebegitu rupa di mana anguta dan bekas angguta keselamatan kita boleh biarkan sebegitu rupa…Letupkan !
Destroy the memorial of the killers of Malay natives. Why is it being left like that? How can our security forces let this be? Blow it up!
Communist Revolution Monument In Penang : The Truth
The short version is this – the monument in the pictures exists, but it is neither a Communist monument, nor was it created or built by DAP.
All of the claims about it in the incendiary posts above are FALSE.
We would like to warn everyone to be careful of political fake news being shared to incite hatred and racial tensions.
Fact #1 : That Is The Penang Overseas Chinese Anti-War Memorial
The monument in the picture is the Penang Overseas Chinese Anti-War Memorial Park, also known as the Air Itam War Memorial Park.
It is NOT a Chinese Communist Revolution Monument.
There are two key monuments at this memorial park :
a bronze-coloured army supply truck being pushed by three men – memorialising the Nanyang transport volunteers from Malaya, who helped deliver supplies to China when they were blocked by the Japanese.
a 45-foot tall white obelisk that commemorates the Marco Polo Incident, that kicked off the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945.
The ashes of some 800 incomplete skeletons of Penang Chinese residents who died under Japanese occupation, and the Nanyang transport volunteers who died, are also buried under the obelisk.
The truck also has a number plate with the date 1939 on it. Communist China didn’t exist in 1939, so claims that this is a Communist monument is… idiotic.
Fact #2 : It Was Built In 1946 And Opened In 1951
Construction on the Penang Overseas Chinese Anti-War Memorial Park started in 1946, and it was officially opened in 1951.
DAP was only formed on 11 October 1965, so the claim that it was built when DAP gained power in Penang is false.
Because the People’s Republic of China was only established in 1949, the claim that this is a communist revolution monument is idiotic.
It is also extremely stupid to claim that the figures were dressed as Chinese Communists, because Communist China didn’t exist when the monument was being built!
Fact #3 : It Was Privately Funded
The original Penang Overseas Chinese Anti-War Memorial Park was funded entirely by the Penang China Relief Fund, a Penang-based private fundraising organisation.
It was officially opened at 11 AM on 11 November 1951 by Penang Chinese tycoon and philanthropist, Lim Lean Teng, who was the supervisory chairman of the organisation.
After the Penang China Relief Fund was dissolved in 1952, the Kong Min School was entrusted to maintain the memorial with an annual budget of $5,000, and an annual memorial service.
Fact #4 : It Was Upgraded For Its 60th Anniversary
The Board of Trustees of the Kong Min School decided to repair and upgrade the memorial to coincide with its 60th anniversary.
The RM 400,000 project also added a 60 foot-long wall relief showing Malayan transport volunteers on the Burma-China road, and a peace column with flying doves.
On top of private donations by various organisations and individuals, the Penang state government also chipped in.
When it was opened at precisely 11:11 AM on 11 November 2016 by Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, politicians from both sides of the political divide attended the launch.
Therefore, the claim that no one knew about it, or that it was only something DAP would do, is categorically FALSE.
Photo Credit : The Sun Daily
Fact #5 : There Is Information In FOUR Languages
The memorial park has information in four languages – English, Bahasa Melayu, Chinese and Japanese.
Here is the information panel in English and Bahasa Melayu, proving that the claim there is no information in both languages are FALSE.
Help Support My Work!
If you would like to support my work, you can do so via bank transfer / PayPal / credit card.
Name : Adrian Wong
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Can coffee compounds like Methylxanthine, Theobromine and Theophylline prevent or cure COVID-19?
Take a look at this viral COVID-19 claim, and find out what the FACTS really are!
Claim : The Chinese Used Coffee Compounds To Cure COVID-19!
After hydroxychloroquine and tea, COFFEE is another miracle cure for COVID-19 circulating on the Internet.
Here is the claim that has been circulating on social media since at least June 2020 :
Breaking News from CNN :-
Dr. Li Wenliang, China’s hero doctor who was punished for telling the truth about Corona Virus and later died due to the same disease, had documented casefiles for research purposes and had in the casefiles proposed a cure that would significantly decrease the impact of the COVID – 19 Virus on the human body.
The chemical Methylxanthine, Theobromine and Theophylline stimulate compounds that can ward off these virus in a human with at least an average immune system.
Whats more shocking is that these complex words that were so difficult for people in China to understand is actually called COFFEE * in India, YES, our regular COFFEE has all these chemicals already in it.
The main Methylxanthine in COFFEE is the stimulant caffeine. Other Methylxanthines found in COFFEE are two chemically similar compounds, Theobromine and Theophylline. The COFFEE plant creates these chemicals as a way to ward off insects and other animals.
Who would have known that all the solution to these virus would be a simple cup of COFFEE and that is the reason so many patients in China are being cured.
The hospital staff in china has started serving COFFEE to the patients 3 times a day, And the effect is finally in *Wuhan ” The centre of this Pandemic” has been contained and community transmission has almost stopped.
Please Share this message to your friends and family to make them aware about this blessing in the form of COFFEE in your kitchen.
So please all start taking coffee and get rid of carona virus.
Forwarded as received.
காபிதானே குடிச்சு வைப்போம்.
Can Coffee Compounds Cure Or Prevent COVID-19? Nope!
This is yet another Internet hoax, a modified version of the earlier tea cure hoax.
Dr. Li Wenliang did not document any case files for research purposes, or proposed any cure for COVID-19.
Neither are the Chinese using coffee to cure or prevent COVID-19 infections in Wuhan. Here’s how we know that…
Fact #1 : There Is No Such CNN News Report
A quick check of the CNN website and Google reveals that there is no such CNN news report, claiming that Dr. Li Wenliang proposed coffee as a cure.
There is certainly no CNN report on the Chinese using coffee to cure or prevent COVID-19 infections.
Fact #2 : Dr Li Wenliang Was An Ophthalmologist!
Dr. Li Wenliang, who was one of several whistleblowing doctors raising alarm about the new virus, was an ophthalmologist.
As such, he only treats eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and the like. Not viruses like COVID-19.
His role in this COVID-19 tragedy was raising the alarm that was first set off by ER doctor, Dr. Ai Fen, who shared a patient’s report with her former classmates and colleagues.
Fact #3 : Methylxanthines Are Found In Chocolate, Coffee & Tea
Methylxanthines (or methylated xanthines) are a group of chemicals which include caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine. They are found not only in tea, but also chocolate and coffee.
Theophylline is predominant in tea, while theobromine is abundant in chocolate, and caffeine is the main methylxanthine in coffee.
If methylxanthines can really prevent COVID-19, why didn’t the writer suggest eating chocolate and drinking both coffee and tea for maximum effect?
Fact #4 : China Consumes More Coffee Than India
The Chinese may not drink as much coffee as they do tea, but it is really racist to say that unlike Indians, the Chinese do not know that coffee contains those compounds.
In 2019, the 1.43 billion Chinese population consumed US$8.2 BILLION worth of coffee, while the 1.37 billion Indian population consumed only US$903 MILLION worth of coffee.
In other words, the Chinese consume 8.7X more coffee per capita than the Indians. Could that suggest they are probably more aware of its health benefits?
Fact #5 : Coffee Cannot Cure Or Prevent COVID-19
If coffee can prevent COVID-19, countries with high coffee consumption would see far fewer cases.
Yet the top 5 consumers of coffee in the world – Iceland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland – have over 2.17 million infections as of 22 February 2021, while China only has just over 90,000 infections.
Those 5 countries have a population of only 42 million, while China has 34X more people – 1.43 billion of them!
In other words, drinking coffee appears to make people 821X more likely to get infected by COVID-19!
Of course, we are not so silly as to make that claim, because correlation does NOT mean causation!
But what we can say is that statistically, drinking coffee won’t cure or prevent COVID-19.
Fact #6 : There Is Currently No Cure For COVID-19
As of 12 March 2021, there is no known cure or treatment for COVID-19.
However, several vaccines have been developed to prevent COVID-19, including :
So the best way to protect yourself isn’t to drink coffee, but to take an approved COVID-19 vaccine ASAP!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the USS Al Gore Global Warming Research Vessel get frozen in ice?
