Did Michelle Obama just release photos of herself pregnant, to prove that she is a real woman?!
Take a look at the viral photos, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-10-01 : Added fact check video Originally posted @ 2023-09-30
Claim : Michelle Obama Released Photos Of Herself Pregnant!
People are sharing photos that they claim were taken when Michelle Obama was pregnant, to prove that she is a real woman.
Charlotte, The Baroness : BREAKING: Michelle Obama silences ALL conspiracy theorists and demands a universal apology after FINALLY releasing glowing pregnancy photos when she was expecting Sasha and Malia.
Was_it_Planned : You can fake the baby bump. We need 3 independent DNA samples analyzed to prove man or women.
The rest is smoke and mirrors. I think she’s a he! While you’re at it, DNA test the kids to verify birth parents are Obama’s.
Ultra Maga Tx Teresa 🇺🇸 : 😂🤣😆😂 we know you’re a dude & we’ve seen their real parents. 🤡🤡
Truth : Those Are Not Photos Of A Pregnant Michelle Obama!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created about Barack and Michelle Obama, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Michelle Obama Never Released Photos Of Herself Pregnant
First, let me just point out that Michelle Obama has never released photos of herself while pregnant with Sasha or Malia.
That’s not to say they don’t exist. It is likely that they exist – they were simply not made available to us – members of the public.
Perhaps she’s just like many of us who don’t share private photos on social media. Perhaps she did not want to “jinx” her pregnancies.
After all, Michelle and Barack Obama had trouble getting pregnant, and she suffered a miscarriage. They ultimately conceived Malia and Sasha through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Fact #2 : The Photos Were AI-Generated
I took a look at all four photos and quickly determined that they were AI-generated, and rather poor examples at that.
The first two are better examples, but if you look closely, you can see that her hands are grossly distorted. She not only has at least six fingers on each hand, they are of wrong lengths and with nails in the wrong position.
These two examples are terrible. The example on the left does not even look like Michelle Obama. Perhaps a young Oprah Winfrey? Of course, Oprah never had children…
The one on the right looks more like Michelle Obama but had grossly exaggerated features, including a hump neck. But the easiest way to identify it as an AI-generated fake photo is by looking at her hands.
As you can see, both examples have distorted hands. In the example on the left, the fingers of both hands appear to merge together. In the example of the right, her left hand has six unnaturally long fingers, while her right hand has a ridiculously long thumb.
Fact #3 : Online Tools Confirmed Images Were AI-Generated
Just in case you don’t trust my Mark 1 eyeballs, or my common sense, you will be glad to know that two online tools used to detect AI-generated photos – AI or Not, and Illuminarty, have confirmed all four photos were generated using AI image generators.
Fact #4 : Michelle Obama Was Born A Woman
There is no need for Michelle Obama to release any photos of herself pregnant to prove that she is a woman.
Even if you ignore the fact that she gave birth to two girls, Michelle Obama grew up as a female. Her family and friends only knew her as a girl and then, a woman. Never as a boy or a man who later became transgender.
Michelle Obama sometimes shares photos of her childhood on her Instagram account. They are all proof that she grew up as a girl, never as a boy.
On the other hand, all these claims that she was born a boy has never been backed by any evidence.
Claims that Michelle Obama was born a man is not only false, it’s absurdly ridiculous, because she gave birth to two girls – Malia Obama and Sasha Obama.
For those who are wondering – transgender women cannot give birth, or suffer miscarriages, as they were born men, and lack both ovaries and uterus. And no, Malia and Sasha Obama were not adopted
Ultimately, these fake photos, and claims about Michelle Obama being transgender, are just attempts by misogynists and Republicans of the MAGA persuasion to disparage Barack and Michelle Obama.
As the 2024 US Presidential Election draws close, you can expect more rumours of Michelle Obama joining the race, and even more fake news and photos about her.
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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.
Find out why many Western countries repeatedly voted against a UN resolution calling for global action against racism and discrimination!
Updated @ 2023-09-29 : Refreshed after message went viral again Originally posted @ 2023-04-30
Claim : The West Voted Against UN Anti-Racism Bill!
Pro-CCP netizens, as well as the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), are claiming that many Western countries like the US, the UK, and Canada voted against a UN resolution calling for global action against racism and discrimination!
UN introduced a bill that called for global action against racism and discrimination
Here’s Why The West Voted Against UN Anti-Racism Bill!
At first glance, it is easy enough to see why some netizens actually believe that Western countries are being hypocrites, with many sharing comments like these:
Hypocrites who tell you you have freedoms but actually you don’t. But you still think you do.
But the truth is – this is just another example of misinformation and propaganda created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by anti-West netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : It Was A 2020 UN Resolution Against Racism
First, let me just give you some context on the resolution (not a bill) in question.
The claim refers to the 2020 UN resolution called A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
This resolution is not new, and has actually been introduced and voted on every year since 2014.
Fact #2 : It Was A Non-Binding Resolution
That UN anti-racism resolution is also non-binding, which means countries are not compelled to abide by it.
Fact #3 : Many Western Countries Voted Against UN Racism Resolution
Let me confirm that most Western countries voted No to that 2020 UN resolution against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.
Total voting membership : 193
Members voting Yes : 106
Members voting No : 14
Members abstaining : 44
Members who did not vote : 29
Countries that voted No that year were Australia, Canada, Czechia (Czech Republic), Congo, France, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Netherlands, Slovenia, United Kingdom, and United States.
If this UN resolution seems familiar, that is because it is similar to the Anti-Nazi resolution that Russia has submitted every year since 2012, and one which many Western countries consistently voted against, or abstained from voting.
Like this anti-racism UN resolution, that anti-Nazi resolution was hypocritical in nature. Russia did not introduce it to fight Nazism or neo-Nazis, but to justify its annexation of Crimea in March 2014, and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia claims that it had to invade Ukraine to “denazify” it, and is using that UN resolution to justify its invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to European Voice before the vote, Lithuania’s foreign minister, Linas Linkevičius, said that “no one should doubt that we are condemning fascism”, but, he continued, “under cover of this condemnation, Russia is pursuing its own agenda”.
Fact #4 : Western Countries Were Against Durban Declaration
Western countries have long boycotted the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), and the resulting Durban Review Conference that was called to implement it.
Even though the DDPA ostensibly has laudable goals – to eliminate “racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”, it is being used to promote anti-Semitism, impose restrictions on free speech, and does not address discrimination against the LGBT community.
Our concerns about the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) are well-known, including its unfair and unacceptable singling out of Israel and its endorsement of overbroad restrictions on freedom of expression that run counter to the U.S. commitment to robust free speech. But we will always stand ready to work with others in the effort to combat racism, bigotry, and racial discrimination.
After another vote on the same resolution in 2021, the Biden Administration reiterated that the United States remain opposed to the DDPA and its “restrictions on freedom of speech and expression“.
As in previous years, we deeply regret that we cannot support this resolution, which does not genuinely focus on countering racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Among our concerns are the resolution’s endorsement of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action (DDPA), the outcome of the Durban review conference and its endorsement of overbroad restrictions on freedom of speech and expression.
We reject any effort to advance the “full implementation” of the DDPA. We believe this resolution serves as a vehicle to prolong divisions , rather than providing an inclusive way forward for the international community to counter the scourge of racism and racial discrimination.
The United States also opposed the UN anti-racism resolution which called for UN States to implement Article 4 of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
And why is Article 4 of the CERD so offensive to the United States? After all, it calls for UN States to declare an offence punishable by law “all dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred”, amongst other things.
That’s because the United States Constitution provides the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly and association, and this includes even offensive beliefs like Nazism and racism.
As Nicholas Hill, the Deputy US Representative for ECOSOC explained on November 12, 2021, when the United States voted No on the similar Anti-Nazi UN resolution :
The United States Supreme Court has consistently affirmed the constitutional right to freedom of speech and the rights of peaceful assembly and association, including by avowed Nazis, whose hatred and xenophobia are vile and widely scorned by the American people. We nevertheless firmly defend the constitutional rights of those who exercise their fundamental freedoms to combat intolerance and express strong opposition to the odious Nazi creed and others that espouse similar hatreds.
For these reasons, the United States has voted against each new version of this resolution since 2005 and is, again, compelled to vote “No” on this resolution, and calls on other States to do the same.
Fact #6 : Western Countries Do Not Want To Pay Reparations
The United States also objected to the resolution because it called for “former colonial powers” to provide reparations. That is arguably one of the reasons why so many Western nations voted against the resolution, or at least abstained against it.
We also reject the resolution’s call for “former colonial Powers” to provide reparations “consistent with” the DDPA.
Regardless of the harm colonialism has done in the past, reparations have nothing to do with eliminating racism today and in the future, does it?
Fact #7 : Western Countries Are Less Homogenous Than China
Since the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) appears to be pushing this narrative, I should point out that Western countries are much less homogenous than China.
Most Western countries have a mix of different races, with a significant number of foreign immigrants. Hence, incidents of racism can appear to be more common, simply because their societies are less homogenous than China’s.
According to the China National Bureau of Statistics, there were 2.77 million foreigners living in China at the end of 2019. That may sound like a lot, but that is less than 0.2% of its population of 1.4 billion!
China proudly declares that it has many ethnic groups, but some 91.5% of its native population are Han Chinese. The 55 ethnic minorities constitute a mere 8.5% of its population.
In other words – China is an extremely homogenous society, so there are very few opportunities for racism. It doesn’t mean the Chinese are not racist. It just means that they just don’t have enough engagement with other races to show their tolerance or intolerance to different looks, cultures and beliefs.
Fact #8 : Western Countries Are More Equitable Than China
I should also point out that Western countries are more open to foreign immigrants, with many of them ending up in positions of political and economic power.
The United States, for example, allow foreigners who become its citizens to run for public office, and many do:
Mazie Hirono from Japan : Lieutenant Governor, US Representative, and US Senator for Hawaii
Pramila Jayapal from India : US Representative for Washington, and Washington State Senator
Young Kim from South Korea : US Representative for California
Ted Liu from Taiwan : US Representative for California
Ilhan Omar from Somalia : US Representative for Minnesota
Victoria Spartz from Soviet Union : US Representative for Indiana
It is the same even in business, where many foreign immigrants were able to rise to the top of their industries:
Sundar Pichai from India : CEO of Google
Satya Nadella from India : CEO of Microsoft
Elon Musk from South Africa : CEO of SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter
Jensen Huang from Taiwan : CEO of NVIDIA
Dr. Lisa Su from Taiwan : CEO of AMD
Even though there are many examples of racism in the United States, it remains far more equitable than China, where foreign immigrants do not have the same opportunities as the native Chinese.
Try asking your local pro-CCP activist to name any foreign immigrant who has rose to prominence in politics or business in China, and watch as they gape in stunned silence.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a central committee that consists of 205 full members, and 171 alternate members. Everyone of those 376 central committee members are Chinese natives – there are no foreign immigrants or their children. Not even a token immigrant just for show.
When the CCP Central Committee and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) proudly released their list of top 100 outstanding private entrepreneurs in 2018 – they were all Chinese natives as well. No foreign immigrants or their children were in the list.
This is really nothing more than yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
All of the wumao articles that I looked at so far have proven to be false in most instances. So please watch out for such false claims. Here is just the latest dozen,.
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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 rising MMA star Victoria Lee die from vaccine SADS at just 18 years of age?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-09-27 : Updated with Victoria Lee’s true cause of death, and other new details Originally posted @ 2023-01-09
Claim : MMA prodigy Victoria Lee died from vaccine SADS!
Right after news broke that Victoria Lee died suddenly, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the 18 year-old rising MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) star was a victim of COVID-19 vaccine sudden adult death syndrome (SADS)!
Hawaiian MMA rising star and ONE Championship atomweight title holder, Victoria Lee has #DiedSuddendly at the age of 18. I’m sure the cause of death is not something safe and effective💉💉💉
#DiedUnexpectedly #suddenlydied #StoptheShotsNow #StoptheShots #mRNA #VaccineDeath
MMA fighter Victoria Lee dies suddenly at 18 – ??? Fake vaccine- gene therapy by #Fauci & the #CCP ?? Another crime against humanity??? Millions will die???
Victoria Lee, rising MMA star in ONE Championship, dead at 18 Another athlete. Too young 18 Too soon WHY? #SADS
Truth : Victoria Lee Did Not Die From Vaccine SADS!
It’s now a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all athlete deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Victoria Lee’s Cause Of Death Died On Boxing Day 2022
Victoria Lee (born Victoria Sun-hei Lee on May 17, 2004) was an American mixed martial artist, who was the youngest fighter to ever compete in ONE Championship.
She was the sister of MMA fighters Angela Lee and Christian Lee, and was the current ONE women’s atomweight champion, having successfully defended the title five times since she won it in 2016.
On Saturday, January 7, 2023, Angela Lee announced that her younger sister, Victoria Lee, died almost two weeks earlier – on Monday, December 26, 2022. Victoria Lee was only 18 years old when she died.
On December 26, 2022 our family experienced something no family should ever have to go through… It is incredibly difficult to say this… Our Victoria passed away.
She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then. We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.
A celebration of her life was held on January 22, 2023, before her burial at the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park.
While her sister, Angela, did not reveal how she died, she hinted in her Instagram post that Victoria committed suicide. She advised everyone to check on their loved ones, and “keep checking on them” and “tell them how much they mean“.
Please give our family grace and respect during this most difficult time. And please, check on your loved ones. Keep checking on them. Give them hugs and tell them how much they mean to you. You just never know.
While many people naturally understood that as a tacit admission by her sister that Victoria Lee died by suicide, many anti-vaccine activists promoted the idea she not only died from the vaccine, but the family was somehow covering it up.
Her family ended up permanently closed their gym – United MMA Hawaii, possibly to avoid the intense media and public interest over Victoria Lee’s sudden death.
Fact #3 : Victoria Lee Was Set To Defend Her Title
Victoria Lee was the reigning ONE women’s atomweight champion, but has not fought since September 21, 2021 when she defeated Brazilian MMA fighter Victoria Souza in Singapore.
She put MMA fights aside while she focus on graduating from high school, which she accomplished in May 2022.
Before her death, Victoria Lee was slated to defend her title against 24 year-old Zeba Bano from India, for the ONE on Prime Video 6 event in Bangkok on Saturday, January 14, 2023.
It is unknown whether this upcoming match was a catalyst for her suicide. Victoria Lee had a flawless record of 3-0, and had been working hard at the gym to get ready.
Her brother, Christian Lee, recently won the ONE Welterweight World Title on November 20, 2022; and was helping his sister train for the upcoming fight.
Fact #4 : Victoria Lee Was Likely Fully-Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Victoria Lee has never officially revealed her vaccination status, but she was likely fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 before September 21, 2021.
That is because Singapore at that time required all foreign travellers to be fully-vaccinated to enter the country. Therefore, Victoria Lee would have to receive her second dose at least two weeks before flying into Singapore for her September 21, 2021 match against Victoria Souza.
Fact #5 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days
While Victoria Lee was likely fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, it is impossible for the COVID-19 vaccine to cause her death as she would have received her doses at least 15 months ago!
She cannot possibly have died from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.
Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.
Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days.
The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.
Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.
Fact #6 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Often Proven False
This is yet another example of anti-vaccine activists abusing sudden deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
So far, most claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here are some examples:
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next athlete tragedy…
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Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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.
MMA fighter Angela Lee just confirmed that her sister, rising MMA star Victoria Lee, died from suicide, and not the COVID-19 vaccine!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Victoria Lee Died From Vaccine, Not Suicide!
Right after news broke that Victoria Lee died suddenly, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the 18 year-old rising MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) star was a victim of COVID-19 vaccine sudden adult death syndrome (SADS), and not suicide!
Died Suddenly : Victoria Lee, a rising phenom in mixed martial arts, has #diedsuddenly at the age of 18.
Her family is absolutely devastated. Stating: “She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then”
Her cause of death has not yet been released. 💉
Luther ‘Ćyrus’ : “ONE Championship fighters must be vaccinated to compete in Singapore; ruleset approved in multiple US states, says Chatri Sityodtong.” September 3, 2021.
MMA phenom Victoria Lee ‘dies suddenly’ at 18
I Told You So : Mixed martial arts phenom Victoria Lee has died suddenly at age 18, according to her family.
Lee suddenly died on Dec. 26, according to Angela Lee – who is also a talented MMA fighter.
Angela Lee : Victoria Lee Died From Suicide, Not Vaccine!
Victoria Lee (born Victoria Sun-hei Lee on May 17, 2004) was an American mixed martial artist, who was the youngest fighter to ever compete in ONE Championship.
She was the sister of MMA fighters Angela Lee and Christian Lee, and was the current ONE women’s atomweight champion, having successfully defended the title five times since she won it in 2016.