Take a look at the pictures, and find out what the facts really are!
USS Al Gore Global Warming Research Vessel Frozen In Ice?
People keep sharing pictures of the USS Al Gore Global Warming Research Vessel frozen in ice, some as a joke, some as evidence that global warming does not actually exist.
You will find these being shared on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Reddit, and even some websites.
Note : We intentionally placed the FALSE overlay to prevent them from being further abused.
Because these have been debunked previously on our sister website, someone started sharing a new picture instead. This time, of a much larger ship.
USS Al Gore : The Facts
As you can surmise by now, those pictures are NOT of the USS Al Gore Global Warming Research Vessel.
Climate change is real, and sharing pictures of frozen boats is not going to change the fact that the world is getting warmer.
Here are the reasons why these are all FAKE PICTURES being shared by climate change deniers.
Fact #1 : There Is No USS Al Gore
The USS Al Gore does not exist. The USS (United States Ship) designation is reserved for active commissioned ships of the US Navy. There has never been a ship named for former US Vice-President Al Gore.
Well, a FICTIONAL submersible aircraft carrier – the CVJ-01 USS Al Gore – was named after him, but I don’t suppose that counts… because it’s a SUBMARINE! 😀
Fact #2 : Al Gore Has A Houseboat Called Bio-Solar One
Al Gore has a 100-foot houseboat that is powered by bio-diesel and solar panels, called Bio-Solar One. It was launched sometime in September 2008.
Here, you can see it at the Hurricane Marina in Silver Point, Tennessee. Completely different design and size, and NEVER FROZEN in ice.
Photo Credit : The Tennessean
Fact #3 : The Frozen Boat Was In Switzerland
The original fake picture of USS Al Gore was of a boat moored off Versoix, on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland.
It was hit by an ice storm in 2005 – the freezing rain froze into a thick glaze of ice that covered not only this boat, but also vehicles, buildings and the streets.
The date stamp is clear – this was taken on 28 January 2005 – more than 3.5 years before Al Gore’s Bio-Solar One houseboat was even launched.
Fact #4 : The Frozen Ship Was In Russia
The newer fake photo of USS Al Gore was really taken on 19 January 2006, of the ship GEORG OTS at the port of Saint Petersburg in Russia.
GEORG OTS (IMO 7625835) is a passenger Roll-On, Roll-Off (Ro-Ro) cargo ship built in 1980, and has ceased service since 2013, last seen heading to Zhoushan, China.
Here you can see the original picture used in the fake USS Al Gore photo, and the GEORG OTS during warmer times.
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Did a nurse really faint after getting the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine? A viral video seems to show just that!
Find out what happened, and what the facts really are!
Did This Nurse Faint After Getting COVID-19 Vaccine?
A viral video is being shared on social media and YouTube, showing a nurse faint after getting injected with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The video is usually accompanied by comments or warnings like these :
17 minutes after receiving the shot GATES VACCINE, NURSE PASSES OUT on LIVE TV
3 cameramen, witnesses were live, but stopped filming
Watch this nurse pass out after receiving the COVID vaccine. It’s so safe though, right? This will become a mass genocide if people continue to follow these rabid dictators.
This is an experimental vaccine that has not received official approval from government regulators. The Pfizer vaccine has only received EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) and the trials are still ongoing. So that makes this an experimental vaccine in my book and the public appears to be the guinea pigs.
It actually happened during the NewsChannel 9 ABC livestream of the vaccinations at the Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Antivaxxers and Google University doctors immediately pounced on the video as “evidence” that the Pfizer vaccine is dangerous. Is that true?
Why Did This Nurse Faint After Getting Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine?
So now that we establish that this nurse did indeed faint after getting the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, we should not stop there.
We should establish the other facts, including whether the vaccine is safe. Let’s address that…
Fact #1 : She Recovered Within Minutes
According to NewsChannel 9 ABC, whose crew was recording the whole event, Tiffany Dover quickly recovered, and within minutes, was able to get up and speak with them again.
While there were also claims that she died subsequently, those are complete lies. She did NOT die.
Fact #2 : NewsChannel 9 ABC Did Not Stop Filming
While there are claims that NewsChannel 9 ABC stopped filming when Dover fainted, that isn’t true. The video actually shows that the camera continued filming, just not of her.
In the news report, her fainting scene was shown in its entirety. But once she was down and being attended to by doctors at the scene, they cut away.
That doesn’t mean they had anything to hide. But there’s nothing newsworthy about showing a nurse passed out. Put yourself in her shoes – would you want the world to see you passed out?
Dover herself explained that she has a condition where she often faints when she feels pain, so this wasn’t a surprise to her that it happened.
The videos that are being shared online were intentionally cut to show only the moments when she fainted. The full video explains that, which is why it was edited before being shared.
Fact #4 : Vasovagal Syncope Can Cause Such Fainting
People with vasovagal syncope will faint when exposed to certain triggers like pain, emotional stress, fear of needles or even just the sight of blood.
So it is not surprising if some people faint after getting an injection, whether it’s of a COVID-19 vaccine or a placebo.
Credit : Verywell / Brooke Pelczynski
Fact #5 : The Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Is NOT Experimental
Despite what Google University doctors may say, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is no longer an experimental vaccine.
After delivering an efficacy rate of 95% (p<0.0001) in its Phase 3 trials, the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine received its Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the US FDA.
Once it receives that EUA, it is no longer considered an experimental vaccine, even though it has yet to receive a full US FDA licence.
Fact #6 : Not All EUAs Are The Same
While it is true that the EUA is a shortcut, it is necessary in an urgent public health crisis like this COVID-19 pandemic.
A typical US FDA approval requires two separate, well-controlled studies to prove that a drug / vaccine / tool is safe and substantially efficacious – typically taking 5-10 years (if not longer). During that time, millions of people would have died from COVID-19.
Its EUA may be withdrawn if further data suggests that it doesn’t work. For example, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine received EUAs for use with COVID-19 even though NEITHER were tested for their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.
But in June 15, 2020, their EUAs for use in COVID-19 were revoked after studies showed that they were completely useless against SARS-CoV-2, even killing people.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Nobel laureate Professor Dr. Tasuku Honjo allegedly said that he is confident that the US created the COVID-19 coronavirus, which is not a natural virus based on his research.
Find out what he said, and if it’s true that the US created the COVID-19 coronavirus!
Updated @ 2020-11-28 : Added the Chinese variant of the story, including other updates.
Originally posted @ 2020-04-27
Claim : Tasuku Honjo Confident US Created COVID-19!
This is the article that has been going viral on social media since April 2020.
Japan’s professor of Physiology & Medicine, Professor Dr Tasuku Honjo, created a sensation in front of the media today by saying that the corona virus is not natural. If it is natural, it wouldn’t have adversely affected entire world like this, as per nature.
日本的生理学和醫學教授本庶佑（Tasuku Honjo）博士 （註一）今天在媒体面前製造了轟動，他说冠狀病毒不是天然的。如果這是自然的，根據性質, 它不會對整個世界造成這樣的負面影響。
Temperature is different in different countries. if it is natural, it would’ve adversely affected only those countries having same temperature as China. Instead, It is spreading in a country like Switzerland, in the same way it is spreading in the desert areas.
不同的國家有不同溫度。如果它是自然的，它只會對那些與中國溫度相同的國家產生不利影響。相反，它正在瑞士這樣的國家傳播，就像它在沙漠地區傳播一樣。
Whereas if it were natural, it would have spread in cold places, but died in hot places. I have done 40 years of research on animals and viruses. It is not natural. It is manufactured and the virus is completely artificial.
然而，如果它是自然的，它會在寒冷的地方傳播，但在炎熱的地方死亡。我對動物和病毒做了40年的研究。這是不自然的。它是人造的，病毒完全是人造的。
I have come the conclusion that since USA has all the 5 strains mutating at the same time, and there are millions of infections with some around still not tested. It is obvious, that the the huge number of death lends credibility to the CDC of America ‘s wrong classification of corona virus death in July to December 2019 to Flu diseases.