On Saturday, January 7, 2023, Angela Lee announced that her younger sister, Victoria Lee, died almost two weeks earlier – on Monday, December 26, 2022. Victoria Lee was only 18 years old when she died.
On December 26, 2022 our family experienced something no family should ever have to go through… It is incredibly difficult to say this… Our Victoria passed away.
She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then. We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.
While her sister, Angela, did not reveal how she died, she hinted in her Instagram post that Victoria committed suicide. She advised everyone to check on their loved ones, and “keep checking on them” and “tell them how much they mean“.
Please give our family grace and respect during this most difficult time. And please, check on your loved ones. Keep checking on them. Give them hugs and tell them how much they mean to you. You just never know.
While many people naturally understood that as a tacit admission by her sister that Victoria Lee died by suicide, many anti-vaccine activists promoted the idea she not only died from the vaccine, but the family was somehow covering it up.
Her family ended up permanently closed their gym – United MMA Hawaii, possibly to avoid the intense media and public interest over Victoria Lee’s sudden death.
Victoria Lee never officially revealed her vaccination status, but she was likely fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 before September 21, 2021.
That is because Singapore at that time required all foreign travellers to be fully-vaccinated to enter the country. Therefore, Victoria Lee would have to receive her second dose at least two weeks before flying into Singapore for her September 21, 2021 match against Victoria Souza.
However, it is impossible for the COVID-19 vaccine to cause her death as she would have received her doses at least 15 months ago! Vaccine side effects appear within hours or days, not months later. Yet, some people continue to chalk her death up to the COVID-19 vaccine, despite a complete lack of evidence.
Fortunately, Angela Lee finally nailed the stake into the heart of this vampiric claim!
In an emotional video, Angela Lee confirmed that her sister, Victoria Lee, committed suicide on December 26, 2022.
On December 26, 2022, my sister Victoria took her own life.
With that, I hope that everyone will finally lay off her grieving family, and let them have the peace they deserve.
There never was any evidence that Victoria Lee was killed by the COVID-19 vaccine. Stop abusing her death to drive your agenda.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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.
Truth : Arnold Schwarzenegger Did Not Die From Heart Attack!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death
These YouTube and TikTok videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported his death or heart attack!
Arnold Schwarzenegger is not only a Hollywood legend, he served as the 38th governor of California for 8 years! Everything he does, no matter how small, is covered in detail by the media and celebrity blogs.
When “the Governator” got fed up and fixed a neighbourhood pothole with his team, it even became international news! So if he actually suffered a heart attack, it would have been covered by legitimate news media.
Yet, no legitimate media outlet or even a celebrity blog reported that Arnold Schwarzenegger suffered a heart attack recently, much less died in a hospital. That’s because it never happened!
Fact #2 : Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Still Alive + Well!
Arnold Schwarzenegger (born Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger on 30 March, 1968) is very much still alive, as of Monday, 25 September 2023!
That was when he shared two posts on X (formerly known as Twitter), with comments like “Bryan, we are all rooting for you“, and “Fantastic work!“.
Just four days ago, Arnold even posted a video getting some exercise after his elbow surgery!
These and many other public posts appeared days and weeks after people started claiming that Arnold Schwarzenegger died from a heart attack!
The viral photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger clutching a red heart-shaped pillow while unconscious on a hospital bed is real, but it was taken from his 2020 heart surgery.
On April 16, 1997, Arnold Schwarzenegger underwent elective heart surgery to replace a defective, congenital aortic heart valve. He chose to get a tissue valve, as he felt that a mechanical valve might limit his capacity to exercise.
On March 30, 2018, Arnold Schwarzenegger had his pulmonary valve replaced at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
On Friday, 23 October 2023, Arnold Schwarzenegger underwent a third heart valve procedure at the Cleveland Clinic to replace his aortic valve. That was when the viral photo was taken.
That operation was successful of course, because Arnold is not only alive today, he posted a photo of himself with a thumbs-up on social media!
Thanks to the team at the Cleveland Clinic, I have a new aortic valve to go along with my new pulmonary valve from my last surgery.
I feel fantastic and have already been walking the streets of Cleveland enjoying your amazing statues. Thank you to every doc and nurse on my team.
Fact #4 : Arnold Schwarzenegger Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Arnold Schwarzenegger death hoax is, ironically, also being driven by a fake fact check article by the MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:
News of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the May 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in Total Recall or The Terminator is alive and well.
Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Sunday after a ‘R.I.P. Arnold Schwarzenegger’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American actor’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Sunday (September 24, 2023), our beloved actor Arnold Schwarzenegger passed away. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947 in Thal. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 76-year-old actor, politician, business man and bodybuilder was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stature would be major news across networks.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Arnold Schwarzenegger Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.
He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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 Mayo Clinic just admit that hydroxychloroquine may be used to treat COVID-19?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Mayo Clinic Admitted Hydroxychloroquine Can Treat COVID-19!
People are sharing a Mayo Clinic article, or screenshots of that Mayo Clinic article, claiming that it shows the Mayo Clinic quietly admitting that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) can be used to treat COVID-19 patients!
Peter Navarro : From Mayo Clinic website grudging admission of glaring truth: “Hydroxychloroquine may be used to treat coronavirus (COVID-19) in certain hospitalized patients.” For all you murderers at @CNN
@johnberman who spread lies about hydroxy, this one’s for u.
Truth : Mayo Clinic Did Not Admit Hydroxychloroquine Can Treat COVID-19!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS about COVID-19 treatments, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Mayo Clinic Posted This Back In 2020
First, I should address the claim that the Mayo Clinic “quietly” updated its website recently to say that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) can be used to treat COVID-19 patients.
The truth is the Mayo Clinic first mentioned hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for COVID-19 more than 3 years ago – on 22 May 2020, to be specific.
It was not a recent development, or even a quiet change. The last time Mayo Clinic appears to have changed its hydroxychloroquine article regarding COVID-19 was in June 2020!
Just because some people did not notice the changes until three years later in September 2023, does not mean the Mayo Clinic “quietly” admitted anything.
Fact #2 : Mayo Clinic Warned About Hydroxychloroquine
The Mayo Clinic article only stated that hydroxychloroquine “may also be used” to treat COVID-19 in “certainhospitalised patients“.
Hydroxychloroquine may also be used to treat coronavirus (COVID-19) in certainhospitalized patients.
More importantly, the next paragraph actually warned people against self-medicating with hydroxychloroquine, and said that it “should only be used for COVID-19 in a hospital or during clinical trials“.
The Mayo Clinic article also explicitly pointed out that hydroxychloroquine may increase the risk of developing heart rhythm problems.
Using this medicine alone or with other medicines (eg, azithromycin) may increase your risk of heart rhythm problems (eg, QT prolongation, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia). Hydroxychloroquine should only be used for COVID-19 in a hospital or during clinical trials. Do not take any medicine that contains hydroxychloroquine unless prescribed by your doctor.
Fact #3 : Mayo Clinic Article Changed According To Evidence
The Mayo Clinic article on hydroxychloroquine actually changed twice in 2020, as new evidence presented itself during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To make it easier for you to understand, here is the timeline of the Mayo Clinic updates on hydroxychloroquine, and some significant points in the use of HCQ to treat COVID-19:
18 March 2020 : The WHO announced that chloroquine and HCQ would be tested in the multinational Solidarity clinical trial for COVID-19 treatments using existing drugs.
19 March 2020 : US President Donald Trump encouraged the use of chloroquine and HCQ during a national press conference, causing a massive increase in demand for both drugs in the US.
28 March 2020 : US FDA authorised the use of chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate to treat COVID-19, under an Emergency Use Authorisation as an experimental treatment for emergency use in hospitalised patients.
8 April 2020 : The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) began the first clinical trial to assess whether hydroxychloroquine is safe and effective to treat COVID-19.
24 April 2020 : US FDA cautioned against using chloroquine / hydroxychloroquine outside of a hospital or clinical trial, after reports of adverse events including heart problems and deaths.
Between 8-22 May 2020 : Mayo Clinic first updated its hydroxychloroquine article to say that it “may be used” to treat COVID-19 patients in “certain hospitalised patients”
5 June 2020 : Hydroxychloroquine was discontinued in the UK RECOVERY Trial when a preliminary analysis of the data showed that it provided “no beneficial effect” in patients hospitalised with COVID-19.
Between 5-13 June 2020 : Mayo Clinic updated its HCQ article to warn about the risk of heart rhythm problems while taking hydroxychloroquine. It also warned that HCQ should only be used “in a hospital or during clinical trials“.
15 June 2020 : US FDA revoked the EUA for both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, while allowing clinical trials for both drugs to continue.
20 June 2020 : US NIH halted its clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine, after it showed that HCQ was “unlikely to be beneficial to hospitalised patients with COVID-19”.
4 July 2020 : WHO discontinued the hydroxychloroquine arm of the Solidarity Trial, after HCQ produced “little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalised COVID-19 patients“.
24 September 2023 : Mayo Clinic article from 13 June 2020 went viral on social media after former Trump advisor, Peter Navarro, posted it on X (formerly known as Twitter).
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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 football legend Lionel Messi just die suddenly in a high speed car accident?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-09-24 : Added video fact check and comparison!
Updated @ 2023-09-22 : Added new details Originally posted @ 2023-04-20
Claim : Lionel Messi Died Suddenly In High Speed Car Accident!
People are sharing TikTok and YouTube videos which claim that football legend Lionel Messi just died suddenly in a high-speed car accident, with photos of the tragic car crash!
LIONEL MESSI DIES IN UNBELIEVABLE CAR CRASH
Messi, Xavi and Christiano dead after car accident
INFO CHOC: Lionel Messi est décédé
SHOCK INFO: Lionel Messi has died
#fyp #soccer #messi #dead rest in peace legend👑⚽️🕊️
#Rip Messie Messie❤️ respect for Messie ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️⚽️🥅
Messie the best of the world ❤️🇦🇷❤️❤️#Messie
Truth : Lionel Messi Did NOT Die In High Speed Car Accident!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page / video views and advertising, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death
These social media posts, as well as YouTube and TikTok videos have been circulating for months now, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported on Lionel Messi’s death!
Lionel Messi is one of the world’s best footballer and a mega celebrity. His death would have been covered extensively by the media across the globe! And his fans would have mourned his death on social media.
Yet, no legitimate media outlet has reported that Lionel Messi died recently from any cause, never mind a tragic car accident. Why should you believe no-name websites, or random YouTube / TikTok videos?
Fact #2 : Lionel Messi Is Still Alive + Well!
Lionel Messi (born Lionel Andrés Messi on 24 June 1987) is still very much alive and well, as of Wednesday night, 20 September 2023, when he played for Inter Miami against Toronto FC at Fort Lauderdale in Florida. However, he was quickly taken off the field after he appeared to have a leg issue.
Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tara” Martino later said that Messi had “an old injury that had been bothering him”, and confirmed that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner would miss at least one more match.
Despite his old injury cropping up again, Lionel Messi is very much still alive, many weeks after those social media posts, YouTube and Facebook videos claimed that he died suddenly in a tragic car accident!
To convince you that Lionel Messi died (even though he’s still alive), the fake news creators had to make use of unrelated car crashes.
In this example, the video claimed that Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Cristiano Ronaldo, died in this car accident.
The truth is – that is a photo of a Ferrari 599 that crashed in October 2009, on the Great Ocean Road in southern Victoria, Australia. The driver was a 64 year-old man called Carlo Vaccari.
Mr. Vaccari lost control while driving his Ferrari 599 at 80 km/h and ploughed into two motorcyclists travelling in the opposite direction. He was convicted of careless driving, but only fined $3000.
Fact #4 : This Car Accident Photo Was Posted In 2014
It is unknown when this car accident happened, but this undated car accident photo was posted by WreckedExotics.com on August 13, 2014.
Apparently, the driver lost control of his Ferrari 458 Italia while trying to overtake another car, and crashed into a trash bin. The driver left the scene of the accident, possibly under the influence of drugs / alcohol.
Even though this incident happened in Madrid, Spain, this photo is old and has nothing to do with Lionel Messi.
This photo does not show Lionel Messi’s fatal car crash. This accident actually occurred at around 9 PM on 1 September 2012, at the E42 highway near Francorchamps in Belgium.
The driver was a 63 year-old man from Saint-Ghislain, and was obviously not Lionel Messi.
Fact #6 : Lionel Messi Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Lionel Messi death hoax is, ironically, just another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:
News of footballer Lionel Messi’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the April 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the 36-year-old footballer is alive and well.
Rumors of the footballer’s alleged demise gained traction on Tuesday after a ‘R.I.P. Lionel Messi’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the Argentine footballer’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday (September 20, 2023), our beloved footballer Lionel Messi passed away. Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 36-year-old footballer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Lionel Messi Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.
He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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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 Russian President Vladimir Putin threaten to release secret satellite evidence of US government’s involvement in the 9/11 attacks?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-09-21 : Added new information on the Pravda article, and the Russian satellite. Originally posted @ 2022-03-11
Claim : Putin Threatened To Release 9/11 Satellite Evidence!
People are sharing a long message which claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to release secret satellite evidence of US government involvement in the 9/11 attacks!
They appear to believe that Putin issued this threat in retaliation for US sanctions against Russia, and military assistance to Ukraine. It’s a long post, so please skip to the next section for the facts…
Putin is going to hit once, but he’s going to hit hard. Russia is preparing the release of evidence of the involvement of the US government and intelligence services in the September 11 attacks. The list of evidence includes satellite images.
Published material can prove the US government complicity in the 9/11 attacks and the successful manipulation of public opinion. The attack was planned by the US government, but exercised using her proxy, so that an attack on America and the people of the United States looked like an act of aggression by international terrorist organizations.
The motive for deception and murder its own citizens served US oil interests and the Middle East state corporations. The evidence will be so convincing that it utterly debunks the official 9/11 cover story supported by the US government.
Russia proves that America is no stranger to using false flag terrorism against its citizens in order to achieve a pretext for military intervention in a foreign country. In the case of “the September 11 attacks,” the evidence will be conclusive satellite imagery.
If successful, the consequences of Putin’s tactics would expose the US government’s secret terrorist policies. The government’s credibility will be undermined and should bring about mass protests in the cities leading to an uprising, according to American analysts..
And as the United States will look on the world political arena? The validity of America’s position as a leader in the fight against international terrorism will be totally undermined giving immediately advantage to rogue states and Islamic terrorists.
Truth : Putin Did Not Threaten To Release 9/11 Satellite Evidence!
This is yet another example of pro-Russia FAKE NEWS that are spamming social media, as well as WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Pravda Article Was Posted In February 2015
The Pravda article (translated archive | original Russian) was actually posted on 7 February 2015, and updated on 10 February 2015. This was specifically mentioned in the 2015 examples :
VT Editor’s note:Russian satellite evidence proving the controlled demolition of the World Trade Center using “special weapons” was reviewed by a VT editor while in Moscow.
The article below was forwarded to us for publication in the US and translated from Russian. It is 3 days old, published on February 7, 2015.
The fake news creators removed that section, to mislead you into thinking that this was a new threat by Putin in 2022 and 2023.
Fact #2 : No Evidence Putin Threatened To Release 9/11 Satellite Photos
Even though the viral post is based on a Pravda article, there never was any evidence that Vladimir Putin himself actually threatened to release satellite photos, or evidence of any 9/11 conspiracy.
The Pravda article itself did not make that claim. It only claimed that Russia is “preparing” to release evidence of the involvement of the US government and intelligence services in the 9/11 attacks.
Fact #3 : Russia Did Not Release Any Evidence Of 9/11 Conspiracy
If the Pravda article is true, then Russia is taking an extraordinarily long time to release evidence of a 9/11 conspiracy by the US government and intelligence services.
Despite preparing for over 8.5 years – since February 2015 – the Russian government has never released any evidence of any conspiracy by the US government in the September 11 attacks.
No satellite imagery… no photos… no documents… no evidence in any form or manner. Why not? Does it take that long to develop and digitise the photos from Russian satellites?
Fact #3 : Russian Satellites Were Terrible In 2001
It would also be quite a feat for Russia to provide “conclusive satellite imagery” as the Pravda article alleges, as Russian electro-optical satellites were not quite “state-of-the-art” in 2001, and that’s being generous.
At that time, they used the Yantar-4K2 (Cobalt / Kobalt) satellite – a slightly improved version of the Yantar-4KS1M (Neman / Неман) satellite, which had a resolution of just under a meter using the Zhemchug-18 camera.
These satellites have a limited lifespan of just 26 to 32 weeks, and used film which could be returned using two small canisters mid-mission, and a larger reentry module at the end.
Russia only had one in operation at that time – (Космос 2377) Cosmos 2377, which was launched on 29 May 2001, and dropped out of orbit on 10 October 2001.
Cosmos 2377 could plausibly have taken photos of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, but the images was likely only as good as the Maxar IKONOS commercial imaging satellite.