我得出的結論是，由於美國有所有的5種病毒株同時變異，而且有數百萬的感染病例，其中一些還沒有經過檢測。很明顯，產生如此巨大的死亡人數，美國疾病控制與預防中心竟然錯誤地將2019年7月至12月那些因冠狀病毒死亡的歸為流感疾病的原因。
Also a reported leak and closure of Fort Detrick , and strange Coronavirus death spreading in Italy and Iran in November, even before the Wuhan outbreak , lend credibility to the early outbreak from America. I can now said with confidence USA is the source of the original outbreak.
還有的是美國德特里克堡的泄漏和關閉(去年7月)，以及11月病毒在武漢爆發之前，奇怪的冠狀病毒死亡就已經在意大利和伊朗出現，這些都為美國在較早期已爆發疫症，增加了可信度。我現在可以自信地說，美國是最初疫情的源頭。
On 25 April 2020, Mir Monaz Haque, the Editor-In-Chief of Asia Today, posted this variant on his Facebook page (now deleted) without comment, lending further credence to the story :
SHOCKING⤵️
Japan’s professor of Physiology or Medicine, Professor Dr Tasuku Honjo, created a sensation in front of the media today by saying that the corona virus is not natural.
if it is natural, it wudn’t hv adversely affected entire world like this. bcoz, as per nature, Temperature is different in different countries.
if it is natural, it wud’ve adversely affected only those countries hvg same temperature as China. instead, It is spreading in a country like Switzerland, in the same way it is spreading in the desert areas.
whereas if it were natural, it would hv spread in cold places, but died in hot places. I have done 40 years of research on animals and viruses.
It is not natural. It is manufactured and the virus is completely artificial.
I have come to the conclusion that since USA has all the 5 strains mutating at the same time, and there are millions of infections with some around still not tested, it is obvious, that the the huge number of death lends credibility to the CDC of America ‘s wrong classification of corona virus death in July to December 2019 to Flu diseases.
Also a reported leak and closure of Fort Detrick ,and strange Coronavirus death spreading in Italy and Iran in November, even before the Wuhan outbreak , lend credibility to the early outbreak from America. I can now said with confidence USA is the source of the original outbreak. 👆🏾
Tasuku Honjo confident US created COVID-19? Complete Bullshit
This story is such complete bullshit and appears to be a bastardised version of the original hoax which blamed China.
Professor Tasuku Honjo issued a statement refuting those claims.
Professor Tasuku Honjo does not work on viruses, and has never said that the virus is artificial.
Genomic analysis have proven that SARS-CoV-2 is a natural virus that is very closely-related to bat coronaviruses.
Multiple strains in the USA would prove that it is not the origin of COVID-19 virus.
The COVID-19 pandemic started in Wuhan, China… not Maryland, USA
Tasuku Honjo Confident USA Created COVID-19 : The Facts
For those who are thinking to themselves, “How do you know it’s fake? You were NOT there!“, here are the reasons why we know for sure…
Fact #1 : Viruses Can Spread In Cold + Warm Climates
While certain viruses spread easier in warmer climates, other viruses spread better in colder climates.
The susceptibility of a virus to humidity and temperature depends on whether it has a lipid bilayer envelope or not.
The COVID-19 coronavirus is enveloped, and is thus more likely to spread better in cold, dry climates. But that doesn’t mean it cannot spread well in warm, humid climates.
Fact #2 : SARS-CoV-2 Is Natural, And Related To Bat Coronaviruses
Genomic analysis have proven that the COVID-19 is natural, for these reasons :
an artificial virus would have to be created from existing viruses and their genetic data
the SARS-CoV-2 virus has components that have never been seen before
Fact #3 : Professor Honjo Does Not Work On Viruses
Tasuku Honjo is a professor of Immunology and Genomic Medicine. He has only worked on immunology, not virology.
His 2018 Nobel Prize, in particular, was for his work on stimulating the immune system to attack tumour cells in cancer.
Fact #4 : Tasuku Honjo Issued A Statement Refuting The Claim
Professor Honjo issued this statement through one of his PhD students :
Prof. Honjo never gave any such statement. Each and every sentence of this post is completely false and has no connection with truth.
Prof. Honjo never worked in Wuhan laboratory. He never called there. He did not work on virus origin and functions and other related issues.
All the contents are just concocted and nothing else.
Fact #5 : Tasuku Honjo Said COVID-19 Originated In China
In an interview with Nikkei Asian Review on 10 April 2020, Professor Tasuku Honjo said that COVID-19 originated in China, but also that it will be the first country to recover from it.
However, he never said that it was manufactured or created by China. Originating in a country, is quite different from creating it.
Fact #6 : Multiple Strains Denote A Later Time Line
Viruses mutate and create new strains over time. A novel virus like COVID-19 would start with a single strain and evolve into multiple strains as it spreads globally and mutate over time.
Hence, the very fact that there are five strains in the United States would actually refute it as the source of SARS-CoV-2 – the COVID-19 coronavirus.
In fact, by analysing the genomic changes of these strains, scientists have pretty much concluded that SARS-CoV-2 did indeed originate in China.
Fact #7 : Earliest COVID-19 Death In US Was In February 2020
The CDC did not wrongly diagnose COVID-19 deaths in the US from July to December 2019.
The earliest death from COVID-19 in the US was revised on 22 April 2020, with the diagnosis of three COVID-19 deaths in Santa Clara, California :
a 57 year-old woman on 6 February 2020
a 69 year-old man on 17 February 2020
a 70 year-old man on 6 March 2020
Fact #8 : Fort Detrick Was Closed Because Of Sterilisation Plant Failure
The CDC temporarily shut down the US Army lab at Fort Detrick on 2 August 2019, after finding “biosafety lapses” there.
Conspiracy theorists pounced on that as “evidence” that COVID-19 may have leaked from Fort Detrick, but a quick check would reveal that :
the shutdown was ordered because the lab was no longer able to decontaminate wastewater from its highest security labs.
the lab’s steam sterilisation plant was damaged in a flood in May 2018, and they had been using a chemical decontamination method instead.
no disease-causing materials were found outside authorised areas
if SARS-CoV-2 leaked from Fort Detrick, Maryland would have been the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, not Wuhan.
Fact #9 : SARS-CoV-2 Is Just ONE Of Many Coronaviruses
Conspiracy theorists keep saying that coronavirus deaths were reported long before SARS-CoV-2 appeared in Wuhan.
But the fact of the matter is – SARS-CoV-2 is merely one of many coronaviruses in the world, including SARS and MERS!
The earliest cases of COVID-19 have so far been traced back to Wuhan, China.
Why Would Someone Create This Fake Story?
With China’s aggressive foreign policy moves in recent years, it is not uncommon to see fake pro-China, anti-America stories being created and shared.
Many believe it’s part of a concerted attempt to burnish China’s image overseas, and to drown out negative coverage of China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, and their aggressive moves in the South China Sea..
This COVID-19 was made in the US is also part of the narrative China has been trying to push, after US President Donald Trump blamed them for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whatever the reasons may be, it is our duty as global citizens to stop the proliferation of such fake stories.
Please share this fact check with your friends, so they know the truth!
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
A photo of HUAWEI CFO Meng Wanzhou being freed by the Canadian court is going viral on social media.
Check out the viral photo for yourself, and find out what the FACTS really are!
Claim : Meng Wanzhou Released By Canadian Court!
This photo and accompanying English translation of the Chinese message is going viral on social media.
Just received…
“Canadian court have thrown out all detention charges against Meng Wanzhou.”
In the pic, the tracing device on her angle is being removed.
“The princess of Huawei free to return home in 4 days latest” it said.
_ _ _
Meng Wanzhou Released By Canadian Court? Here Are The Facts!
The picture is genuine, but the entire premise and claim are FALSE. Here are the facts…
Fact #1 : Meng Wanzhou Is Still Under House Arrest In Canada
As of 10 September 2020, Meng Wanzhou is still under house arrest in Canada, awaiting the reopening of her extradition case in late September 2020.
Just four days ago, Global Times – a Chinese state-run media outlet – reiterated the demand by Chinese ambassador to Canada that they release Meng Wanzhou to repair relations between their two countries.
Fact #2 : That Was A Staged Photo Op From May 2020
The photo being shared on social media is genuine, but it was from her staged photo op on 23 May 2020. As reported by CBC :
With a momentous court ruling that could deliver her freedom days away, Meng Wanzhou appeared to take a premature victory lap on the weekend, posing for pictures and flashing a thumbs-up on the steps of B.C. Supreme Court.
The Huawei executive took part in a staged downtown Vancouver photo shoot as security guards stood watch Saturday evening. She jumped out of a black SUV to take centre stage once a group of family and friends had arranged themselves in front of a photographer.
Photo Credit : Ben Nelms CBC
She took part in that staged photo op just before B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes planned to announce her decision on double criminality, which could have ended the extradition process.
Days later, on 27 May 2020, Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes ruled that the extradition case against Meng Wanzhou should proceed.
Fact #3 : They Were Not Removing Her Ankle Monitor
The photo that people were sharing as evidence that her ankle monitor was being removed was taken by Ben Nelms of CBC.
This was his description of the photo – Friends assist Meng with her GPS ankle monitoring bracelet as she prepares for photographs in front of the B.C. Supreme Court building.
NO, her ankle monitor was not being removed. Her friends was just helping her cover it up for the photo op.
She continues to wear a GPS ankle monitor, as part of the requirement for her house arrest while awaiting trial.
Photo Credit : Ben Nelms CBC
Fact #4 : She Is NOT Free To Return To China
The viral post claims that Meng Wanzhou is free to return to China in just 4 days at the latest. Sadly for her, that’s not true.
She remains under house arrest, and is unlikely to return to China soon as her extradition case will only take place in late September 2020.
Why Would Someone Create This Fake Story?
With China’s aggressive foreign stance in recent years, it is not uncommon to see such fake stories being created and shared.
Some believe it’s part of a concerted attempt to burnish China’s image overseas.
Others believe the many fake stories are being created to drown out the negative coverage of China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, and their aggressive moves in the South China Sea.
Whatever the reasons may be, it is our duty as global citizens to stop the proliferation of such fake stories.
Please share this debunking with your friends, so they know the truth!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Clickbait websites are sharing a post that Mark Zuckerberg wrote called My Wife China And Not Pretty.
Many praised it, calling him a true gentleman. Many shared it as an example of Mark Zuckerberg’s intelligence in choosing a wife with inner beauty.
Find out what Mark Zuckerberg wrote about his Chinese wife, and what the FACTS really are!
Mark Zuckerberg Allegedly Wrote This : My Wife China And Not Pretty
So many ask me, why do I choose Chinese wife who is not beautiful while I (according to them) is the one who has excessive wealth?
I should (according to them) I can get a wife who is “more” than my current wife, priscilla chan.
First of all to answer that question, I want to discuss what a beautiful woman is? and what is a woman not beautiful?
Honestly, I myself have many opportunities to meet beautiful women, many of them want to be my wife, but what is called “beautiful women” is mostly heart like glass, very fragile.
If you are sick as cranky like a king’s daughter, and arrogant, arrogant, and will always ask me why is it so rich but don’t want to change the car?
I know their goal of wanting to be my wife is to show off in the jet set environment, after which there will be more demands as a rich man’s wife.
A woman is as beautiful as however, if her heart can only demand, still looks ugly, her soul is also dirty.
Such a woman is just said to be an ugly woman, given free I don’t want to!
“Beauty outside will be reduced as age, but beauty from the inside will increase its value as age” that’s how Chinese proverb says, therefore I try to avoid to contact with things that quickly descends its value.
Then from them came another question, what do I like about priscilla chan, my wife?
“The expression of a woman’s face is a reflection of her heart” her smile always amazes me.
Since pregnant, Priscilla completely ignored the changes that happened to the expression of her face due to her pregnancy, kept dressed simple, without grooming, but precisely her happiness I felt fully and also seen to others.
I like the simplicity.
I like her look.
Priscilla is a passionate woman but wise, brave but loving, leader but can also support others.
I love everything while with her, I feel so comfortable & at ease.
I don’t feel like Priscilla is using me or boasting over me. In addition to having high intellectual intelligence, she also has high emotional intelligence, don’t forget that Priscilla is a graduate of Harvard University medicine.
You can try the university entrance test, majoring in law, medicine, economics is the majors that people grab, even though passing the entry test is not necessarily you can pass well.
So actually if you want to show off, it’s better for me to show off priscilla, not the other way around.
“Marriage is like a pair of shoes, only the wearer who knows the shoes are comfortable to wear or not” Priscilla is best suited for me, and I feel priscilla is the most ideal couple on the face of this earth.
I used to get acquainted with Priscilla in the queue in the toilet. In his eyes, I am just a nerd, nothing more. From that moment on I said in my heart “This is my soulmate”
In your eyes, Priscilla is a woman not beautiful, but in my eyes she is the beautiful woman and most compatible with me.
I couldn’t resist showing off my photos with Priscilla being so happy. In the photo looks like me and priscilla are so peaceful & natural.
“SIMPLE IS BEAUTIFUL”
Mark Zuckerberg (founder of FACEBOOK)
Our Verdict : Misogynistic BULLSHIT!
The My Wife China And Not Pretty essay was NOT written by Mark Zuckerberg, and is utter misogynistic bullshit. Here is a short summary of our debunking :
Mark Zuckerberg did not write that, and has never commented on his wife’s looks.
The writer has horrible grammar and spelling, and is probably a Chinese native.
Priscilla Chan graduated from medical school at USC, not Harvard.
It is also shocking to see so many people think that it’s admirable for any man to say that he loves his wife even though she’s Chinese and not pretty.
That’s really misogynistic, and even racist. Think about it.
Mark Zuckerberg Did NOT Write My Wife China And Not Pretty
For those who are now asking, “How do you know that? You were not in the room!“, here are the reasons why we know that for sure…
Fact #1 : Mark Zuckerberg Writes Well
You guys are aware that Mark Zuckerberg has a Facebook page, right? If you read ANY of his posts, you will realise that he can write with PROPER GRAMMAR.
The My Wife China and Not Pretty essay reads like some Chinese person wrote it in Mandarin, and had it translated into English by Google Translate.
How on Earth does anyone believe that Mark Zuckerberg would write an essay with such horrible grammar?
Take a look at this 2015 Facebook post, where he announced that Priscilla was pregnant. Look at how well he wrote it :
Fact #2 : Mark Zuckerberg Did Not Write It
The picture was misappropriated from his 2 January 2020 Facebook post, in which he wished everyone Happy New Year.
If you go through his posts, you will NOT find a single post about his wife being “China and not pretty”.
Fact #3 : Mark Zuckerberg Would Never Sign Off Like That
Never mind Mark Zuckerberg…. Who on Earth would sign off a Facebook post or article like this???
Mark Zuckerberg (founder of FACEBOOK)
His name is clearly visible at the top of his Facebook posts. And his name would be posted right under the title of every article he wrote that is published in the media.
And seriously – do you really think he needs to remind people that he founded Facebook?
Fact #4 : Mark Zuckerberg Has Never Commented On Priscilla’s Looks
As far as we can determine, Mark Zuckerberg has never commented on Priscilla’s looks. He has always complimented her in other ways :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
A video showing Canadian cops taking down a Chinese student is going viral, with people claiming that it’s another racist attack by the police.
Let’s take a look at the video, and see what the facts really are!
Updated on 2020-06-26 : Added details from, and link to, the official Toronto Police press release.
Originally posted on 2020-06-24
Chinese Student Attacked By Canadian Cops : Another George Floyd?
A video showing a Chinese man suddenly being surrounded and tackled by Canadian police officers is going viral on social media, with such messages :
Canada.. Brutal taking down of a 21-tear old Chinese student who is not even resisting by several oversized policemen.. Share
👆This is in Canada how a group of oversized police treated a 21yr student for no reason just anti Chinese. True or fake
The video (screenshots below) appears to show a Chinese man just walking down the street, and suddenly he stops with several police officers pointing guns and a Taser at him.
He drops down to his knee, and gets Tasered by the police officer in the foreground, before being tackled and held down by three police officers, with another five police officers around him.
So what really happened? Is it true that this Chinese student was racially profiled and attacked by Canadian cops, like what happened to George Floyd in the United States?
Chinese Student Attacked By Canadian Cops : The Facts!