Note that the Kobalt satellite is different from the Kobalt-M (Yantar-4K2M) satellite, which features upgraded optics with reported image resolution of 30 cm (0.3m), and a modernised platform. The first Kobalt-M satellite was launched on 24 September 2004.
Fact #4 : There Are Many Satellite Images Of 9/11 Attack
There is no real need for the Russians to share their satellite photos, because there are many publicly-available satellite photos on the September 11 attacks.
The private satellite imaging company, Maxar, for example, shared this high-resolution photo of ground zero at the World Trade Center on 15 September, 2001.
Taken by IKONOS, which had a resolution of 0.82 to 1 metre, it gives you a good idea of the image quality and resolution that are already available for free to the public. So it begs the question – do the Russians really have better images than that?
Despite being extremely useful, imaging satellites not magical instruments. They have limitations in what they can and cannot do.
For example, they have to generally stay in a pre-determined orbit, and “fly through” an area – leaving large gaps during which there is no coverage.
They also cannot look inside or under solid objects – planes, buildings, trees; and their view can be obscured by smoke and clouds, unless they have multi-spectral ability.
You can see how the smoke obscures the picture in this Maxar image taken of the Manhattan financial district on September 11, 2001.
It is therefore highly improbable that any satellite image from way up high would have captured “incriminating evidence” of the US government’s involvement in the September 11 attacks.
In the past 22 years, the many conspiracy theories have all been repeatedly looked into and debunked.
We now know, with absolute certainty, that the September 11 attacks were conceived by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, approved by Osama bin Laden, and carried out by nineteen Al Qaeda terrorists.
There was no US government involvement in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Osama bin Laden himself claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks on several occasions. You don’t need a satellite to know that.
Now that you know the truth, please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check out!
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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.
Truth : Toby Keith Did Not Die Suddenly In A Hospital!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Toby Keith Is Still Alive
Toby Keith (born Toby Keith Covel on July 8, 1961) is still alive as of 17 September 2023. We know this because his official Instagram account announced that Toby Keith would be performing live at the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards on September 28, 2023!
Big news…Toby will be performing live at the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards in a few weeks! Tune in on 9/28 at 8/7c on @nbc or @peacock! #PCCAs
Obviously, that would not be the case if Toby Keith is already dead! In fact, it tells us that he is doing much better now!
Fact #2 : Toby Keith Is Fighting Stomach Cancer
Toby Keith announced in June 2022 that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer at the end of 2021. He said that he underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery in the past six months since that diagnosis.
Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last six months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.
In November 2022, Toby Keith told CMT Hot 20 Countdown’s Cody Alan, that he was thinking about getting back to “fightin’ shape” as the cancer treatment was “pretty debilitating”. However, he suggested that everything was looking good.
I’m thinking about getting back to fightin’ shape. I need a little bit of time to just rest up and heal up. It’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that, but as long as everything stays hunky-dory, then we’ll look at something good in the future.
On June 2, 2023, Toby Keith posted a rare photo of himself to raise awareness for the non-profit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. He looked noticeably thinner, but very much still alive.
Then on July 15, he posted a video singing at the back of his Uber ride, which had a karaoke machine! He looked much better in this video.
Fact #3 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death
These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported Toby Keith’s death.
Even though he has not released any new songs since 2017, Toby Keith remained one of America’s top country music star.
If Toby Keith really died from stomach cancer, or any other cause of death, the American press would have reported on it, if not the worldwide media.
No legitimate media outlet reported that Toby Keith died suddenly in a hospital from any cause. Only a bunch of small-time celebrity death blogs / small YouTube channels.
Fact #4 : Toby Keith Death Photos Were Edited
I analysed the photos used in these videos, and traced the origin of two examples used in many of these videos.
This photo used to show Toby Keith unconscious and intubated in a hospital bed is actually a photo of Pittsburgh radio DJ, Sean McDowell, who retired from the WDVE station in May 2019.
In August 6, 2019, he posted these photos on Twitter, revealing that a year ago – on August 6, 2018, he had an operation to fix his heart’s mitral valve.
Exactly 1 year ago today, St. Clair Hospital, Dr. Scott Halbreiner sawed thru my sternum, opened my rib cage, fixed my heart (mitral valve) & then wired me shut! Biggest Thanks Ever to Dr. Halbreiner, Dr. Dave Burkey & the nurses in the CVSU! Because of you guys, I’m still here!
This photo of an intubated man lying in a hospital bed is actually a stock photo with a photo ID of 1745351552 on Shutterstock. It was taken on May 20, 2020, with the following description.
DUQUE DE CAXIAS,(BRAZIL),MAY,20,2020: doctors take care of patients with covid-19 and an intensive care unit (ICU) at hospital são josé specialized in the treatment of covid-19
Fact #5 : Toby Keith Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Toby Keith death hoax, ironically, is also being driven by another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project.
News of singer Toby Keith’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the September 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the singer best known for hit songs like Red Solo Cup, I Love This Bar or Should’ve Been a Cowboy is alive and well.
Rumors of the singer’s alleged demise gained traction on Thursday after a ‘R.I.P. Toby Keith’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American singer’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday (September 19, 2023), our beloved singer Toby Keith passed away. Toby Keith was born on July 8, 1961 in Clinton. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 62-year-old singer and songwriter was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Toby Keith Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.
He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please 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.
Did Patriots fan Dale Mooney die suddenly from the COVID-19 vaccine during a game with the Miami Dolphins?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Patriots Fan Dale Mooney Died Suddenly From Vaccine!
Right after news broke that a Patriots fan called Dale Mooney died suddenly during a game with the Miami Dolphins, some people immediately claimed or suggested that the he died from the COVID-19 vaccine!
Died Suddenly : A 53-year-old man tragically #diedsuddenly while attending the Patriots’ home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday … after experiencing what officials are calling an “apparent medical event.”
It’s almost like we can’t go a day with out a sudden death amongst large gatherings of people.
JK John Kage : Um homem 53 anos tragicamente ☠️eqto assistia ao jogo dos Patriots x Miami Dolphins no domingo,depois de experimentar o q as autoridades estão chamando de “aparente evento médico”. É quase como se não pudéssemos passar 1 dia sem uma☠️súbita entre grandes aglomerações de pessoas.
A 53-year-old man was tragically ☠️ watching the Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game on Sunday after experiencing what authorities are calling an “apparent medical event.” It’s almost as if we couldn’t go a day without a sudden ☠️ between large crowds of people.
Truth : Patriots Fan Dale Mooney Did Not Die From COVID-19 Vaccine!
It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to blame all sudden deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Here are the reasons why this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists…
Fact #1 : Dale Mooney Died After Being Punched
On Sunday night, 17 September 2023, 53 year-old Dale Mooney, was watching the game between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins at the Gillette Stadium, when there was bickering between two sections of the 300 tier.
His friends who were watching the game with him said that a group of Dolphins fans “verbally taunted” Dale Mooney, who was standing at the aisle. He suddenly pushed his way into the other section to tussle with the group.
Some people tried to break up the altercation while others tried to get away. Mooney’s Patriots hat fell off just before he was punched twice in the face by a Dolphins fan. He then collapsed to the ground, and never got back up.
Police and fire personnel responded quickly to the scene at around 10:57 PM, and performed CPR on him for 10-15 minutes but could not revive him. Dale Mooney was taken to the Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, where he was pronounced dead.
One witness at the scene, Joseph Kilmartin, said that Dale Mooney fell unconscious after getting punched twice in his face.
They started tussling around for a few minutes. At one point another Dolphins fan walked over. He punched him three times, and the man just went out. It was pretty hard to watch.
Mooney’s widow, who was not at the game, later claimed that he was punched to death after being taunted by Dolphins fans. An eyewitness claimed that Dale Mooney and the Dolphins fan who punched him had been arguing for much of the game.
Obviously, the COVID-19 vaccine has no bearing on Dale Mooney’s death, as he only collapsed after being punched three time, with two hits right in his face.
Fact #2 : Dale Mooney Will Undergo An Autopsy
Norfolk County DA’s office has opened an investigation following “normal protocol”, with an autopsy due to take place in coming days.
A man in his 30s, who was described as having a salt and pepper beard was led away by the police. However, no arrest has been made over this incident, and no changes have been filed so far.
Until and unless the autopsy report reveals that the COVID-19 vaccines somehow caused his death, anyone who claims that Dale Mooney died suddenly from the COVID-19 vaccines is likely lying to you.
Until and unless his family reveals his COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who tells you that Dale Mooney was vaccinated or otherwise, is likely lying to you. None of us know that.
Fact #4 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Often Proven False
Most claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next death or tragedy…
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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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 US government steal $50 trillion worth of gold and oil from Iraq?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-09-19 : Refreshed with updated info Originally published @ 2022-04-12
Claim : US Gov Stole $50 Trillion Of Gold + Oil From Iraq!
People are sharing photos of US soldiers posing with gold bars, as evidence that the United States sold gold and oil from Iraq worth tens of trillions of dollars!
These photos was revived on the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and then on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as part of the information warfare surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is also being shared and promoted on pro-CCP and pro-Russia groups on social media, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
Here the US thieves in Iraq. Bringing democracy aka stealing a country’s gold. Same thing they want to do in Russia. But Russia is no Iraq or Libya.
The #US ransacked and plundered the whole of #Iraq. Banks, museums, all of their gold reserves. The US is the biggest gang of thiefs in the whole history. They have raped most of the planet in the last 50 years. #Ukraine #UkraineRussianWar #UkraineRussiaWar #Russia #Putin #NATO
🇺🇸 “liberates” gold & oil while 🇷🇺 liberates humans.
#Denaƶification & #Demilitarization of #UkroNaƶiLand
Truth : US Gov Did Not Steal Gold + Oil From Iraq At All!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and/or propagated to deflect criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : US Did Not Steal $30 Trillion Of Iraqi Oil
Claims that the US stole $30 trillion worth of oil from Iraq are false. The United States did lose track of 8.7 billion dollars worth of Iraqi funds though.
After the invasion of Iraq concluded, Iraqi oil was sold to help fund the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI). Other sources of funds include surplus funds (about USD 10 billion) from the UN Oil-For-Food Program, and the sale of seized Iraqi assets.
The United States did not truck away Iraqi oil, as claimed. In July 2010, the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) discovered that the US Department of Defense could not account properly for USD 8.7 billion of DFI funds.
This led the Iraqi Parliament to request the United Nation’s help in demanding that the US return $17 billion of “oil money” that it said was stolen from the Iraqi people :
All the indications are that the institutions of the United States of America committed financial corruption by stealing the money of the Iraqi people, which was allocated to develop Iraq, (and) that it was about $17 billion.
… Our committee decided to send this issue to you … to look into it and restore the stolen money.
Stealing $30 trillion worth of oil would require 1.7 billion oil trucks, or 46,000 of these trucks every day for 100 years!
Fact #2 : US Spent $60 Billion To Reconstruct Iraq
There is no evidence that the unaccounted money was repatriated to the United States, or officially taken by the United States.
Even assuming that it was not poor accounting and all of the $8.7 billion was truly stolen, that is a far cry (0.029%) from the $30 trillion that was “allegedly” stolen.
It is also rendered ludicrous by the fact that the United States spent US$60 billion in the reconstruction of Iraq – almost 7X of what it allegedly stole.
Also consider the fact that Iraqi oil production only reached 4.4 million barrels per day in 2016. Assuming an average sale price of USD 60 per barrel, it would take them 311 years to sell enough oil to make $30 trillion.
Fact #3 : US Did Not Steal $20 Trillion Of Iraqi Gold
The United States also did not steal gold from Iraq, certainly not $20 trillion worth of gold!
All those photos of US soldiers with Iraqi gold bars are genuine, but they only show them taking photos with the gold they seized in Iraq.
The Iraqi gold bars (as well as currency and other valuables) that US soldiers seized were transported to the US Army’s headquarters in Kuwait.
There, they were examined by the Secret Service and/or the US Department of Treasury to determine their authenticity and value, before being returned to the Central Iraqi Treasury or the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI).
This is a picture of Lt. Col. Scott Schmidt, who was in charge of the 230th Finance Battalion. The battalion’s job was to seize Iraqi assets like currency, gold bars and other valuables.
Fact #4 : The Entire World Does Not Have So Much Gold!
In 2003, Iraq had under 6 tonnes of gold reserves, worth less than $70 million. So how can the United States possibly steal 20 trillion dollars worth of gold from Iraq? $20 trillion worth of gold would weigh at least 1,714,285 tonnes in 2003.
Guess how much gold mankind has ever mined in history? Only 208,874 tonnes as of February 2023 – which is just 12% of what people are claiming that the United States stole from Iraq.
As of January 2023, the value of all the gold in the world is only USD 13 trillion – less than 2/3 of what the conspiracy theory claims the United States stole from Iraq… and that’s only because gold prices have gone up tremendously since 2003.
Even with the much higher gold price, it would take an additional 90 years of mining gold before the entire world has $20 trillion worth of gold for the US government to steal.
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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 US Senator Al Franken get a Jew call, warning of the 9/11 attacks before they happened?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : A Jew Call Warned Al Franken About 9/11 Attacks!
Conspiracy theorists keep claiming that former US Senator Al Franken received advance warning of the 9/11 attacks through “Jew call”.
Apparently, Al Franken himself claimed that a “Jew call” helped him escape getting killed when the Twin Towers collapsed, or was “demolished” by the Zionists.
One of the widely disseminated stories was that no Jews died in the collapse of the Trade Towers because they had received calls telling them not to go to work that day.
To tell you the truth, I got the Jew call. I had an office in the Trade Center where I used to do most of my writing. The call came from former New York mayor Ed Koch.
“Al,” he told me, “don’t go to work on the twenty-third day of Elul [September 11, 2001].
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them was a satirical piece on American politics, targeting Republicans and conservative personalities and media. Its subtitle “A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right” was actually a parody of the Fox News tagline – “Fair and Balanced“.
Fact #2 : Al Franken Writes A Lot Of Satire
Al Franken was not just a US Senator, he is also an American comedian, actor and writer. In fact, he was a regular writer and performer on Saturday Night Live in the 70s and 80s!
Fact #3 : Al Franken Was Satirising Jew Call Claims
Conspiracy theorists keep insisting that it was not clear that what Al Franken wrote was just satire. They keep telling everyone to “read between the lines“.
The truth is – anyone who even reads the book can clearly see that Al Franken never actually said he got a Jew call that gave him advance warning of the 9/11 attacks.
The conspiracy theorists merely cherry picked the part they wanted, and “conveniently” removed the rest. Take a look:
One of the widely disseminated stories was that no Jews died in the collapse of the Trade Towers because they had received calls telling them not to go to work that day.
To tell you the truth, I got the Jew call. I had an office in the Trade Center where I used to do most of my writing. The call came from former New York mayor Ed Koch.
“Al,” he told me, “don’t go to work on the twenty-third day of Elul [September 11, 2001].
Actually, I watched the events of that awful day from Minneapolis, where I was visiting my mom. Mom’s in a nursing home, so I was staying at a hotel.
That morning, as I grabbed some coffee, I noticed people huddled around the TV. A plane had hit the World Trade Center. Must have been a commuter plane. Maybe the pilot had a heart attack or something.
Then the second plane hit. It was sickening. Then came the Pentagon. We were under attack.
Somehow, I got through to my wife in Manhattan. She was fine at home on the Upper West Side about 5 miles north of the (World) Trade Center. My son was at school on the Upper East Side, my daughter away at college.
As I watched the first Tower collapse, I was stunned. But I still couldn’t register the magnitude of what was happening, even as the second one went down.
I spent the rest of the day at the nursing home watching TV with my mom.
As you can see, Al Franken was not even in New York at that time. He certainly did not receive any “Jew call”.
In fact, he was satirising the conspiracy theory that Jews did not die in the 9/11 attacks because they received a “Jew call” – an alert not to go to the Twin Towers.
Did these conspiracy theorists and bloggers lie about what Al Franken said in his book? Or were they blind to what he wrote?
Conspiracy theorists claim that no Jew died in the 9/11 attacks because they received the “Jew call” to avoid the Twin Towers on the 23rd of Elul (September 11, 2001).
However, at least 400 victims of the 9/11 attacks were either “confirmed or strongly believed to be Jewish“, according to The New York Times.
On the other hand, only 28 Muslims died in the Twin Towers, and another 3 Muslims were passengers on the two planes. If there was a conspiracy, you would expect the Zionists to do a much better job of protecting their kind, no?
Fact #5 : Al Franken Did Not Have Any WTC Office
Finally, I should point out that Al Franken did NOT have an office in any of the World Trade Center buildings.
So even if there was a Zionist conspiracy to demolish the Twin Towers and blame it on “the innocent Muslims”, there was no need for anyone to give him a “Jew call”.