The TLDR summary of this viral claims of racist profiling and attack by the Canadian police against a Chinese student is BULLSHIT.
The man was rightfully reported by BLM protestors for brandishing a large knife at the rally, and arrested by the police. And here are the facts, and evidence…
Fact #1 : The Incident Happened In Toronto, Canada
The incident happened on 6 June 2020, at a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Toronto.
Fact #2 : The Man Was Identified As Boyu Shi
The man in the video was identified as 21 year-old Toronto resident, Boyu Shi. There is no indication he is a student.
Fact #3 : Boyu Shi Was Seen Holding A Machete
A protestor noticed Boyu Shi holding a large knife while observing the protest near Yonge Street and Grosvenor Street at around 2:32 PM.
The individual reported him to the Toronto police, and when they approached him, he fled on foot. After a short chase, the police cornered him and that was when the video began.
Fact #4 : Boyu Shi Had THREE Knives On Him
After the police arrested him, they found that he had three knives on him.
When we analysed the video, we spotted at least one knife, with a possible second knife. It appeared that Boyu Shi was trying to get rid of the knives when he was surrounded.
A plainclothes officer can be seen kicking away one of the knives in the video.
Fact #5 : Boyu Shi Was Arrested And Charged In Court
The Toronto police charged Boyu Shi with assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon / being dangerous to public peace, and carrying a concealed weapon.
He made his first appearance in court on Sunday, 7 June 2020.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
We fact-check an article by Mvslimfeed, claiming that science supports Islam’s declaration of pig as haram with proofs.
This is not a critique of any religion or dietary preference, but the TRUTH about pigs and pork.
Science Supports Pig As Haram With Proofs? : A TLDR Summary
Here is a quick summary of Mvslimfeed’s false claims about the pig and its meat, pork :
Eating pork infects you with tapeworm : FALSE
Pigs eat garbage and human shit : FALSE
Factory-farmed pigs are overdosed on antibiotics : MISLEADING
Pork infects 100,00 Americans a year with Yersinia enterocolitica : MISLEADING
Cooking won’t kill pig parasites : FALSE
Pork has twice the fat of beef : MISLEADING
Pork eaters have hundreds of diseases : FALSE
Pigs spread influenza to humans : MISLEADING
Pigs are toxic because they don’t perspire : FALSE
Pigs cannot be killed with poison : FALSE
Science Supports Pig As Haram With Proofs? A Detailed Debunking!
Here is our detailed examination of Mvslimfeed’s false claims about pigs and pork, and the real FACTS.
Claim #1 : Eating Pork Infects You With Tapeworm
Eating pork can cause over 70 different types of latent diseases as their body contains many toxins and deadly parasitic worms like tapeworm, roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc. These worms and diseases easily pass into human body and causes severe illness.
These worms can enter the human body through the mouth, anus, nose, or skin, with most species attaching themselves to the intestinal tract, damaging body. The most dangerous of these worms are tapeworms.
These tapeworms when enter brain cause memory loss, If it enters the heart it can cause heart attack, in the eye it can cause blindness, and in the liver it can cause liver damage. It can damage almost all the organs of the body.
Our Verdict : FALSE
Pork, like other kinds of animal meats, may harbour zoonotic diseases. That is why it is important to properly handle and cook them.
Parasitic worms like tapeworm, roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc. also exist in other animals that are halal for Muslims to consume – chicken, cows, buffalo, fish and so on.
Unless you consume raw meat (from any animal) infested with parasitic worms or their cysts / eggs, there is no danger. In fact, only certain parasitic worms can effectively infect a human.
The pig tapeworm (Taenia solium) can infect humans through undercooked pork, but generally does not cause any symptoms beyond abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation.
Taenia solium worms do not invade the brain, heart, eyes or liver. So claims that they can cause memory loss, heart attack, blindness or liver damage are categorically FALSE.
On the other hand, if one eats food contaminated with human or pig faeces containing tapeworm eggs, that can cause neurocysticercosis, leading to seizures or epilepsy.
We should point out that cattle have a similar tapeworm that can infect humans too – Taenia saginata.
Like pig tapeworms, the beef tapeworm infects humans through raw or undercooked meat, causing similar symptoms – abdominal pains, diarrhoea or constipation, etc.
If you wish to avoid parasitic worms – don’t just avoid pork. AVOID ALL MEAT.
Claim #2 : Pigs Eat Garbage And Human Shit
A pig is a filthy animal as it eats from garbage and human excreta. It will eat anything from urine, dirt, its own feces, decaying animal’s flesh, maggots or decaying vegetables. Eating so much of filth naturally makes them unfit for human consumption. They even eat the cancerous growths off other pigs or animals.
Some people may object that farm grown pigs aren’t dirty or filthy to which the response is that they are kept in a combined place where they live together and eat filth which a farmer fail to know.
Our Verdict : FALSE
Pigs are opportunistic omnivores. That means they will eat almost everything they’re fed.
In farms, that may range from corn- and soy-based animal feed to processed food waste. That’s no different from what cattle and poultry are fed.
Do pigs eat insects? Yes, in the wild, pigs will feed on insects, as well as small mammals. However, they mostly eat plants.
Do pigs feed on their own faeces, urine, decaying animal flesh or cancer growths on other pigs or animals? No. Those are just LIES.
Claim #3 : Factory-Farmed Pigs Are Overdosed On Antibiotics
It is estimated that 70 percent of factory-farmed pigs have pneumonia when they go to the slaughterhouse. When so many pigs stay together at a farm they are more prone to diseases and filth. They are given an overdose of anti-biotics and other vaccines to keep them disease free which in turn goes into human body.
Our Verdict : MISLEADING
In intensive farming, up to 30% of a herd may get infected (Taylor, D. J. (1995). Pig Diseases) with up to half the herd dying. So the claim of 70% of factory-farmed pigs getting pneumonia is likely to be fabricated.
It is true that antibiotics are used to prevent diseases in factory-farmed pigs. However, antibiotics are also used to prevent diseases in other factory-farmed animals like cattle, poultry and even fish.
So the statement, while partly true, is intentionally misleading.
We should point out that you can avoid antibiotics in your food by opting for meat harvested from free-range animals, whether they are pigs, chicken or cattle.
Claim #4 : Pork Infects 100,000 Americans A Year With Yersinia Enterocolitica
A 2013 Consumer Reports analysis of U.S. pork chops and ground pork samples found widespread (69 percent) presence of a bacteria called yersinia enterocolitica. This bacterium infects around 100,000 Americans a year, especially children, and can cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain in humans.
Our Verdict : MISLEADING
While the claim is accurately sourced from Consumer Reports, it is intentionally misleading.
Yersinia enterocolitica does not just affect pork, but other animal meats like beef and chicken. And it is prevented by adequately cooking the meat.
If we want to be intentionally misleading like Mvslimfeed, we would also point out that Consumer Reports also posted that ground beef and even romain lettuce contaminated with E. coli O1O3 or Salmonella have sickened and even killed people.
The fact of matter is – food safety is a concern whether you are eating pork, beef or vegetables. Stay safe by adequately cooking your food!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Claim #5 : Cooking Won’t Kill Pig Parasites
Pigs carry several parasites into their body which doesn’t go off even after proper cooking. One of the biggest concerns with eating pork meat is trichinosis or trichinellosis.
This is an infection that humans get from eating undercooked or uncooked pork that contains the larvae of the trichinella worm. There is a common misconception that these worms die when cooked properly, again it’s a false notion. One in six people in the US and Canada has trichinosis from eating trichina worms (roundworms), which are found in pork.
These worms are found in the flesh of pig and the diseases caused by eating pork are incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage.
The disease of trichinosis causes typhoid, arthritis, rheumatism, gastritis, meningitis, gall bladder trouble etc. The disease lodges itself in the brain, intestines, muscles and spinal cords.
Our Verdict : FALSE
Trichinella is a parasite that is prevalent in many mammals, not just pigs. Notably, it is a HUMAN parasite – you can be infected by Trichinella parasites even if you have never consumed pork in your entire life.
Trichinella infections in farmed pigs is actually rare. It is more commonly found in wild pigs, home-raised pigs, or free-range pigs because they are more likely to eat food contaminated with Trichinella.
Trichinella is also effectively eliminated by cooking pork properly – 63°C or higher for 3 minutes or longer. So the claim by Mvslimfeed is categorically FALSE.
Claim #6 : Pork Has Twice The Fat Of Beef
Pork contains fat. Almost more than twice as much as beef contains. It has very little muscle building material and contains excess of fat. This fat gets deposited in the vessels and can cause hypertension and heart attack. America is home to the most obese people in the world.
Our Verdict : MISLEADING
As any chef can tell you, the amount of fat in any animal meat is dependent on the cut. So it would be misleading to claim that pork has twice as much fat as beef.
For example, 100 grams of pork belly has 54 g of fat, yet 100 grams of pork tenderloin only has 3.5 g of fat, while 100 grams of beef tenderloin can contain as much as 25 g of fat.
We should point out that fat is prized in beef cuts, with the rib eye boasting up to 37.6 grams of fat. Connoisseurs pay top dollar for steaks that are well-marbled with fat.
Claim #7 : Pork Eaters Have Hundreds Of Diseases
Pork-eaters aren’t healthy at all rather they store only fat in their body which makes their body home to hundreds of diseases which we even can’t pronounce.
Our Verdict : FALSE
The human body stores excess calories that we consume as fat, irrespective of whether we obtained them by eating carbohydrates (bread, rice) or animal meats (pork, beef, chicken)… or beer.
And anyone who has hundreds of diseases in their body will likely be dead… except in the imagination of the Mvslimfeed writer.
Claim #8 : Pigs Spread Influenza To Humans
Influenza or flu is one of the most lethal illnesses that pigs share with humans. This illness is harboured in the lungs of pigs during summer and tends to effect pigs and humans in the cooler months.
Our Verdict : MISLEADING
Influenza is a very large family of viruses, infecting all kinds of mammals. They do not all transmit from animals to humans, although some do.
The 2009 swine flu pandemic was particularly severe, which was estimated to have killed about 284,000 people across the world.
Even so, it was not a very lethal disease, with a mortality rate of just 0.01-0.03%. It only killed so many people because it infected hundreds of millions of people around the world.
COVID-19, which has a bat origin, is far more lethal, with a mortality rate that is 100X higher – 1-2%. It has already killed over 471,000 people as of 22 June 2020.
The 2009 H1N1 swine flu also spread from human to human, and had nothing to do with whether you eat pork or not.
Claim #9 : Pigs Are Toxic Because They Don’t Perspire
One of the reasons why pork is haram in Islam is unlike other animals pigs don’t perspire. Since they don’t sweat all their toxic excretion is absorbed by their meat and these meats are consumed by humans. So, pal if you eat pork, you eat the toxic chemical excretion of pigs.
Our Verdict : FALSE
Pigs have sweat glands but they are not functional (eccrine) sweat glands. That means they are not used to regulate the pig’s body temperature.
Instead, they are apocrine glands that do not secrete sweat but an oily substance. They therefore function like scent glands.
Sweating in mammals is not the main way of excreting toxins. It is, by large, a way to regulate the body temperature. The same toxins excreted in sweat is disposed in far larger quantities in the urine and faeces.
What little minerals, lactate and urea that isn’t excreted in a pig’s (hypothetical) sweat is not absorbed by its flesh but excreted in its urine / faeces.
That is also why people who live in cold climates do not die from toxins building up in their bodies, just because they don’t sweat.
Claim #10 : Pigs Cannot Be Killed With Poison
Pig meats are also poisonous and they can’t be killed with normal poisons such as strychnine. Farmers often put pigs at the nests of venomous snakes to eat them up while they won’t be affected by the sting of the snakes.
Our Verdict : FALSE
This is such a ridiculous lie. Strychnine is highly toxic to pigs.
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, the oral LD50 toxic dose is only 0.5-1 mg/kg for a pig. A cat, in comparison, has an oral LD50 dose of 2 mg/kg.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Are Changi Airport passengers required to wear PPE suits before they board their flights? A video seems to show that.
Take a look at the video yourself, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Changi Airport Passengers Must Pay For + Wear PPE Suits!
A video showing Changi Airport passengers wearing blue PPE suits is going viral, together with this message :
Changi Airport. Passengers must wear this suits on board like going to an operation room Cost included in the air ticket. So kiasu kiasi style
Changi Airport Passengers Must Wear PPE Suits : The Facts!
Fact #1 : The Video Is Genuine
First of all, the video is genuine and was recorded on 31 May 2020.
It showed real passengers in blue PPE suits waiting for their flight in Terminal 3 of Changi Airport in Singapore.
Fact #2 : They Are Vietnamese Citizens
In the video, you can hear them speaking Vietnamese. They are actually part of 340 Vietnamese citizens being repatriated from Singapore after COVID-19 infections there approached 35,000.
They include the elderly, pregnant women, those with pre-existing health conditions, the young (under 18 years of age), or tourists whose visas had expired – all of whom paid their own fares for the flight.
Fact #3 : PPE Requirement Was By Vietnam Government + Vietnam Airlines
Those being repatriated were required to don those blue PPE suits, as well as face masks and gloves, by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, and Vietnam Airlines.
This was a requirement since 15 May 2020, after two Vietnam Airlines flight attendants tested positive for COVID-19 after a repatriation flight from Russia.
They actually had to wear all that for the entire duration of the flight, and were quarantined upon arriving at Can Tho, a southern Vietnamese city.
Fact #4 : PPE Requirement Not Exclusive To Singapore
This requirement to wear blue PPE suits, face masks and gloves was not exclusive to Singapore or Changi Airport.
It was mandated for all Vietnamese citizens being repatriated from COVID-19 hotspots by Vietnam Airlines.
Here are photos of the same precautions being carried out on Vietnamese citizens being repatriated from Taiwan :
According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both the Vietnam Airlines cabin crew and flight crew had to don the same blue PPE suits, face masks and gloves for the entire flight as well.
Fact #5 : Singapore Does Not Require PPE Suits In Changi Airport
Changi Airport in Singapore does not require passengers to wear PPE suits. They only require everyone to wear a face mask.
All arriving, transit and departing passengers at Changi Airport are subject to temperature screening. Passengers who are febrile or display respiratory symptoms will be referred to a doctor on duty.
All airport staff entering the transit area will have to undergo temperature screening. Staff who have a high temperature will be asked to consult a doctor immediately.
All passengers, air crew and airport staff must wear a mask at all times at Changi Airport. In addition, all passengers and crew members must also wear a mask for the entire duration of their flight to and from Changi Airport.Passengers who need to purchase a mask may do so at the airport pharmacies and convenience stores such as Guardian, Watson’s and 7-11.
Changi Airport conducts frequent cleaning and disinfecting across its terminals and at Jewel Changi Airport.High-contact areas across the airport such as door handles, water coolers, counter tops, baggage trolleys and lift buttons are cleaned and disinfected more frequently.Frequent swab tests are conducted at these areas to ensure the efficacy of cleaning and disinfection.
For an added layer of protection, frequently-touched surfaces such as automated check-in kiosks, trolleys, lift buttons and security trays are coated with a protective antimicrobial coating to reduce the risk of virus transmission.
Autonomous cleaning equipment are deployed throughout the airport cleaning and disinfecting the floors and carpets at Changi Airport daily.
Prayer rooms, baby care rooms and smoking areas are available for use. Passengers must observe safe distancing and adhere to the markers.Frequent cleaning and disinfecting is done at these areas and frequently-touched surfaces are sprayed with a protective antimicrobial coating to reduce the risk of virus transmission.
There are more than 1,200 hand sanitisers available across all terminals and Jewel Changi Airport, from check-in rows to gate holdrooms. Hand sanitisers will only be allowed in cabin baggage if kept in containers of not more than 100ml each.
COVID-19 : How To Keep Safe!
Here are a few simple steps to stay safe from COVID-19 :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Did Black Lives Matter protestors deface the famous Abraham Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial?
Find out if the Lincoln Memorial was really vandalised, and what the FACTS really are!
Claim : Lincoln Memorial Defaced By BLM Protestors!
Black Lives Matter protestors are being accused of defacing the famous Abraham Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial, and here is the picture to prove it!