He wouldn’t have gone to the World Trade Center on that September 11, 2001, or any other day for the matter, because he never had an office there!
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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.
Former Florida surgeon general Dr. Scott Rivkees and the CDC just publicly slammed the state’s advice against getting the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine!
Find out what he said, and what’s going on!
Florida Recommends Against 2023 Updated COVID-19 Vaccines!
Just one day after the CDC recommended that everyone 6 months and older should get the new 2023 updated COVID-19 vaccines, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued a statement recommending against people under 65 getting the updated vaccine.
In his statement, Ladapo claimed that getting the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines make it easier for people to get infected, while running risk of getting cardiac problems. Instead of getting the new COVID-19 vaccines, Ladapo recommends staying physically active outdoors, and eating more vegetables…
As the federal government makes new boosters for COVID-19 available, the Florida Department of Health (Department) reminds health care providers of their obligation to remain up to date with the current literature related to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
A new mRNA COVID-19 booster was approved on September 11, 2023, by the federal government. While the initial mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) utilizing human clinical trial data, the most recent booster approval was granted in the absence of any meaningful booster-specific clinical trial data performed in humans. In both cases the federal government has failed to provide sufficient data to support the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Health care providers are expected to include the information in this guidance in discussions with patients regarding the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
Based on the high rate of global immunity and currently available data, the State Surgeon General recommends against the COVID-19 booster for individuals under 65. Individuals 65 and older should discuss this information with their health care provider, including potential concerns outlined in this guidance.
Providers and patients should be aware of outstanding safety and efficacy concerns:
Throughout the pandemic, studies across geographic regions have found that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are associated with negative effectiveness after 4 to 6 months. As efficacy waned, studies showed that COVID-19 vaccinated individuals developed an increased risk for infection. This is not found in other vaccines, including the flu vaccine.
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines present a risk of subclinical and clinical myocarditis and other cardiovascular conditions among otherwise healthy individuals. There is unknown risk of potential adverse impacts with each additional dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine; currently individuals may have received five to seven doses (and counting) of this vaccine over a 3-year period.
Elevated levels of spike protein from the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine persist among some individuals for an indefinite period of time, which may carry health risks.
Improving habits and overall health help manage and reduce the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The State Surgeon General and the Department continue to encourage Floridians to prioritize their overall health by:
Staying physically active,
Minimizing processed foods,
Maximizing vegetables and healthy fats, and
Spending time outside to support necessary vitamin D levels.
Former Surgeon General Slams Florida Vaccine Advice!
Former Florida surgeon general Dr. Scott Rivkees just publicly slammed the DeSantis administration and Dr. Joseph Ladapo for advising people against getting the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Scott Rivkees preceded Dr. Joseph Ladapo as the state surgeon general, resigning in September 2021 after being shunned by Ron DeSantis for encouraging COVID-19 precautions when the Florida governor wanted virtually no preventive measures.
When the current Florida surgeon general issued that advice against getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine, he spoke up against it to USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida.
Dr. Rivkees, who is a pediatrician and now a professor at the Brown University School of Public Health, pointed out that the COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be “very safe” and “very effective”.
Rates of COVID vaccination are lower in Florida than they had been. I think the cumulative effect of this anti-vaccine messaging is being felt.
COVID is a vaccine preventable disease. These vaccines are very safe and very effective.
The CDC also publicly criticised both Florida governor Ron DeSantis and his surgeon general Joseph Ladapo for advising against getting the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccine, with CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen calling their comments “dangerous“.
Vaccination against COVID-19 remains the safest protection for avoiding hospitalizations, long-term health challenges, and death.
As we head into the fall and winter seasons, it is important that Americans get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. They are proven safe; they are effective, and they have been thoroughly and independently reviewed by the FDA and CDC.
Public health experts are in broad agreement about these facts, and efforts to undercut vaccine uptake are unfounded and dangerous.
The US FDA has also stated publicly that the new 2023 COVID-19 vaccines have been thoroughly reviewed and tested for safety:
The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.
We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated.
– Peter Marks, Director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
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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.
Should you listen to Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo who claimed that the 2023 COVID-19 vaccines have “a lot of red flags”?!
Find out what he said, and what the facts really are!
Claim : 2023 COVID-19 Vaccines Have “A Lot Of Red Flags”
Days before the FDA approved the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines that the CDC later recommended for everyone 6 years and older, Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo went on a rant.
During a “Mandate Freedom” press conference with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on September 7, 2023, Ladapo criticised the 2023 COVID-19 vaccines, claiming that there are “a lot of red flags”.
There’s a new vaccine that’s coming around the corner, a new mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and there’s essentially no evidence for it.
There’s been no clinical trial done in human beings showing that it benefits people. There’s been no clinical trial showing that it is a safe product for people — and not only that, but then there are a lot of red flags.
So something that you don’t hear much about, but we’ll be talking more about is that there are multiple studies now from around the world – Brazil, I think Australia, United States, that show that over time, these vaccines, these mRNA COVID-19 products actually increase your chances of contracting COVID-19.
That’s not normal, and unfortunately, you are going to have people who are going to get on television and try to explain why you should be comfortable with that, you should be comfortable with taking a product that ultimately, like its predecessors, increases your chance of contracting something.
No Evidence 2023 COVID-19 Vaccines Have “A Lot Of Red Flags”
Let’s take a look at the claims Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made at the “Mandate Freedom” press conference, and see what the facts really are…
Fact #1 : Joseph Ladapo Was Appointed By Ron DeSantis
First, I think it is important to note that most US states do not have a surgeon general. State surgeon generals are a recent “invention”, with only five states creating this position:
Pennsylvania : 1996
Michigan : 2003
Arkansas and Florida : 2007
California : 2019
Even so, Michigan has not filled its Surgeon General post since 2010. All other US states and territories do not their own state surgeon generals, and rely on the US Surgeon General, who is currently Vivek Murthy.
Joseph Abiodun Ladapo was appointed to the post of Florida Surgeon General by Florida governor Ron DeSantis on September 21, 2021, following his op-eds promoting unproven COVID-19 treatments like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, questioning the safety of vaccines, and opposing lockdowns and mask mandates.
At that time, he claimed that these opinions were based on his “experience in treating COVID-19 patients at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). However, UCLA staff roster do not show him treating any COVID-19 patients. Several of his colleagues also stated that Ladapo had never treated any COVID-19 patient.
Fact #2 : Ladapo’s Advice Are Often Controversial
After he was appointed as Florida Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo’s first move was to repeal quarantine requirements for schoolchildren exposed to COVID-19.
He also recommended that children in Florida should not be vaccinated against COVID-19, making Florida the first state to contradict COVID-19 vaccine guidelines by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Ladapo also suggested that men aged 18 to 39 should not be vaccinated, claiming high cases of cardiac-related deaths for those who took the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines – a claim that was rejected by many medical professionals.
In a sign that his views were possibly disgraceful, the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine removed Ladapo’s name and biography from its websites.
In January 2023, the Faculty Council of the University of Florida College of Medicine said that Ladapo’s recommendation was based on “careless and contentious research practice” and might have violated the university policies on research integrity.
On March 10, 2023, the CDC and the FDA publicly rebuked Joseph Ladapo (PDF download) for claiming that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines cause widespread adverse events.
Fact #3 : Ladapo Comments Were Made Before Vaccine Approval
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made those comments on 7 September – four days before the US FDA approved the updated 2023 vaccines, and five days before the CDC recommended their use in people 6 months and older.
So how did Ladapo know that these updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines have “a lot of red flags” days before the FDA and the CDC announced their findings?
Fact #4 : Ladapo Did Not Offer Any Evidence
Even more troubling – Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo did not offer any evidence to back up his claim that the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines have “a lot of red flags”.
What exactly are those red flags? He didn’t say.
Fact #5 : Ladapo Asked People To “Feel” Instead
Instead of providing evidence that the updated 2023 COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo asked people to “feel” instead.
Listen inside to what makes sense, what feels right, you know, what feels like truth. What has that feeling, and that resonance of truth. That clarity of truth, like we all know it when we feel it inside.
Ladapo also explained that some people are more able to “feel” the truth, because they are more advanced in their “spiritual journeys”.
Some of us know it more readily than others, and it’s because we are all in different points in our spiritual journeys”.
To be clear – that’s not what they teach in medical school. Doctors are not taught to “feel” what is right, or what is wrong, for their patients.
Doctors are trained to examine patients, and use a variety of investigative tools like x-ray, ECG, MRI, ultrasound, etc. to come to a diagnosis. Then they prescribe a treatment based on the research conducted by other doctors and scientists.
Whether they are religious (or spiritual) or not, should not be a factor in the diagnosis or treatment of any patient.
The truth is – COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective. And we know this because not only have they passed large Phase 3 clinical trials, billions of doses have been administered worldwide in the past 2.5 years.
Thanks to the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines in preventing hospitalisation and death from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, hospitals are no longer filled with people gasping for breath. In fact, the world has successfully reopened, thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccines do not make it easier for people to get infected. It only appears that way because many people are now vaccinated. If 90% of the world is vaccinated, then it is only natural that 90% of infected people have been vaccinated.
I should also point out that the COVID-19 vaccines were designed to prevent death and severe disease. They are not force fields that block you from being infected, so fully-vaccinated people will still get infected.
However, because the COVID-19 vaccines have trained your own immune system to fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, you are more likely to suffer a mild disease, or even remain asymptomatic.
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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.
The FDA just approved two new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines, which the CDC is now recommending for everyone 6 months and older!
Here is what you need to know about these new COVID-19 vaccines for 2023-2024!
FDA Approves Two 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines!
On September 11, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for 2023-2024.
In tandem, the US FDA also removed authorisation for the previous Pfizer and Moderna Bivalent vaccine in the United States.
FDA Takes Action on Updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines to Better Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action approving and authorizing for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants and to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.
Today’s actions relate to updated mRNA vaccines for 2023-2024 manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc. Consistent with the totality of the evidence and input from the FDA’s expert advisors, these vaccines have been updated to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant XBB.1.5.
Individuals 5 years of age and older regardless of previous vaccination are eligible to receive a single dose of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months since the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to receive one or two doses of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).
Unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to receive three doses of the updated authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or two doses of the updated authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
The FDA is confident in the safety and effectiveness of these updated vaccines and the agency’s benefit-risk assessment demonstrates that the benefits of these vaccines for individuals 6 months of age and older outweigh their risks.
Individuals who receive an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may experience similar side effects as those reported by individuals who previously received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines as described in the respective prescribing information or fact sheets.
The updated vaccines are expected to provide good protection against COVID-19 from the currently circulating variants. Barring the emergence of a markedly more virulent variant, the FDA anticipates that the composition of COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated annually, as is done for the seasonal influenza vaccine.
You may not notice but the FDA is not calling these vaccines a “booster dose”. Instead, both vaccines are considered as “updated vaccines” that will better target the currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 virus variants.
Both 2023-2024 updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are based on the same mRNA vaccine technology as their original and bivalent vaccines. But the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines no longer targets the original, ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Instead, they both target the XBB.1.5 variant, which was dominant when these vaccines were developed. Even though the XBB.1.5 variant is no longer the dominant variant, the FDA has determined that it is similar enough to most prevailing variants to offer good cross-protection.
As before, these updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines are designed to prevent death and severe disease, and not avoid mild disease or symptomatic infections.
The FDA is still reviewing a third updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine does not use mRNA, and is based on a synthetic spike protein with an adjuvant instead.
On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially recommended that everyone 6 months and older get the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines that were just approved by the US FDA.
CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall/Winter Virus Season
CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter. Updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna will be available later this week.
Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore protection and provide enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States.
Last season, those who received a 2022-2023 COVID-19 vaccine saw greater protection against illness and hospitalization than those who did not receive a 2022-2023 vaccine. To date, hundreds of millions of people have safely received a COVID-19 vaccine under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
This recommendation came after the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was presented with new data which showed that the highest rates of hospitalisation and deaths from COVID-19 were for the very old – adults over 75, and the very young – infants younger than 6 months.
CDC Recommendations For 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines
CDC just released its recommendations for who should get the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines:
Everyone 6 Years And Older
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 years and older should get one dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, regardless of whether they received any original COVID-19 vaccine in the past or not.
People 65 Years And Older
People who are 65 years and older may get one additional dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, four or more months after receiving the first dose.
Immunocompromised People
People who are moderately or severely-immunocompromised may get one additional dose of the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, two or more months after receiving the first dose.
Unvaccinated Children 6 Months To 4 Years (Pfizer)
The CDC is recommending three doses of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines:
First dose of the 2023-2024 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
Second dose : 3-8 weeks after first dose
Third dose : at least 8 weeks after second dose
Vaccinated Children 6 Months To 4 Years (Pfizer)
The CDC is recommending that children who received the original Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine should receive these updated doses:
3 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose
2 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose
1 dose of the original vaccine : get two updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses
2 doses of the original vaccine + bivalent booster : no need for updated vaccine
Unvaccinated 5 Year Old Children (Pfizer)
The CDC is recommending that unvaccinated 5 year-old children should receive one dose of the updated 2023-2024 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccinated 5 Year Old Children (Pfizer)
The CDC is recommending that 5 year-old children who received the original Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine should receive one dose of the updated vaccine:
1 or more doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose
Unvaccinated Children 6 Months To 5 Years (Moderna)
The CDC is recommending two doses of the updated Moderna 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines:
First dose of the 2023-2024 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
Second dose : 4-8 weeks after first dose
Vaccinated Children 6 Months To 5 Years (Moderna)
The CDC is recommending that children who received the original Moderna COVID-19 vaccine should receive these updated doses:
2 doses of the original vaccine : get one updated Moderna vaccine dose
1 dose of the original vaccine : get two updated Moderna vaccine doses
2 doses of the original vaccine + bivalent booster : no need for updated vaccine
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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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.
Ebola outbreak confirmed at Black Rock City, NV. It is recommended that all Burning Man attendees remain in their dwellings until further notice. Current State of Emergency in progress. Learn more: bit.ly/NjMkIRjjH
We are getting reports that there has been a confirmed Ebola Outbreak on the ground at The Burning Man Festival in Nevada.
Attendees have been told to shelter in place allegedly due to all of the flooding, and one attendee has been pronounced dead without a cause of death given.
TrueAnon : How I found out about it. Staying put for now, but reallllllly freaked out
“Yo just figured you should hear from me first. Darrel is crazy sick with something that has him coughing up really coagulated blood. Medic showed up wearing a full suit. No idea where he is now. I would stay inside your camper.”
Truth : There Is No Ebola Outbreak At Burning Man 2023!
This appears to be another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Burning Man Closed To Traffic
First, let me just give you a quick summary of what’s going on at the Burning Man 2023 festival.
The 2023 Burning Man festival started on Sunday, August 27, 2023. However, it was suddenly hit by heavy rainfall on Friday, September 1. Several months of rainfall inundated the area that day.
The heavy rainfall flooded the playa and turned the ground into ankle-deep mud. It quickly became impossible to drive any vehicles on the muck. Even worse – it continued to rain and drizzle over the next few days.
As a result, the organisers closed all roads leading into and out of the Burning Man area, and told attendees to conserve food, water and fuel.
The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted until further notice.
No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles. If you are in [Black Rock City], conserve food and water, and shelter in a warm space.
More updates to come. Stay safe!
Fact #2 : There Was No Quarantine At Burning Man
Even though the roads in and out of Burning Man were closed, and people were told to shelter in place, there never was a quarantine. That’s because there is no outbreak of any disease, Ebola or otherwise.
People who wanted to leave the Burning Man festival could still do so. They just had to hike their way through the thick mud.
While some 72,000 people remained on site, quite a number of people hiked their way out. DJ Diplo and Chris Rock, for example, managed to hitchhike a ride on the back of a pickup truck after hiking out.
Just walked five miles in the mud out of Burning Man with Chris Rock and a fan picked us up.
If there really was an Ebola outbreak at Burning Man, there would have been a strict quarantine, and no one would have been allowed to simply walk out of the area.
People at the Black Rock Desert site also would not be allowed to socialise. Yet, people there continue to gather and socialise.
Fact #3 : Burning Man Organisers Dismissed Ebola Claims
On Sunday, 3 September 2023, the Burning Man organisers issued a press release dismissing the rumours of an Ebola outbreak:
The online rumors of transmissible illnesses in Black Rock City are unfounded and untrue.
Fact #4 : Bureau of Land Management Dismissed Ebola Claims
The Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the Black Rock Desert site, also issued a statement, dismissing the rumours of an Ebola outbreak at Burning Man 2023.
[We] can confirm the event entrance was closed for the year because unusual rainfall caused muddy conditions where there was a full stop on vehicles, and not for an Ebola outbreak. We have heard no information of any participants with Ebola.
Fact #5 : Burning Man Death Still Under Investigation
The claims of an Ebola outbreak at Burning Man 2023 was also partly fuelled by reports that a man died there.
On Friday, 1 September 2023, a man died at the Burning Man festival, which was confirmed by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office the next day.
On Sunday, 3 September, Burning Man confirmed confirmed the death in a press release, stating that the cause was “unrelated to the weather”.
Our emergency services department reached a call for service extremely quickly for a male, approximately 40 years old, and could not resuscitate the patient.
The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the death, and has not announced the man’s cause of death. However, that does not mean that it was Ebola. Obviously, if it was Ebola, the area would have been placed under strict quarantine!
Fact #6 : Burning Man Attendees May Get To Leave By Today
Burning Man attendees who were caught knee-deep in the mud may get to leave by today – Monday, 4 September 2023.
The organisers earlier said that “the roads in Black Rock City remain too wet and muddy to officially open them for Exodus on Sunday 9/3.”
They now say that they “expect to start Exodus on Monday morning 9/4 as long as the conditions improve“.
Obviously, this is only possible because there is no Ebola outbreak, and the ground is drying up enough to support the movement of vehicles!
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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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 FDA and CDC hide data that show the COVID-19 vaccines failing as early as January 2021?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : FDA + CDC Hid Data On Failing COVID-19 Vaccines!
People are sharing an article by The Epoch Times which claim or suggest that FDA and/or CDC hid data that show the COVID-19 vaccines failing as early as January 2021!
Here is an excerpt of The Epoch Times article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts:
FDA, CDC Hid Data on Spike in COVID Cases Among the Vaccinated: Documents
COVID-19 cases among vaccinated seniors soared in 2021, according to newly disclosed data that was acquired by U.S. health agencies but not presented to the public.
Humetrix Cloud Services was contracted by the U.S. military to analyze vaccine data. The company performed a fresh analysis as authorities considered in 2021 whether COVID-19 vaccine boosters were necessary amid studies finding waning vaccine effectiveness.
Humetrix researchers found that the proportion of total COVID-19 cases among the seniors was increasingly comprised of vaccinated people, according to the newly disclosed documents.
For the week ending on July 31, 2021, post-vaccination COVID-19 cases represented 73 percent of the cases among people 65 and older, the company found. The elderly were 80 percent fully vaccinated at the time.
Breakthrough infection rates were higher among those who were vaccinated early, the researchers found. They estimated that the rates were twice as high in those who had been vaccinated five to six months prior, when compared to people vaccinated three to four months before.
The breakthrough cases started in January 2021, according to the data. Protection against hospitalization was also fading, researchers discovered.
In the week ending on July 31, 2021, 63 percent of the COVID-19 hospitalizations in seniors were among the fully vaccinated, according to the documents. The same pattern of weaker protection among people who were vaccinated early was found.
Researchers calculated that the vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection was just 33 percent while the effectiveness against hospitalization had dropped to 57 percent.
Seniors who previously had COVID-19 and recovered were more likely to avoid hospitalization, the researchers also found. Risk factors included serious underlying conditions such as obesity and being in the oldest age group, or older than 85.
“Our observational study VE findings show a very significant decrease in VE against infection and hospitalization in the Delta phase of the pandemic for individuals vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for those 5–6 months post vaccination vs. those 3–4 months post vaccination,” Dr. Bettina Experton, Humetrix’s president and CEO, said in a Sept. 15, 2021, email to top U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials.
Humetrix also found that among the beneficiaries, there had been 133,000 cases, 27,000 hospitalizations, and 8,300 intensive care admissions among the fully vaccinated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Experton disclosed that Humetrix shared the data with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August 2021.
Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health at the time, wrote in a separate email obtained through FOIA that the results of the study provided “pretty compelling evidence that VE is falling 5–6 months post vaccination for both infection and hospitalization for those over 65.”
He added, “Even for those 3–4 months out there is a trend toward worsening VE.”
The CDC, FDA, and National Institutes of Health did not share the data with the public as they considered whether to clear and recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters.
The CDC held a meeting with its vaccine advisers on Aug. 30, 2021. During the meeting, CDC officials went over emerging data on waning vaccine effectiveness. But the military study was not included.
The FDA held a similar meeting on Sept. 17, 2021. The CDC participated. The Humetrix analysis was also not presented during that meeting.
Both agencies have aggressively promoted COVID-19 vaccines throughout the pandemic, including hyping them as strongly protective against severe disease even after their own data have suggested that is not the case.
The CDC did present data from COVID-NET, one of its systems, that showed effectiveness against COVID-19-associated hospitalization was falling among the elderly since the emergence of the Delta variant but that data still showed 80 percent effectiveness.
The presentation also included data from outside researchers and Israel that estimated the protection during the Delta era against infection ranged from 39 percent to 84 percent and that the effectiveness against hospitalization ranged from 75 to 95 percent.
The FDA ended up clearing a Pfizer booster for many Americans. The CDC advised most people to receive it. The agencies later expanded booster clearance and recommendations to virtually all Americans aged 5 and older, with Moderna’s shot as another option. Authorities have since replaced the old shots due to their lack of durability, and are preparing to roll out another slate of shots this fall.
No Evidence FDA + CDC Hid Data On Failing COVID-19 Vaccines!
In this article, I will go through some of their claims, and show you what the facts really are!
Fact #1 : Humetrix Study Was Commissioned By US DOD
First, let’s start by pointing out that the Humetrix study in question was commissioned by JAIC – the US Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. This was stated explicitly in an email by Humetrix President and CEO, Bettina Experton, to the FDA:
This study has been conducted by my company under contract with the DoD JAIC (Joint Artificial Intelligence Center) since March 2020, when we were t asked to analyze Medicare claim data to monitor, map and conduct Covid-19 predictive analytics for the military.
What this means is – the data belonged to the US Department of Defense, not Humetrix, the FDA, or the CDC.
Fact #2 : Humetrix Published Study Results In December 2022
It seems odd to accuse the US FDA and CDC of hiding data from the Humetrix study, when Humetrix publicly published its results in the open-access journal, Biology in December 2022.
The study is called “Enhanced Vaccine Effectiveness during the Delta Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Medicare Population Supports a Multilayered Prevention Approach“.
Fact #3 : No Evidence CDC / FDA Hid Humetrix Study
There is no evidence that the FDA or CDC hid the Humetrix study or its data. The Epoch Times article did not offer any evidence, beyond pointing out that the Humetrix analysis was “not presented” during a meeting to approve the booster dose.
Ironically, the same article pointed out that the CDC presented data from its COVID-NET data that showed falling vaccine effectiveness in the elderly against the Delta variant. So why should the CDC / FDA try to “hide” the Humetrix data?
Is it not possible that the CDC preferred to rely on its own data? Or perhaps, the CDC decided that the COVID-NET data was compelling enough, it did not need to supplement with the similar data from the Humetrix study?
Fact #4 : Vaccines Were Not Meant To Prevent Infection
While many anti-vaccine activists harp on the fact that COVID-19 vaccines fail to prevent transmission or breakthrough infections, the truth is – the vaccines were designed to prevent severe disease and deaths from COVID-19.
It would be nice if they can significantly block transmission, or breakthrough infections, but those were never the endpoints in any COVID-19 vaccine trial. If you look back at the vaccine trial results, they were only looking at protection against “symptomatic infection“, “severe disease“, and “death“.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Protection Against
Symptomatic
Infection
Severe
Disease
Death
Pfizer Comirnaty
95.0%
100%
100%
Gamaleya Sputnik V
91.6%
100%
100%
Moderna mRNA-1273
94.1%
100%
100%
AstraZeneca AZD1222
62% ~ 90%
100%
100%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV
79% ~ 86%
90%
100%
Sinovac Biotech
50.65%
83.7%
100%
J&J Janssen COVID-19
66.0%
85%
100%
CanSino Biologics
65.7%
90.98%
100%
Therefore, their constant harping of the “inability” or “failure” of COVID-19 vaccines to block transmission, or completely prevent infections, is a red herring. That was never the goal of these vaccines.
Even if you are fully-vaccinated, you can continue to get breakthrough infections, and that’s fine. The key thing is vaccines help to prevent severe disease and death COVID-19 infections.
Fact #5 : Humetrix Study Looked At Delta Variant
It is also important to note that the Humerix study looked at the Delta variant, as its title stated clearly – Effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Against the Delta Variant Among 6M Medicare Beneficiaries 65 Years and Older.
The original COVID-19 vaccines were designed to target the original (ancestral) SARS-CoVo-2 virus. The Delta variant did not exist at that time.
The Humerix study did not address or disparage the effectiveness of the vaccines against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus that they were originally meant to target. It was looking to see if the original mRNA vaccine could also protect against the Delta variant.
Fact #5 : Reduced Protection vs. Delta Variant Spurs Need For Booster Dose
The Humerix study, at that time, was presented to the FDA for its use in the consideration whether to approve the booster dose looked at the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines against the new (at that time) Delta variant.
Because it showed reduced vaccine effectiveness against infections and hospitalisations, that would actually support the approval of a booster dose to boost protection against COVID-19.
If the Humetrix study actually showed the original mRNA vaccines’ strong protection against the Delta variant, the FDA and/or CDC might not feel the need to approve or support a booster dose at that time.
This was actually mentioned in the Executive Summary of the Humetrix presentation on Page 2:
Salus breakthrough hospitalization risk model can be applied to prioritize the over 65 population for booster vaccine
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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.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just suggested that the Hank Aaron autopsy and cause of death may have been falsified to cover up his death from the COVID-19 vaccine!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-09-03 : Added video fact check. Originally posted @ 2023-09-02
Claim : Hank Aaron Autopsy + Cause of Death Are False!
People are sharing a video clip of US Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to suggest that Hank Aaron likely died from the COVID-19 vaccine, because his autopsy and cause of death may have been falsified!
Chief Nerd : Robert F. Kennedy Jr on How the New York Times Lied About Hank Aaron’s Autopsy
“The New York Times did an article that said ‘Robert Kennedy is a conspiracy theorist because the Fulton County coroner has declared that Hank Aaron’s death was unrelated to the vaccine…So I called the Fulton County coroner and got them on the phone and they said we don’t know what the New York Times is talking about. We never saw Hank Aaron’s body.”
torontowriter : New York Times lied about Hank Aaron’s autopsy
Torah Law : How many people knew Hank Aaron took the vaccine shot as a promotion to show its efficacy and then died two and a half weeks later? I didn’t know that. Oh and @RobertKennedyJr says the New York times lied about an autopsy that never happened… so there’s that
No Evidence Hank Aaron Autopsy + Cause of Death Are False!
Let’s take a look at what happened, and what the facts really are!
Fact #1 : Hank Aaron Received Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Dose
Hank Aaron (born Henry Louis Aaron on February 5, 1934) was an American professional baseball player who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1954 to 1976.
On 5 January 2021, Hank Aaron posted on Twitter that he just received his first COVID-19 vaccine dose at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia:
I was proud to get the COVID-19 vaccine earlier today at Morehouse School of Medicine. I hope you do the same!
It was reported that Hank Aaron received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Fact #2 : Hank Aaron Did Not Have Side Effect From Vaccine
According to former congressman, mayor and US ambassador, Andrew Young, who was also vaccinated at the same clinic on the same day, Aaron Hank did not experience any side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine he received:
I talked to the fella who was his driver, and I said, ‘was Hank feeling any discomfort or any problem over the last few days?’ and he said, ‘no, he wanted to keep his schedule,’
Fact #3 : Hank Aaron Died Of Natural Causes
Hank Aaron died in his sleep at his Atlanta, Georgia home on January 22, 2021. He was 86 years old when he died.
On January 25, 2021, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office announce that Hank Aaron died of natural causes.
A memorial service was held at the Truist Park on Tuesday, January 26, with a funeral service on Wednesday, January 27, at the Friendship Baptist Church, followed by a burial at the South-View Cemetery.
Because Hank Aaron died 17 days after receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, many anti-vaccine activists claimed or suggested that he died from the vaccine.
This isn’t the first time Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested that Hank Aaron may have died suddenly from the COVID-19 vaccine.
On January 22, 2021, he tweeted a link to an article by his organisation, Children’s Health Defense, which suggested that Hank Aaron died suddenly from the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
#HankAaron’s tragic death is part of a wave of suspicious deaths among elderly closely following administration of #COVID #vaccines. He received the #Moderna vaccine on Jan. 5 to inspire other Black Americans to get the vaccine. #TheDefender
The difference is – this time, he’s suggesting that the New York Times was wrong, and that the Fulton County Examiner’s office “never saw Hank Aaron’s body“!
Fact #5 : Hank Aaron’s Body Was Examined By Fulton County Medical Examiner
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on The Breakfast Club radio show that he called the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office, and was told that the people there “never saw Hank Aaron’s body”.
He repeated the claim for a second time, stating that he wrote to The New York Times, telling them they needed to post a correction because the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office never saw his body.
That is quite a ludicrous claim since Hank Aaron was taken to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office after his death. So it would be quite ridiculous for anyone at the Fulton County ME to claim that it never saw his body.
In fact, the county medical examiner, Karen Sullivan, told AFP Fact Check on January 27, 2021 that it examined Hank Aaron’s body (my emphasis in bold):
[E]xamination of Mr. Aaron’s body did not suggest his death was due to any event other than that associated with his medical history.
Based on the information provided by Mr Aaron’s family and physical examination of his body, it is my medical opinion that Mr Aaron’s death was not related to his recent vaccination for Covid-19.
Fact #6 : New York Times Never Mentioned An Autopsy
On January 31, 2021, the The New York Times published a fact check article, which called out Robert K. Kennedy for suggesting without evidence that there was a link between Hank Aaron’s death and the COVID-19 vaccine he received.
Never mind the skeptics, officials say: Hank Aaron’s death had nothing to do with the Covid-19 vaccine.
[A]nti-vaccine activists, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, are seizing on his death to suggest — without evidence — that there might be a link.
To be clear – the NYT article never mentioned that Hank Aaron underwent an autopsy. The word “autopsy” was not mentioned even once in the entire article.
Neither did the NYT article quote the Fulton County medical examiner as claiming that an autopsy was conducted. It only mentioned that the medical examiner only stated that there was no evidence Hank Aaron suffered any allergic or anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine.
The Fulton County medical examiner has also said there was nothing to suggest that Mr. Aaron had an allergic or anaphylactic reaction related to the vaccine.
Fact #7 : Fulton County Medical Examiner Did Not Mention Autopsy
Other media reports quoting the Fulton County Medical Examiner also did not mention that an autopsy was conducted on Hank Aaron. They only reported that Hank Aaron’s body was examined by the medical examiner.
Under Georgia law, an autopsy is only required (PDF download) in deaths occurring:
As a result of violence;
By suicide or casualty;
Suddenly when in apparent good health;
When unattended by a physician;
In any suspicious or unusual manner, with particular attention to those persons 16 years of age and under;
After birth but before seven years of age if the death is unexpected or unexplained;
As a result of an execution carried out pursuant to the imposition of the death penalty;
An inmate of a state hospital or a state, county, or city penal institution; or
After having been admitted to a hospital in an unconscious state and without regaining consciousness within 24 hours of admission.
Hank Aaron was 86 years-old, and suffering from arthritis, hypertension and prostate issues. He also had a partial hip replacement after falling down in 2014, and has to use a wheelchair.
Therefore, it does not appear that an autopsy was warranted in his death, and an autopsy was likely not conducted.
Fact #8 : No Evidence Hank Aaron Died From COVID-19 Vaccine
Ultimately, there is simply no evidence that Hank Aaron died from the COVID-19 vaccine.
Unless there is evidence he suffered from an anaphylactic attack (which occurs within minutes), or other vaccine side effects before his death, it is wrong to simply attribute his death to the vaccine:
“That was a pure coincidence,” countered Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, the founding dean of the Morehouse medical school and secretary of health and human services in the George H.W. Bush administration, who was vaccinated along with Mr. Aaron. He told the Atlanta station WSB-TV, “It is though, if you might say, Hank was in a car before the day he died, and we try and attribute his death to being in a car.”
The COVID-19 vaccine only protects against severe disease and death from COVID-19. It cannot protect against other causes of death, and it is certainly not an elixir of immortality. Vaccinated people can and do continue to die from other causes of death.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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 the United States staying quiet about the release of Fukushima nuclear waste water because BlackRock is the largest shareholder of TEPCO?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : BlackRock Is The Largest TEPCO Shareholder!
This message is being actively promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens on WhatsApp and social media:
Who is behind the discharge of Fukushima NUCLEAR CONTAMINATED water?