This picture of the Abraham Lincoln statue spray painted with graffiti has been shared on Facebook, Twitter, etc. as evidence of the Black Lives Matter movement’s complete lack of respect for sacred American monuments.
The graffiti had messages like Black + Brown Lives Matter, #BLM, Justice, The Real Martyrs, George Floyd.
Lincoln Memorial Defaced By BLM Protestors : The Facts
Fact #1 : The Picture Is Fake
The picture is fake, and was edited by mapping graffiti over a picture of the Abraham Lincoln statue.
The creator did a poor job of it, lopping off the left side of the head. If that was intentionally meant to look like protestors did it, it was done badly.
The graffiti also looked odd, because he/she was mapping a 2D image over what’s really a 3D object.
Fact #2 : The Lincoln Memorial Was Protected By The National Guard
It would also be quite a feat for the BLM protestors to vandalise the Abraham Lincoln statue itself, since the DC National Guard was deployed to protect it.
Members of the D.C. National Guard stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as demonstrators participate in a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Fact #3 : An Outer Column Was Slightly Spray-Painted
One of the outer columns at the Lincoln Memorial had Yall Not Tired Yet? spray-painted in black on the night of 30 May 2020.
However, there is no way to know whether BLM protestors or anti-protestors was responsible. The message is ambiguous.
Photo Credit : Carolyn Kaster, early Sunday May 31, 2020
Further down, the National World War II Memorial was vandalised, this time with a clearer meaning – Do Black Vets Count?
Fact #4 : National Mall and Memorial Parks Confirmed The Limited Damage
National Mall and Memorial Parks confirmed both graffitis and cleaned them up by 4 June 2020.
Fact #5 : The Lincoln Memorial Had Been Vandalised In The Past
Frankly speaking, this isn’t the first time the Lincoln Memorial was vandalised or defaced. In fact, someone actually sprayed green paint on the Abraham Lincoln statue in 2013!
In 2017, explicit graffiti was spray-painted on an inner column in the Lincoln Memorial.
Disinformation Campaigns
This fake picture is part of a slew of similar fake news about the George Floyd / BLM protests in the US :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Internet is trolling Trump with this infamous picture of a White House with its lights out – virtually blacked out – while he sheltered in his bunker.
Let’s take a look at the infamous White House lights out picture, and find out if it’s genuine!
White House Lights Out With Trump In Bunker?
This is the infamous White House lights out photo that everyone has been sharing on social media. It even got picked up and used by some websites.
It shows a completely dark White House with its lights out, on the same night US President Donald Trump, his wife Melania and their son, Barron, were taken to the White House bunker.
White House Lights Out With Trump In Bunker : The Facts
Now, here are the facts about this picture, and news reports of the White House with its lights out.
Fact #1 : That White House Lights Out Photo Is Fake
The photo showing a completely dark White House is fake. According to AP, it was edited from this original Getty image that was posted on 6 December 2015.
This photo was artificially darkened, and the lit lantern removed, to create the image of a completely dark White House with its lights out.
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 06: The White House is shown at dusk December 6, 2015 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to address the nation this evening from the Oval Office on his plans to battle the threat of terror attacks and defeating ISIL in the wake of last week’s attack in San Bernardino, California. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
However, we believe that it was more likely to have been edited from a screenshot from a video from the time the White House lit up in LGBT colours on 27 June 2015.
Fact #2 : White House Lights Goes Off Every Night
According to Kaitlan Collins who does many late night photography sessions at the White House, and White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley, the White House lights go out at about 11 PM almost every night.
Fact #3 : Actual Photos Of White House That Night
Here are photos of the White House that were taken that night. They show that while the interior lights were turned off, the exterior lights were still on. At around 11 PM, the exterior lights were turned off.
Fact #4 : Trump Did Retreat To White House Bunker
Earlier claims that protestors breached the White House are false. But they concerned the Secret Service so much that Donald Trump, his wife Melania and son, Barron were moved to the White House bunker for about an hour.
This fake picture is part of a slew of similar fake news about the George Floyd protests in the US :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Pictures of George Floyd protestors in the US asking China for help are going viral, and they are all FAKE!
Find out why the pictures are fake, and they are part of a disinformation campaign surrounding the George Floyd protests in the US!
US Protestors Asking China For Help!
At least two pictures are circulating, showing George Floyd protestors in the US calling for China to help them fight against the American authorities. We added the HOAX overlay to prevent further abuse.
They are being shared on Facebook, WhatsApp and Reddit as examples of American hypocrisy, or comeuppance for supporting Hong Kong protestors against the Chinese government.
It is also richly ironic since Hong Kong protestors waved American flags and openly asked for the United States to liberate their city from China.
What patriotic Chinese or pro-Chinese sympathiser wouldn’t want to rub America’s nose in their hubris and constant interfering in the private affairs of foreign nations?
US Protestors Asking China For Help : All Fake!
Unfortunately for China and their supporters, the Americans never actually asked them for help.
In the first photo, the Chinese flag was added to the concrete barrier and the man’s sign was edited to replace the real text, Liberty or Justice Till I Can’t Breathe!!!! with CHINA HELP ME BREATHE.
Photo Credit : The Times UK
In this second picture, a large Chinese flag was added to the foreground, and HELP US CHINA added to the blank piece of paper held by the lady on the far left.
The Muslim lady on the right, was also edited – replacing her smartphone with a Chinese flag.
Peaceful demonstrators observe a moment of silence outside the US Bank Stadium during the fourth day of protests after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US on May 29, 2020 [Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters]
These fake pictures follow a slew of similar fake news about the George Floyd protests in the US :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
A video claiming to show George Floyd protestors breaking into the White House is going viral. Find out what the facts really are!
Claim : George Floyd Protestors Broke Into White House!
A video showing protestors apparently breaking into the White House grounds, and attacking the White House is being shared on social media, with this message :
Protestors already broke inside White House for the first time in American history, gun fire at east gate and some sources said Trump fleed with his family to Kanzas, CIA have emergency meeting in an hour!
We won’t be sharing the video, but here are four screenshots from the video :
Take note of the signboards of the two high-rise building on the left – KeyBank and Chase. This will be important later…
George Floyd Protestors Broke Into White House : So Fake, So Lame!
Honestly, this is a very lame fake news attempt, probably by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army, because they don’t seem to know much about the United States…
Fact #1 : That Was Not The White House
The creator of this fake news is hoping that you have never seen the White House, which looks like this, and is completely different from the building in the video.
It doesn’t even have a rotunda – the round dome-like structure at the top of the building shown in the video.
Fact #2 : Protestors Cannot Get Close To The White House
It is true that US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and Barron Trump, were evacuated to the White House bunker.
However, none of the protestors that gathered near the White House actually attempted to get past the barricades, much less attack the White House itself.
From what we can tell, the protestors are being restricted to Lafayette Square, across Pennsylvania Avenue.
Fact #3 : That Was The Ohio Statehouse
The building in the video was the Ohio Statehouse. Note the two high-rise building to its left – KeyBank and Chase. You will see their signboards in the video screenshots above.
Fact #4 : The Video Was Taken On 28 May 2020
The video was taken on 28 May 2020, showing protestors vandalising the Ohio Statehouse.
The damage, according to the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (which is responsible for its upkeep), included :
28 broken windows along the west and south sides of the building
damage to the wooden window frames
five pole lamps
two doors, including the West Rotunda entrance
A few protestors entered the Ohio Statehouse but quickly left.
Fact #5 : No Mainstream Media Reported On A White House Invasion
The video being shared had been recorded days ago, but no mainstream media had reported an invasion of the White House.
You would think that something like this would be major international news… right?
Fact #6 : Trump Wouldn’t Flee To Kansas
Why would US President Donald Trump flee to Kansas, when he loves staying at his estate in Mar-a-Lago in Florida?
The White House also has a bunker built to withstand a nuclear bomb. It would certainly withstand more than a few protestors.
Fact #7 : The CIA Does Not Operate Within The Country
This is the most idiotic part of the claim – that the CIA has an emergency meeting. Why would the CIA be involved with protestors in the United States?
The CIA is a foreign intelligence service that focuses on gathering, processing and analysing intelligence of foreign entities.