In the war of aggression against China in the year 1900, it was not the Japanese government that first initiated the conflict with China, but a certain company. To put it bluntly, it was a Japanese company now renamed as ‘Tepco‘.
Many people may not know about Tepco, which is responsible for the discharge of nuclear sewage in Japan. Tepco is actually an “American company” like South Korea’s Samsung.
The largest shareholder of Tepco is BlackRock of Wall Street, and the second largest shareholder is also The pioneer of Wall Street, and Japan’s own Nomura Asset Management is only the third largest shareholder…
So can you understand why the Americans are silent in this incident? Because the affairs of Japan are the affairs of the United States. The decisions of the Japanese government and Japanese companies are the decisions of the United States.
The United States launches any form of “war” against China, whether it is a trade war, a technological war, a biological war or an environmental war… Japan They are all loyal lackeys and pawns.
The whole world is already at war.
US is using Japan in a proxy war by getting Japan to dump nuclear wastes near China and then ban all Jap seafood to make US absolutely safe from radiation.
Truth : BlackRock Is Not Even Top 10 TEPCO Shareholder!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created or promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Japanese Company Attacked China In 1900
In the first paragraph, the viral message claimed that an unnamed Japanese company attacked China in a “war of aggression in the year 1900”. That appears to be utter nonsense.
The Qing dynasty and the Empire of Japan fought the First Sino-Japanese War from 1894 to 1895. It was only 42 years later that the Empire of Japan would attack the Republic of China.
However, there is no evidence that any Japanese company ever attacked China in the year 1900.
Fact #2 : TEPCO Was Never Renamed
The viral message also claimed that TEPCO was renamed from that unnamed Japanese company which attacked China in the year 1900.
TEPCO – the Tokyo Electric Power Company, was only established in 1951 when the Allied occupation forces privatised Japan’s electricity sector.
Since its establishment on May 1, 1951, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has never been renamed. So the claim in the viral message that TEPCO was renamed is false.
Fact #3 : Japanese Government Is Largest TEPCO Shareholder
The viral message also claimed that BlackRock is the largest shareholder of TEPCO. That’s not true.
The Japanese government is the largest and majority shareholder of TEPCO, with almost 55% ownership through the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation.
BlackRock isn’t even in the list of top 10 TEPCO shareholders (as of end of FY2021)! Take a look:
Top 10 TEPCO Shareholders
Equity Share
(%)
Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation
54.74
The Master Trust Bank of Japan, Ltd.
6.28
Custody Bank of Japan, Ltd.
1.77
TEPCO Group Employees’
Stock Sharing Organization
1.50
Tokyo Metropolitan Government
1.20
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
1.01
STATE STREET BANK WEST CLIENT
– TREATY 505234
0.75
Nippon Life Insurance Company
0.74
JP MORGAN CHASE BANK 385781
0.56
JP JPMSE LUX RE BARCLAYS
CAPITAL SEC LTD EQ CO
0.55
TOTAL
69.12
Fact #4 : Second Largest Shareholder Is Not Pioneer Of Wall Street
The viral message claimed that the second largest shareholder of TEPCO stock is “The pioneer of Wall Street” but does not mention which American company it was referring to.
In any case, the second largest shareholder is The Master Trust Bank of Japan – a Japanese trust bank. Certainly not an American company.
Fact #5 : Fukushima Is Releasing Waste Water Off Japanese Coast
The viral message also claimed that Japan is dumping its nuclear wastes near China. That’s false.
TEPCO is actually releasing the treated waste water from its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station about 1 km off the coast of Japan.
Fukushima is also located on the east coast of Japan. Not is the waste water being released on the far side of Japan, it is being released AWAY from China.
The viral message also claimed that the United States banned Japanese seafood. That is also false.
In fact, the US FDA deactivated its Import Alert #99-33, which banned certain Japanese food products, in September 2021.
The US FDA has not reactivated that import ban. Neither has it ordered a new ban. That’s because it tested 51 samples for radionuclide contamination, and found no detectable levels of radioactive caesium.
Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima
There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.
However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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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 the Biden Administration preparing to reinstate FULL COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with face mask mandates in mid-September 2023?! Find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-30 : Added video fact check, and other updates Originally posted @ 2023-08-25
Claim : Biden Admin Is Reinstating Full COVID Lockdowns!
People are sharing an article by The Gateway Pundit, which claims that the Biden Administration is preparing to reinstate FULL COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with face mask mandates in mid-September 2023!
The article is pretty long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Biden Regime to Reinstate COVID-19 Restrictions Beginning with Mask Mandate as “COVID Cases Rise”, Say TSA and Border Patrol Whistleblowers
The Biden regime is preparing to reinstate full COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with masking mandates for TSA and airport employees reportedly as early as mid-September, Infowars first to report.
A high-level TSA official reached out to Infowars, detailing a Tuesday meeting where TSA managers were informed of new memorandums and policies that would reimplement mask-wearing.
These policies will reinstate the mask mandate for TSA and airport employees starting in mid-September.
The official added that by mid-October, mask-wearing will be mandated for pilots, flight staff, passengers, and all airport patrons.
Following this disclosure from the TSA official, Infowars reached out to a trusted Border Patrol source, also in a managerial position.
This source corroborated the directives, confirming that similar measures were being planned for Border Patrol personnel.
“They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure,” Infowars reported.
The news outlet added, “Both whistleblowers were told this rollout will be in tandem with the new Covid “variant” hysteria that the MSM has been reporting on this week.”
The media is now pushing for another lockdown. Another fear porn from the so-called health experts and media just in time for the next election. The same old playbook.
No Evidence Biden Administration Is Reinstating COVID Lockdowns!
The Gateway Pundit was basically just summarising what Infowars claimed, and here is what you need to know:
Fact #1 : Infowars Is Notorious Fake News Website
First, let me just point out that Infowars is notorious for posting conspiracy theories and fake news.
2020 study by four universities – Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers, found that Infowars was amongst the top 5 most shared websites for COVID-19 fake news.
Infowars is listed as #4 on the Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites list.
Infowars video editor Josh Owens admitted to intentionally creating misleading videos – “It’s not about truth, it’s not about accuracy — it’s about what’s going to make people click on this video…In essence, we lied.“
Both Alex Jones and Infowars have been subjected to multiple lawsuits, losing them one after another. In December 2022, he and the Infowars parent company was ordered to pay about $1.5 billion for spreading lies about the 2002 Sandy Hook mass shooting.
Based on its reputation, everything posted by InfoWars should be considered as FAKE NEWS until proven otherwise.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from InfoWars. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Fact #2 : Alex Jones + Infowars Provided No Evidence
If you watch the Infowars video where Alex Jones detailed the “exclusive news” that the Biden Administration is planning to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, you may be forgiven for thinking that all those papers on his table are leaked memorandum and policy documents that TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers provided.
Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. While there is A TON of papers on his massive table, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles. Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that will roll out in the middle of September 2023.
It’s easy to make outlandish claims, it’s quite another thing to back them with actual evidence. Needless to say, Infowars offered ZERO evidence to back up its claims.
Fact #3 : Lockdowns Were Necessary Because There Was No Vaccine
In his video, Alex Jones said that his whistleblowers were told to expect “a return to the full COVID protocol of 2020/2021” by December 2023.
The problem with that claim is that many governments implemented lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, because there was no treatment and vaccines were not yet invented or available in sufficient quantities.
Lockdowns were used as a way to limit transmission, and prevent hospitals and healthcare workers from being overloaded with COVID-19 patients.
Now that many people have some protection from a prior infection, or from COVID-19 vaccines, there has been no new need for governments to implement new lockdowns. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.
So the claim that the Biden Administration is going to implement COVID-19 lockdowns in December 2023 over the new Eris EG.5 variant is not supported by the prevailing evidence.
Fact #4 : WHO Declared COVID-19 Is No Longer PHEIC
It is interesting that the whistleblowers mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) may declare (an emergency?) over the new EG.5 Eris variant.
For one thing, the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.
Fact #5 : Eris Variant Is Not More Dangerous
The WHO has been monitoring the new EG.5 “Eris” variant, designating it as a “variant of interest”. However, that does not mean Eris is a more dangerous variant.
According to the WHO, the EG. 5 variant has increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, but…
presents a low public health risk at a global level, and
has no reported changes in disease severity to date
While it is possible that EG.5 / Eris will become the dominant COVID-19 variant moving into the winter months of 2023, it has the same symptoms and severity as past variants.
Fact #6 : New Vaccines Are Coming In September 2023
Even if the Eris / EG.5 becomes dominant, it is unlikely for the United States to require lockdowns in December 2023, because new COVID-19 vaccines coming in September will offer better protection against it.
From late September 2023 onwards, Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are introducing new COVID-19 vaccines that will target XBB variants. As EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage, the new vaccines are expected to offer better protection against this new variant.
EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage and is more closely related to the XBB variants than it is to previous vaccine strains.
For this reason, the expectation is that the reformulated vaccines that will be available this fall will offer better protection to EG.5 than previous vaccines.
– Justin Lessler, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
In short, there really isn’t a need for new lockdowns, because the improved COVID-19 vaccines are already coming in the fall of 2023.
Fact #7 : Biden Administration Does Not Want New Lockdowns
I should now point out that it is against the Biden Administration’s interest to implement new lockdowns, which would cripple the economy. In fact, the Biden Administration mentioned this when it released its National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan (PDF download) in March 2022.
The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: schools, workers, and workplaces have resources and guidance to prevent shutdowns.
Finally, I should also point out that any order for a face mask mandate on public transportation, including airlines, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, not the TSA or Border Control.
It was the US CDC that issued the first and only face mask mandate for public transportation in the United States (PDF download) on January 29, 2021. The TSA and Border Control had nothing to do with that, but only issued their own directives to comply with the CDC order.
However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
If the CDC ever issues another face mask mandate, it seems inevitable that it would be challenged in court, and made “unenforceable” by another court order. So what really is this panic over a “future” face mask mandate?
I should also point out that, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have had no issues wearing face masks to protect themselves and their patients. Seriously, stop being such a wuss.
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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 Bruce Willis just die in the hospital from his newly-diagnosed frontotemporal dementia, or a car accident?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-28 : Updated with new details and video fact check. Originally posted @ 2023-05-30
Claim : Bruce Willis Just Died In A Hospital!
People are sharing YouTube and Facebook videos claiming to prove that Bruce Willis just died suddenly in a hospital after his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, or a tragic car accident, with titles like :
Stop breathing 5 minutes ago / Bruce Willis Died on the way to the hospital / Goodbye Bruce Willis
30 Minute Ago! Bruce Willis Passed away in a tragic accident
At Bruce Willis’s tragic funeral! Our condolences to Bruce Willis’s family, goodbye Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis.. Rest in Peace, Great American Film and Television Actor
Heartbreaking Final Moments Of Legendary Actor Bruce Willis – cause of death is hidden!!!
A tragic funeral! With a heavy heart, before a tearful farewell to Bruce Willis, goodbye legend
R.I.P Bruce Willis was confirmed by a doctor to be dead at 5am, Goodby and rest in peace!
Bruce Willis’s final moments in the hospital, he died in the arms of his loved ones
Funeral Is Tomorrow R.I.P. Legendary Actor Bruce Willis Heart stopped
10 Minutes Ago / Bruce Willis Just Died At Home / Goodbye Bruce Willis
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death
These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported Bruce Willis’ death.
Never mind the slew of ridiculously terrible movies he participated in, Bruce Willis remains a Hollywood mega star. His diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) got front page news all over the world!
If Bruce Willis really did die, whether from his dementia, a car accident, or a heart attack, the worldwide media would have reported on it.
No legitimate media outlet reported that Bruce Willis died suddenly in a hospital from any cause. Only a bunch of small-time celebrity death blogs / small YouTube and Facebook channels!
Fact #2 : Bruce Willis Is Still Alive + Well!
Bruce Willis did not die, and is still very much alive and well, as of Friday, August 25, 2023. That was when he posted a photo of himself on his official Instagram account.
Bruce Willis officially retired from acting in March 2022, after his aphasia diagnosis, but he did not die in 2022 as alleged.
Neither did Bruce Willis die in February 2023, as alleged, because his family announced his aphasia was caused by frontotemporal dementia on February 16!
In May and August 2023, people also claimed that Bruce Willis died suddenly in the hospital, but no, he’s very much still alive.
I analysed the photos used in these videos, and traced the origin of two examples used in many of these videos.
This photo that shows Bruce Willis on a hospital bed, was edited from a stock photo of an old man, taken by Raul Rodriguez. It’s titled “Elderly 80 plus year old man recovering from surgery in a hospital bed“.
In addition, the purple ribbon isn’t used for awareness of frontotemporal dementia, which is relatively uncommon. The purple ribbon is often used to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy and pancreatic cancer.
Incidentally, frontotemporal dementia is different from Alzheimer’s disease, affecting a different part of the brain, and presenting with different symptoms.
This photo of a large funeral is not of Bruce Willis, but of Irish makeup artist Cathriona White, taken on October 10, 2015.
If you look carefully, you can spot actor Jim Carrey looking sombre next to the pallbearer. He dated Cathriona White for three years, from 2012-2015. She died from a suicide by prescription drug overdose on September 28, 2015.
The fake news creator just added a photo of Bruce Willis, making it look like Jim Carrey and the lady beside him were carrying it. The truth is there was no photo, and they were just holding hands.
This photo of Bruce Willis’s funeral is also fake. This is actually a photo of Serbian folk singer, Šaban Šaulić, who died on February 17, 2019. His funeral was held on February 22, 2019.
The fake news creator flipped the photo, and superimposed a large and overly bright head of Sylvester Stallone together with a photo of Bruce Willis magically floating in front of him!
Fact #4 : Bruce Willis Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Bruce Willis death hoax, ironically, is also being driven by another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project.
News of actor Bruce Willis’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the August 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in The Fifth Element or Die Hard is alive and well.
Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Wednesday after a ‘R.I.P. Bruce Willis’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American actor’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday (August 27, 2023), our beloved actor Bruce Willis passed away. Bruce Willis was born on March 19, 1955 in Idar-Oberstein. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 68-year-old actor was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Bruce Willis’ stature would be major news across networks.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Bruce Willis Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.
He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
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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.
The autopsy of US swimming star Jamie Cail who died suddenly, has confirmed her true cause of death!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Jamie Cail Died Suddenly From COVID-19 Vaccine!
Right after news broke that Jamie Cail died suddenly in the US Virgin Islands at just 42 years old, some people immediately claimed or suggested that the WWE superstar died from the COVID-19 vaccine!
SecretSquirrel : Another Vaccine Death? Police to investigate sudden death of former US swimming sensation Jamie Cail
Diane Adams :it sounds like Jamie Cail Sudden death was the vaccine that she might have took, all of these Vaccines have a rotten side affect, allot of people wind up dead because of all of these vaccines that they have been taking, not a good thing, may Jamie Cail rest in Peace. 😇✝️😇✝️😇💐
liftingabuv : #SuddenDeaths2023 this “novel” #vaccines SAD demographic is increasing. #athletes, mid-life group: Ex-U.S. Swim Champ Jamie Cail Dies Suddenly In Virgin Islands, Police Investigating
Truth : Jamie Cail Did Not Die From COVID-19 Vaccine!
It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to blame all athlete deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Here are the reasons why this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists…
Fact #1 : Jamie Cail Died Unexpectedly At Home
Jamie Cail was a former member of the US swimming team that participated in the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships, and won a gold medal in the 800m free relay event. She also won a silver medal at that 1998-1999 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Brazil.
Shortly after midnight on February 21, 2023, her boyfriend ” left a local bar” to check on Jamie Cail who was at their shared home on the island of St. John. On arrival, he found Jamie Cail was found unresponsive on the floor.
Her boyfriend and a friend took her to the Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic, where doctors indicated that “she was in cardiac arrest” and performed CPR on her. However, Jamie Cail could not be revived, and passed away in the early hours.
The Virgin Islands Police Department was informed of her death-on-arrival, and an autopsy was performed to determine her cause of death.
Fact #2 : Jamie Cail’s Cause Of Death Was Fentanyl Poisoning
On August 27, 2023, the Virgin Islands Police Department announced the official cause of death for Jamie Cail, after the US Virgin Islands Office of Medical Examiner released its autopsy report on August 22.
According to the Medical Examiner’s autopsy report, Jamie Cail’s official cause of death was “fentanyl intoxication with aspiration of gastric content“.
The Virgin Islands Criminal Investigation Bureau said that the overdose was “accidental“, but did not say if it was investigating the source of the fentanyl that led to Jamie Cail’s death.
However, the United States has been hit by an epidemic of death from drug overdoses involving fentanyl. The US recorded more than 100,000 deaths from drug overdoses in 2021, most of which were caused by fentanyl.
Needless to say – the autopsy report completely debunks the claims that Jamie Cail died from the COVID-19 vaccine.
Until and unless her family reveals her COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who tells you that Jamie Cail was vaccinated or otherwise, is likely lying to you. None of us know that.
Fact #4 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days
Even if Jamie Cail was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, she would have received her doses over two years ago!
She cannot possibly have suffered from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.
Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.
Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days or weeks.
The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.
Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.
Fact #5 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Often Proven False
Most claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next death or tragedy…
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Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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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.
Here is what you need to know about the FDA import alert 99-33 on Japanese food over radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant!
Updated @ 2023-08-25 : Updated the article Originally posted @ 2023-03-21
Claim : FDA Issued Import Alert 99-33, Banning Japanese Food!
This message has gone viral on and off over the years, being shared again and again on WhatsApp, and social media. It’s long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice
A week ago, the US law came into force: 🎯 FDAIssued Alert No. 99-33, prohibiting the following 🅾️ Japanese food entering the US: 📎 Fresh milk, 📎 Butter, 📎Milk powder, 📎Baby milk powder, and others 📎Dairy products; 📎Vegetables, sweet potatoes, salt, and other products 📎Rice, 📎 Whole wheat; 📎Fish; 📎Meat and poultry; 📎Clams; 📎 sea urchin; 📎Citrus pomelo fruits; 📎 Apples, kiwis and other fruits.
❌The reason is radionuclide contamination. Japan finally admits that its inability to control Fukushima’s daily discharge of millions of tons of radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean has caused many people to suffer from cancer or Disease has seriously affected human beings and the ecological environment around the world. I can’t imagine it! ❌Don’t eat Japanese food. 💢In the coastal waters of the United States, it was found that the radioactivity value is getting higher and higher. Try not to go to Japan, preferably not. 💢The Australian government has stopped visa issuance for Japanese, 💢 The US also stopped Japanese immigration to the US. At present, the situation in Japan is more serious than we imagined. More than 70% of the entire Japanese territory is polluted. Japan’s radioactive material has flowed into the ocean, and the affected area of the ocean is getting wider and wider. It is more serious than imagined. The Japanese government is afraid of causing panic, and they will give up or lie to inform the surrounding people. Japanese seafood, mushrooms do not eat. After the last earthquake, radioactive material from the damaged Japanese nuclear power plant began to flow into the ocean or surrounding areas, and began to find ❌Deformed seafood and plants ❌ Mutated mushrooms ❌ mutated fish, ❌Varied seafood, Foods exposed to radioactive substances will be induced within 1-2 years after eating 🅾️Esophageal cancer 🅾️Lymphoma 🅾️ Leukemia, etc., especially for young children, pregnant women will have a greater impact. Neighboring countries have stopped seafood trade with Japan: It is prohibited to import 📎herring, 📎shells, 📎shiitake mushrooms from Japan. The fish caught in the waters near Japan had 380 times the radioactivity. From now on, never eat Japanese seafood or sashimi. Since the nuclear explosion of the tsunami in Japan, a survey of Chinese tourists to Japan who have traveled to Japan and eaten Japanese food many times shows that there are strange diseases of varying degrees, and they are on the rise! And Japan’s radioactive nuclear-contaminated local products are all supplied to foreign tourists! Japan eats food imported from other countries! Dear friends and compatriots For the health of your loved ones and the next generation, please share it in your WeChat space, and immediately boycott all nuclear-contaminated food in Japan. Do not buy! Remember!
The Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) to scare people into boycotting Japan and Japanese food, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : FDA Issued Import Alert #99-33 In March 2011
On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by a massive tsunami triggered by a 9-magnitude earthquake off its Pacific coast. The force of the tsunami greatly damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, contaminating the surrounding area with radioactive material.
The Government of Japan determined that certain food products in affected prefectures were therefore not fit for human consumption, due to the risk of contamination by the radioactive material. They banned those food products from sale within Japan, and for export.
The US FDA responded by issuing Import Alert #99-33 – “Detention Without Physical Examination of Products from Japan due to Radionuclide Contamination.”
This part of the viral post is true, but everything else is false.
Fact #2 : FDA Import Alert #99-33 Was Limited To Certain Prefectures
The FDA Import Alert #99-33 did not ban the import of all Japanese food products, as the viral post claimed.
It only targeted Japan’s own restrictions at the prefecture level, using Section 801(a)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act:
FDA-regulated products are subject to refusal and will be refused admission into the United States if the products appear to be forbidden or restricted for sale in the country in which they were produced or from which they were exported.
Fact #3 : FDA Cancelled Import Alert #99-33 In September 2021
On September 21, 2022, the US FDA deactivated (cancelled) Import Alert #99-33. Since then, there has been no ban on any food product from the five affected prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki.
Now, after an extensive analysis of Japan’s robust control measures that include decontamination, monitoring and enforcement; after reviewing the results of 10 years of sampling food products from Japan; and after determining a very low risk to American consumers from radioactive contaminated foods imported from Japan, FDA has decided that the IA is no longer necessary to protect public health and therefore should be deactivated.
Despite this cancellation of the import ban more than a year ago, the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) continues to spread this fake story on WhatsApp, as well as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Fact #4 : Australia Did Not Stop Issuing Visa To Japanese Travellers
Australia never suspended visa issuance for Japanese travels over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
Fact #5 : US Did Not Suspend Japanese Immigration
The United States never suspended immigration of Japanese citizens over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
Fact #6 : Japan Did Not Supply Contaminated Food To Tourists
This claim has been repeatedly promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and is categorically false.
Japan did not reserve their contaminated food supply for consumption by tourists, while importing food for their own citizens. Neither did Chinese tourists to Japan suffer “strange diseases of varying degrees”.
Those are just lies created by the wumao to scare Chinese citizens into boycotting Japan and Japanese food products.
Fact #7 : Fukushima Radiation Only Affected A Small Area Of Japan
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident did not affect 70% of Japanese territory.
The Government of Japan established a 30 kilometre no-fly zone, and a 20 kilometre exclusion zone, around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Aerial survey of the radioactive caesium levels in May 2012 show that only a small part of Japan was affected.
Fact #8 : Harmful Radionuclides Were Removed From Wastewater
Both fresh water and seawater were used to cool down the melting nuclear fuel rods and spent fuel rods stored at the facility.
Measures were quickly taken to block the seepage of the contaminated wastewater into the sea and water table. For example, TEPCO poured a 60 cm-thick concrete wall covering 70,000 square meters of ocean seabed.
There were occasional accidental discharges of radioactive wastewater, but generally the radioactive wastewater was stored in massive storage tanks and treated using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS).
ALPS removed harmful radionuclides like caesium and strontium from the wastewater, leaving only tritium – a mildly radioactive and far less harmful hydrogen isotope.
Fact #9 : Decontaminated Wastewater Used To Keep Reactors Cooled
The water treatment system became fully-functional, together with water recycling systems on 3 July 2011.
The decontaminated wastewater thereafter is being 100% reused to keep the reactors cooler, so no additional volume of contaminated water would be generated.
Fact #10 : Excess Decontaminated Wastewater To Be Released
A large amount of treated wastewater remain at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and on April 13, 2021, the Government of Japan announced that the treated wastewater would be released in 2023.
The US FDA says that the treated wastewater presents an “extremely low” health risk even if consumed, which is rather minimised because it’s being discharged into the vast ocean.
According to scientific experts from interagency advisory teams and FDA representatives to the US Advisory Team for Environment, Food and Health, the release of the treated wastewater will have “no effect on the safety of foods imported from Japan“.
In other words, the FDA considers food from Japan to be perfectly safe to import and consume, even after the treated wastewater is released into the ocean.
This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
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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 the Biden Administration preparing to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions beginning in mid-September 2023?! Find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-24 : Added a fact check video, updated parts of the article Originally posted @ 2023-08-19
Claim : Biden Admin Bringing Back Full COVID Restrictions!
People are sharing an InfoWars article which claims that the Biden Administration is preparing to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, beginning in mid-September 2023!
The article is pretty long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
EXCLUSIVE: Biden Admin Preparing to Bring Back FULL Covid Restrictions, Rollout to Begin Mid-September
Whistleblowers from the TSA and Border Patrol have raised the alarm to Infowars that the Biden administration is setting the stage for full Covid lockdowns that will begin with incremental restrictions like masking TSA employees in mid-September.
The first source, a high-level TSA official confirmed and known to Infowars, reached out to Infowars and cited a Tuesday meeting in which TSA managers were told new memorandums & policies were being completed that would reimplement masking, starting with TSA & airport employees as early as mid-September.
The TSA official also said next week they will receive new guidelines on how the policy will escalate: by mid-October, mask-wearing will be required by pilots, flight staff, passengers, and airport patrons.
After hearing from the TSA manager, Infowars reached out to our trusted Border Patrol source who is also a manager. This source confirmed the same directives were being given to Border Patrol.
They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure.
Both whistleblowers were told this rollout will be in tandem with the new Covid “variant” hysteria that the MSM has been reporting on this week.
Infowars’ analysis is clear: this new rollout’s timing is perfect for the embattled Biden administration to put the country back in a state of civil emergency and even martial law to further divide and confuse the public and move forward with the greatest election meddling in history.
Many times, Alex Jones has warned that the system will bring back biomedical tyranny. And the launch of this new crisis in September will allow a build-up of control that would allow the use of mail-in ballots for the next presidential election.
Remember, mail-in ballots were decisive for Biden’s victory last election.
We now know the Covid lockdowns were an international psychological warfare operation run by the Ministry of Defense and Pentagon.
Countries worldwide implemented fear campaigns for political purposes and to push experimental shots.
But this time around, the masses have awakened to the globalist playbook of conquest, and may not be as receptive to MSM hysteria.
Simply put, the Deep State is getting desperate and is behaving like a cornered animal.
No Evidence Biden Administration Is Bringing Back COVID Restrictions!
Let’s take a look at what Infowars just claimed, and find out what the facts really are!
Fact #1 : InfoWars Is Notorious Fake News Website
First, let me just point out that InfoWars is notorious for posting conspiracy theories and fake news.
2020 study by four universities – Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers, found that InfoWars was amongst the top 5 most shared websites for COVID-19 fake news.
InfoWars is listed as #4 on the Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites list.
InfoWars video editor Josh Owens admitted to intentionally creating misleading videos – “It’s not about truth, it’s not about accuracy — it’s about what’s going to make people click on this video…In essence, we lied.“
Both Alex Jones and InfoWars have been subjected to multiple lawsuits, losing them one after another. In December 2022, he and the InfoWars parent company was ordered to pay about $1.5 billion for spreading lies about the 2002 Sandy Hook mass shooting.
Based on its reputation, everything posted by InfoWars should be considered as FAKE NEWS until proven otherwise.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from InfoWars. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Fact #2 : Alex Jones + InfoWars Provided No Evidence
If you watch the InfoWars video where Alex Jones detailed the “exclusive news” that the Biden Administration is planning to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, you may be forgiven for thinking that all those papers on his table were leaked memorandum and policy documents that TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers provided.
Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. While there is A TON of papers on his massive table, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles. Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that will roll out in the middle of September 2023.
It’s easy to make outlandish claims, it’s quite another thing to back them with actual evidence. Needless to say, InfoWars offered ZERO evidence to back up its claims.
Fact #3 : Lockdowns Were Necessary Because There Was No Vaccine
In his video, Alex Jones said that his whistleblowers were told to expect “a return to the full COVID protocol of 2020/2021” by December 2023.
The problem with that claim is that many governments implemented lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, because there was no treatment and vaccines were not yet invented or available in sufficient quantities.
Lockdowns were used as a way to limit transmission, and prevent hospitals and healthcare workers from being overloaded with COVID-19 patients.
Now that many people have some protection from a prior infection, or from COVID-19 vaccines, there has been no new need for governments to implement new lockdowns. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.
So the claim that the Biden Administration is going to implement COVID-19 lockdowns in December 2023 over the new Eris EG.5 variant is not supported by the prevailing evidence.
Fact #4 : WHO Declared COVID-19 Is No Longer PHEIC
It is interesting that the whistleblowers mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) may declare (an emergency?) over the new EG.5 Eris variant.
For one thing, the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.
Fact #5 : Eris Variant Is Not More Dangerous
The WHO has been monitoring the new EG.5 “Eris” variant, designating it as a “variant of interest”. However, that does not mean Eris is a more dangerous variant.
According to the WHO, the EG. 5 variant has increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, but…
presents a low public health risk at a global level, and
has no reported changes in disease severity to date
While it is possible that EG.5 / Eris will become the dominant COVID-19 variant moving into the winter months of 2023, it has the same symptoms and severity as past variants.
Fact #6 : New Vaccines Are Coming In September 2023
Even if the Eris / EG.5 becomes dominant, it is unlikely for the United States to require lockdowns in December 2023, because new COVID-19 vaccines coming in September will offer better protection against it.
From late September 2023 onwards, Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are introducing new COVID-19 vaccines that will target XBB variants. As EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage, the new vaccines are expected to offer better protection against this new variant.
EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage and is more closely related to the XBB variants than it is to previous vaccine strains.
For this reason, the expectation is that the reformulated vaccines that will be available this fall will offer better protection to EG.5 than previous vaccines.
– Justin Lessler, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
In short, there really isn’t a need for new lockdowns, because the improved COVID-19 vaccines are already coming in the fall of 2023.
Fact #7 : Biden Administration Does Not Want New Lockdowns
I should now point out that it is against the Biden Administration’s interest to implement new lockdowns, which would cripple the economy. In fact, the Biden Administration mentioned this when it released its National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan (PDF download) in March 2022.
The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: schools, workers, and workplaces have resources and guidance to prevent shutdowns.
Finally, I should also point out that any order for a face mask mandate on public transportation, including airlines, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, not the TSA or Border Control.
It was the US CDC that issued the first and only face mask mandate for public transportation in the United States (PDF download) on January 29, 2021. The TSA and Border Control had nothing to do with that, but only issued their own directives to comply with the CDC order.
However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
If the CDC ever issues another face mask mandate, it seems inevitable that it would be challenged in court, and made “unenforceable” by another court order. So what really is this panic over a “future” face mask mandate?
I should also point out that, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have had no issues wearing face masks to protect themselves and their patients. Seriously, stop being such a wuss.
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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 US President Joe Biden fall asleep during a meeting with victims of the 2023 Maui wildfires?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Joe Biden Fell Asleep While Meeting Maui Fire Victims!
People are sharing a low resolution video, claiming that it shows US President Joe Biden falling asleep during a meeting with victims of the 2023 Maui wildfires!
Sean Hannity : Biden appears to fall asleep during a ceremony in Hawaii honoring the hundreds of Americans killed by the fires
Marc Wallace : Joe Biden just fell asleep in the middle of his meeting with victims of the Maui fires
TONY™️ : WOW!!! Joe Biden appears to be sleeping while listening to survivors speak about their homes burning to the ground 🤯
Two vacations and you still can’t stay awake? You can’t make this up 🚨👇🏼
Concerned Citizen : Joe Biden falling asleep in Maui whilst meeting local survivors of one of the worst Human Tragedies in American History.
Impeach this child sniffing corrupted criminal NOW.
Truth : Joe Biden Did Not Fall Asleep While Meeting Maui Fire Victims!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS about Joe Biden, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Joe Biden Was At Lahaina Community Engagement Event
First, let me start by giving you some context on what’s going on.
In early August 2023, a number of wildfires broke out on the island of Maui, in the US state of Hawaii. That culminated in a massive wildfire that devastated the town of Lahaina on August 8, 2023.
The entire town of Lahaina was destroyed, with the damage estimated at $6 billion. Even worse – at least 114 people were confirmed killed in and around Lahaina, as of August 22.
On August 21, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived at Kahului Airport to visit the disaster sites. One of the stops was the Lahaina Civic Center, where President Biden met residents and gave a speech.
Fact #2 : Joe Biden Was Not Asleep
The viral video shows President Joe Biden sitting down, and nodding off, during that community engagement event at the Lahaina Civic Center.
The truth is – Joe Biden wasn’t nodding off. He was bowing his head, possibly in prayer. The viral video was edited to show him “nodding off”, and posted in low-resolution, so you can’t see that he actually had his eyes open.
In the higher resolution video posted by C-SPAN, you can see Joe Biden looking at the speaker, and cough, before bowing his head, and then nodding in agreement with the speaker. You can also see that his eyes were open even though his head remained bowed.
Joe Biden then looked up when the speaker spoke about the homes of his son, his daughter, and his parents, burning down. He then clapped with everyone else when the speaker said that “Lahaina is a town not for sale”.
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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 Lil Tay and her older brother, Jason Tian, just die suddenly?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Lil Tay + Jason Tian Just Died Suddenly!
Some websites and YouTube channels have recently claimed that social media influencer and rapper Lil Tay, and her older brother, Jason Tian, just died suddenly under mysterious / unknown circumstances.