The FBI would be the right federal agency to look into crimes committed by these protestors. But generally, they will be handled by state police, not federal law enforcement.
Beware Of Other George Floyd Protest Fake News
This fake post about the White House is part of a slew of similar fake news about the George Floyd protests in the US :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
You have probably seen the Spot The Difference post criticising Rev. Patrick Mahoney on his hypocrisy on the Hong Kong and George Floyd protests.
Find out if it’s true that Patrick Mahoney posted those tweets on the Hong Kong and George Floyd protests!
Spot The Difference : Patrick Mahoney Hypocrisy On HK + George Floyd Protests
Controversial Christian pastor Rev. Patrick Mahoney waded into the Hong Kong and George Floyd protests, with two tweets on the same day.
The next day, this post started going viral on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, asking you to spot the difference between the two Patrick Mahoney tweets.
Note : The original post lacks the two MISLEADING warnings, which we added to avoid further abuse.
Rev. Patrick Mahoney Hypocrisy On Protests : True But Misleading
Here is our short TLDR summary for those who just want to know the facts :
he posted those two tweets, and yes, they are partly hypocritical
however, the Spot The Difference post misused one photo and is intentionally misleading,
Patrick Mahoney did not actually sanction violence in the Hong Kong protest
Patrick Mahoney is just a self-aggrandising Christian pastor with a history of publicity stunts – a nobody.
Unfortunately, his two tweets are being misused by Chinese and pro-Chinese netizens (and bots) to spread the narrative of American hypocrisy.
Ironically, this misleading Spot The Difference post is being shared on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp – platforms which are banned in China. That is really the true hypocrisy of this storm in a teacup.
Rev. Patrick Mahoney Hypocrisy On Protests : The Facts
And for those who want to know more, here are the facts :
Fact #1 : Patrick Mahoney Posted Those Two Tweets
Reverend Patrick Mahoney sure posted those two tweets, on the same day – May 28, 2020.
Fact #2 : Patrick Mahoney Did Not Sanction Violence
As his actual tweet on the Hong Kong protest above shows – he did not actually sanction violence.
In fact, his actual tweet on the George Floyd protest in Minneapolis could be referring to violence by both the police and the protestors.
We would rate his posts as partly hypocritical, because he wasn’t against the George Floyd protests, just against the violence.
Fact #3 : The Protestor Picture Was From 2016
The Spot The Difference post creator intentionally replaced the picture Patrick Mahoney posted with this Getty photo that Lam Yik Fei took on the night of 9 February 2016.
As you can see, it’s radically different – showing violence – whereas the picture Mahoney posted showed Hong Kong police officers arresting non-violent protestors.
Fact #4 : Injustice Started Both Protests
Discounting the violence, both Hong Kong and George Floyd protests started because of injustice. In both cases, the people are demanding change.
The people in Hong Kong have been protesting for years over the systematic erosion of their Basic Rights and freedoms.
The most recent May 2020 protest was triggered by the proposal of new national security laws that would allow Chinese security forces to operate within Hong Kong.
In the United States, it was the racism that black Americans have endured, triggered by the death of George Floyd after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for almost 9 minutes.
Fact #5 : Protests Are Allowed In The US And Hong Kong
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution specifically gives all American citizens have the right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully :
Congress shall make no law … abiding … the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Unlike China, Hong Kong citizens have the right to peacefully assemble and protest under Article 27 of the Basic Law, and Article 17 of the Bill of Rights.
The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognised. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order, the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
In other words – people have the right to assemble and demonstrate in both the United States and Hong Kong. They just do not have the right to attack people, or destroy property.
Fact #6 : Patrick Mahoney Is Not The American Government / People
Patrick Mahoney is a self-aggrandising Christian pastor with a history of publicity stunts. But in the grand scheme of things – he is nobody.
He is not a representative of the American people, or the American government. Yet, his two tweets are being misused by Chinese and pro-Chinese netizens (and bots) to spread the narrative of American hypocrisy.
Ironically, this misleading Spot The Difference post is being shared on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp – platforms which are banned in China. That is really the true hypocrisy of this storm in a teacup.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Did a woman severely burn both her hands, after the hand sanitiser she applied caught fire from a stove? Find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Woman Applies Hand Sanitiser And Catches Fire From Stove!
Clickbait websites posted stories about a lady who accidentally set both her hands on fire after applying a hand sanitiser.
The injured woman rubbed hand sanitiser all over her hands and arms before preparing a meal.
The woman was likely unaware that the alcohol-based hand sanitiser is a flammable substance.
While waiting for the sanitiser to evaporate, she turned on the kitchen stove.
To her horror, her arms instantly ignited, causing what looks like third-degree burns to both arms.
Clearly, the woman in question should have waited for the sanitiser to dry completely before going near the stove.
Hand Sanitiser Catches Fire, Burns Woman : Hoax Debunked!
This is yet another Internet hoax that have been circulating on social media. These websites apparently accepted the claim at face value, without fact-checking.
Alcohol Evaporates Pretty Quickly
The alcohol in alcohol-based hand sanitisers quickly evaporates when you rub it all over your hands. On average, it takes just 15 seconds for the alcohol in a hand sanitiser to evaporate.
Unless the woman in the story quickly turned on the stove after applying the hand sanitiser, it is not possible for the hand sanitiser on her hand to catch fire.
Hand Sanitisers Can Only Be Set On Fire Using A Direct Flame
a hand sanitiser with 60% alcohol is flammable, but only using a direct flame.
alcohol vapour can only be ignited by a direct flame.
In other words, for the story to be true, the woman would have to place both hands over, or very close to, the stove’s flames.
That’s A Skin Graft Donor Site
The picture is of a burn victim, whose forearm was harvested for skin grafts.
You can see the sharp edges on her right forearm – an actual burn would not look like that.
You can also see the pattern on the donor site – marks of the dermatome used to harvest the skin grafts.
Hand Sanitiser : Should You Still Use It?
Now, while the story may be a tall tale, you should never take alcohol-based hand sanitisers lightly. It is a flammable liquid, which will catch fire if you pour it near or onto an open flame.
Hand sanitiser brands like Purell recommend that you do NOT use alcohol-based hand sanitisers near an open flame, or while smoking a cigarette.
However, a hand sanitiser is useful if you have no ready access to soap and clean water. Just make sure the hand sanitiser has an alcohol content of 60% to 95%.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Scammers are now targeting Malaysians with THREE fake CIMB Bank scams regarding online or credit card payments.
Please SHARE this scam alert with your family and friends, so they won’t get cheated!
THREE Fake CIMB Bank Call + SMS Scams!
Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, many Malaysians are now purchasing more online, and paying for those purchases with their credit cards.
This has attracted scammers who are now targeting both online purchasers and credit card users. In these new scams, they are pretending to be CIMB Bank.
Scam #1 : Credit Card Payment Authorisation
In this scam, the scammers used an automated call system with the number +113818415.
After you accept the call, a pre-recorded message will ask you to verify that you have just charged RM XXXX to your credit card, with these options :
Press 1 to accept the charge to your credit card
Press 2 to speak to a CIMB bank officer
Needless to say, when you opt to speak to a bank officer (fearing that you are a victim of a hacking attempt), the scammer will now convince you to transfer your money from your bank account to the bank’s account for “safe keeping”.
There is no such thing. Banks will NEVER ask you to transfer money out of your account. If they suspect fraud, they can simply disable your credit card, and deny payment to the merchant.
Scam #2 : Outstanding Credit Card Debt
In a different version of the first scam, the automated call system used a mobile number – +6012-22452090.
This time, the pre-recorded message will inform you that you owe RM XXXX on your CIMB Bank credit card.
Again, you will be offered the opportunity to speak with a CIMB Bank officer – the scammer – who will try to convince you to pay the money into a different account, or give him / her your login details.
A real bank officer will NEVER ask you to transfer money to a different bank account, or request for your login details. If you have outstanding credit card debt, the bank will just charge you interest on it.
Scam #3 : Online Purchase Warning
Happening concurrently with the scam calls is this CIMB Bank SMS scam campaign.
You may receive something like this, which looks like a genuine SMS from CIMB Bank informing you about a charge to your credit card.