Outlook India : 14-Year-Old Rapper Lil Tay Dies Along With Elder Brother Jason Tian
FreshersLive : Jason Tian Obituary, Who Was Lil Tay’s Brother Jason Tian? What Happened to Jason Tian? How Did Jason Tian Die?
News.com.au : Teen rapper Lil Tay and her brother both dead
Celebritysss : Lil Tay and Her Brother Jason Tian Are Survived By Their Parents After Their Deaths | Lil Tay
Some people have also gone full frenzy about the sudden death of Lil Tay and Jason Tian on social media:
Mario Nawfal : 🚨BREAKING: RAPPER LIL TAY REPORTED DEAD
Online influencer and rapper Lil Tay has passed away at the age of 14, five years after she rose to online fame.
The news of her ‘sudden and tragic’ demise was confirmed by an unnamed family member in a statement shared on Lil Tay’s Instagram account today.
The statement also revealed that her 21-year-old brother, Jason Tian, had also passed away.
Matt Wallace : 🚨 BREAKING NEWS: Viral Internet Sensation Lil Tay dead at only 14 years old! They have not released the cause of death yet… but I can almost guarantee it involves hardcore smuggled drugs. Extremely sad that so many kids keep dying and politicians CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING ⚠️
Truth : Lil Tay + Jason Tian Did NOT Die Suddenly!
This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Lil Tay Death Claim Based On Single Instagram Post
All these claims that Lil Tay and her older brother, Jason Tian, died suddenly are based on a single post on her Instagram account, which was shared on Wednesday, August 9, 2023:
It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock. Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief.
During this time of immense sorrow, we kindly ask for privacy as we grieve this overwhelming loss, as the circumstances surrounding Claire and her brother’s passing are still under investigation.
Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.
It did not help that when news agencies tried to confirm her death, her father – Christopher “Chris” Hope refused to confirm either way:
Yeah, you have the right person, but I don’t have any comment right now. I’m not able to give you any comment right now. I’m sorry — I can’t.
But the Los Angeles Police Department stated that it had no record of Claire Hope or Jason Tian dying in LA (where they live):
We have no information on either of these two individuals Claire Hope or Jason Tian being killed or dying in Los Angeles.
If the LA county medical examiners has nothing on either of them either, that would lead me to believe they are not, in fact, dead, or that it did not occur in LA.
On Thursday, August 10, 2023, Lil Tay issued a statement to say that she is still alive – a day after the death announcement on her Instagram account went viral.
I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I’m completely heartbroken, and struggling to even find the right words to say.
It’s been a very traumatizing 24 hours. All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess.
Fact #3 : Lil Tay’s Instagram Account Was Hacked!
Lil Tay explained that her Instagram account was “compromised by a third party” and used to “spread jarring misinformation and rumors” about her. She thanked Meta for letting her gain access to her Instagram account again.
She did not explain why it took her more than 24 hours to confirm that she was still alive and well. But a Meta spokesperson confirmed that they helped her recover her Instagram account.
Fact #4 : Lil Tay No Longer Goes By Claire Hope
Lil Tay was born as Claire Hope to Angela Tian and Christopher J. Hope on July 29, 2007. She was also known as Claire Eileen Qi Hope.
However, Lil Tay revealed that she no longer goes by her birth name – Claire Hope, which was what the fake death announcement used.
Instead, Lil Tay appears to have dropped the surname of her estranged father, and now goes by the legal name, Tay Tian.
Fact #5 : Lil Tay Is Accused Of Orchestrating Death Hoax
Lil Tay’s former manager – Harry Tsang, who was her last known public representative at the height of her fame in 2018, cast doubts over her statements.
Harry Tsang accused Lil Tay of lying about her Instagram account being hacked, and alleged that she orchestrated the fake statement about her death.
Upon learning about Lil Tay’s assertion of her well-being, I find relief in the fact that she is safe. However, I believe the reported hacking incident may not have occurred.
He pointed out two points of doubt over the validity of Lil Tay’s claims of being hacked:
My rationale for this perspective is twofold: firstly, the restoration of a compromised account on platforms like Meta/Instagram typically does not necessitate a 24-hour timeframe.
Secondly, the actions of Lil Tay’s brother, renowned for his propensity for extreme measures, lead me to hypothesize an alternative motive behind this occurrence.
Harry Tsang then suggested that Lil Tay and/or Jason Tian might have orchestrated this death hoax to rekindle her fame:
Simultaneously, if the underlying motive is indeed to rekindle Lil Tay’s prominence within the public sphere, I contend that such actions demonstrate a certain degree of irresponsibility.
It’s essential to consider the potential repercussions of employing such tactics, particularly given their potential impact on the perceptions and sentiments of the broader audience.
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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 Alabama basketball star Caleb White collapse and die suddenly on-court from COVID-19 vaccine SADS?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Caleb White Died Suddenly From Vaccine SADS!
Right after news broke that Caleb White collapsed and died suddenly during an on-court workout, some people immediately claimed or suggested that the Alabama high school basketball star died from COVID-19 vaccine Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS)!
Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH : First questions I ask as a cardiologist: brand, dose 1, 2, 3 etc, prior HCM or other known heart disease? Autopsy? C19vax myocarditis can be quickly ruled in or out. #courageousdiscourse
@ACCinTouch @American_Heart @HeartNews
Steve Kirsch :Another death of a young star basketball player. Come on folks. Have you ever seen so many cardiac events/deaths in young people before?
The common thread is that they were all vaccinated with the COVID vaccine.
Died Suddenly : Another young and healthy basketball player died Thursday afternoon. Pinson Valley High School senior Caleb White suffered a medical emergency at school.
Caleb was working out with his team when he collapsed to his death. Life-saving efforts were started at the school, and White was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
No Evidence Caleb White Died Suddenly From Vaccine SADS!
It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to blame all athlete deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Here are the reasons why this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists…
Fact #1 : Caleb White Collapsed While Working Out
Caleb White was an Alabama high school basketball star, who was an all-state selection, and entering his senior year as a 3-star recruit.
On Thursday, 10 August 2023, Caleb White was working out on court at his school, when he reportedly collapsed at 1:12 PM.
First responders transported him to the St. Vincent’s East hospital in Birmingham, where he was pronounced dead at 2:23 PM, according to Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates.
Pinson Valley High School principal issued this statement:
I unfortunately have some very sad news to report tonight. One of our senior students suffered a medical emergency at school today. Life saving efforts were immediately started and first responders were called.
Sadly, the student was later pronounced deceased after being transported to the hospital. We will have more to say in the near future. Please know counseling resources will be available for anyone who needs them in the coming days. Please keep the student’s family and our school in your prayers.
Caleb White’s grandfather, George Varnadoe Jr., offered more details about his grandson’s death:
My heart is extremely heavy. My grandson, Caleb White was working out with his team a short while ago. He collapsed on the floor, they tried resuscitating him. When that didn’t work, he was then transported to the hospital. The doctor’s [sic] couldn’t revive him. At 17, he was dead!!!!
Caleb was an honor student, very respectful, high intellect, excellent role model, phenomenal basketball player ranked 25th best point guard in his class in the nation & number 2 in the state of Alabama. RIP Caleb! I love you man!!!!
Fact #2 : Caleb White Presumably Suffered A Cardiac Arrest
George Varnadoe Jr. later said that Caleb White suffered a cardiac arrest, similar to what LeBron James’ son – Bronny James, almost died from recently.
24 hours ago, my grandson, Caleb White collapsed on the basketball court, went into cardiac arrest and all attempts to resuscitate him failed. This was similar to the illness LaBron [sic] James son experienced as he was working out.
Out family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support but still in disbelief. Our whole family was really looking forward to his upcoming senior season and afterwards, playing for a D-1 school and then perhaps the NBA.
But ….. it wasn’t mean to be. You see, everything that happens, happens on time, because God wouldn’t allow it to happen, if it wasn’t on time. And so it was with Caleb.
We all have an appointment with God, one that you can’t reschedule. So we must stay ready, because you won’t have time to get ready. Please continue to pray for my family.
Fact #3 : Caleb White’s Cause Of Death Is Still Unknown
Even though Caleb White was presumed to have suffered a cardiac arrest (which is a known risk factor for young athletes), his official cause of death has not been confirmed.
On Friday, 11 August 2023, an autopsy was performed on Caleb White to determine his official cause of death.
Until and unless his family, or the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, reveals the autopsy results, or Caleb White’s official cause of death, anyone who tells you that Caleb White died from this or that cause is likely lying to you.
Fact #4 : No Evidence Caleb White Has Myocarditis
There is no evidence that Caleb White was suffering from vaccine-induced myocarditis. If he had myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccines, it would have developed within days of getting the vaccination.
On top of that, he would have been experiencing symptoms of myocarditis like chest pain, shortness of breath, as well as heart palpitations or a pounding heart. It doesn’t seem likely that he would be able to play basketball without aggravating those symptoms.
Fact #5 : Cardiac Arrest Is Common In Young Athletes
Anti-vaccination activists falsely claim that young, healthy people do not suddenly collapse from cardiac arrest. The truth is many young athletes do suddenly collapse from sudden cardiac arrest, and many don’t survive unless they receive medical attention quickly.
The United States alone records over half a million cases of sudden cardiac arrest cases every year – an incidence of about 130 per 100,000 individuals per year. Many people have undiagnosed heart conditions that may not produce noticeable symptoms in daily life, but could result in sudden cardiac arrest at any time.
The risk of developing sudden cardiac arrest increases during strenuous activities, which is why many US states enacted laws requiring automated external defibrillators (AED) to be made available in health clubs, gyms, schools, and other public places.
And no, COVID-19 vaccines do NOT cause cardiac arrests, no matter what anti-vaccination activists may claim.
Neither can COVID-19 vaccines prevent people from getting cardiac arrests, or dying from them.
Until and unless his family reveals his COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who tells you that Caleb White was vaccinated or otherwise, is likely lying to you. None of us know that.
Fact #7 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days
Even if Caleb White was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, he would have received his doses over a year ago!
He cannot possibly have suffered from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.
Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.
Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days or weeks.
The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.
Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.
Fact #8 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Often Proven False
Most claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next death or tragedy…
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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 Taylor Swift die suddenly from a tragic car crash, just after leaving her concert?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-12 : Added new details, including updated MediaMass hoax
Updated @ 2023-07-02 : Added updated details Originally posted @ 2023-06-03
Claim : Taylor Swift Just Died Suddenly In Car Accident!
A TikTok video which claims that Taylor Swift just died suddenly in a tragic car accident has gone viral. The video has been removed, and unfortunately, I was not able to grab a copy of it before it disappeared.
The viral TikTok video was posted by @taylor.fan17, and shows photos of Taylor Swift performing at her concerts, with a male narrator claiming that the singer died suddenly in a tragic car accident.
The video claimed that Taylor Swift’s car was hit by another car while she was leaving her show in Atlanta, and the unnamed driver was taken into custody, and is now awaiting a court trial for the crime.
Some people have also been sharing a photo of a mural showing that Taylor Swift did indeed die.
Truth : Taylor Swift Did Not Die Suddenly In Car Accident!
This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to gain notoriety, generate income from page views and/or YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Reported Her Death
That viral TikTok video has been circulating for weeks, but some people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported her death.
Taylor Swift is, arguably, one of the world’s most famous and influential singer today. A mega star, with a legion of fans who call themselves Swifties. If she just tripped in public, the paparazzi and celebrity blogs would have reported on the incident and analysed it to death.
If she got into any car accident, it would have been international news, even if she did not suffer so much as a scratch. Yet no legitimate media outlet reported that Taylor Swift died suddenly in a tragic car accident. Not even small-time celebrity blogs reported her death!
Fact #2 : Taylor Swift Is Still Alive + Well!
The viral video claimed that Taylor Swift died on Monday, May 1, 2023 – just after wrapping up her stop in Atlanta, Georgia for The Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift did not die, and is still very much alive and well, as of August 9, 2023. That was when she announced that she is releasing a re-recording – 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on October 27!
Tens of thousands of Swifties also sang with Taylor Swift that day on her last concert at the SoFi Stadium in Southern California.
“Here we are, on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras tour, in the eighth month of the year, on the ninth day (of the month),” Swift said to frenzied screams, before art for the upcoming “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” due Oct. 27, flashed on the gigantic screen behind her.
Needless to say, all that would not be possible if Taylor Swift died in car accident on Monday, May 1, 2023…
Fact #3 : Taylor Swift Memorial Mural Is From 2016
You may have seen people posting photos of a Taylor Swift memorial mural as evidence that she truly died.
The mural is real, and is located in Melbourne, Australia. However, it was created by Australian graffiti artist, Lushsux, to mark the “death” of Taylor Swift’s career in March 2016.
At that time, Kanye West released his single, Famous, with the lines:
I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex
Why? I made that bitch famous.
Taylor Swift then got into a spat with Kanye West and his then-wife, Kim Kardashian. That was when Lushsux created the mural, and posted a video of it on Instagram with this caption:
Please pay your respects at Hosier Lane today by laying flowers or lighting a candle in mourning, taken from us too soon sweet princess.
Fact #4 : Taylor Swift Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Taylor Swift death hoax, ironically, is also being driven by another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project.
News of singer Taylor Swift’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the August 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the singer best known for hit songs like You Belong with Me or Love Story is alive and well.
Rumors of the singer’s alleged demise gained traction on Thursday after a ‘R.I.P. Taylor Swift’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American singer’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Thursday (August 10, 2023), our beloved singer Taylor Swift passed away. Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading. She will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 33-year-old singer and songwriter was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of a singer of Taylor Swift’s stature would be major news across networks.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Taylor Swift Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.
She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. She’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that it is a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
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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 the Pfizer mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 responsible for the surge of leprosy cases in Florida and elsewhere?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Pfizer Vaccine Is Responsible For Leprosy Cases!
People are sharing an article on two leprosy cases after COVID-19 vaccination, claiming or suggesting that the Pfizer mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 is responsible for the surge of leprosy cases in Florida and elsewhere!
Steve Kirsch : OK, so here’s the deal: 98% of the patients who developed Leprosy had the COVID vax before they got the leprosy. Just a “coincidence.” Safe and effective!!! 😉
Emerald Robinson :The COVID vaccines have brought back leprosy! Thank you @DARPA. Thank you @NIH & FDA. Great job, everybody.
Dr. Colleen Huber : Another adverse event from the COVID vaccine. Injury to T-cells and Type I interferon has left the COVID-vaccinated vulnerable to leprosy.
The study, which was published in PLOS on 4 August 2023, is currently in the uncorrected proof stage. This was highlighted in red at the top of the article. That does not mean it is wrong. It just means that the authors may still make corrections or changes to the article.
Fact #2 : Everyone In Study Had Leprosy
Now, it is important to point out that everyone in this study had leprosy.
In fact, only five out of the 52 patients were “newly diagnosed with leprosy”. The remaining 47 patients were diagnosed with leprosy earlier.
In other words – the study does NOT show that COVID-19 vaccination causes leprosy, or reduces a person’s immunity and makes it easier to get leprosy.
Fact #3 : Leprosy Is A Bacterial Infection
Now, I should point out that leprosy (which is also called Hansen’s disease) is a bacterial infection caused by either Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis.
Leprosy is not a viral infection, and is not remotely related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus (which is a coronavirus), or the COVID-19 vaccines.
Fact #4 : Leprosy Is Slow Growing
In addition, leprosy develops slowly – the average incubation period is five years. Most people don’t notice any symptoms until a year later, with some only noticing symptoms 20 years after getting infected.
Generally, people have been infected for many months or years by the time they are diagnosed with leprosy.
In other words – people in that study would very likely have been infected with leprosy months or years before they received their COVID-19 vaccinations.
The study also pointed out that twenty-two of those leprosy patients (41.5%) were on a systemic immunosuppressant drug during 2021.
This is important to know, because leprosy patients are prescribed immunosuppressants like steroids to treat leprosy reactions and neuritis. In fact, this was noted in the second sentence of the article:
Leprosy reactions require systemic immunosuppression which is a risk factor for severe COVID-19.
This suggests that potentially those twenty-two patients had earlier been diagnosed with leprosy reaction and/or neuritis from their existing leprosy infections.
This shows just how common it is for leprosy patients to develop leprosy reactions, even without getting COVID-19 vaccinations.
Fact #6 : There Was No Statistical Analysis
As there was no control group, the authors could not conduct any statistical analysis to determine a causal relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and leprosy reactions.
This was pointed out by the reviewers and acknowledged by the study authors in their response (Word document):
We apologize for not including a detailed statistical analysis plan in the manuscript. We performed a simple analysis of the data due to the retrospective nature of the study and the absence of a control group.
We agree that a comprehensive statistical evaluation would be essential to establish a causal relationship between SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and leprosy reactions definitively.
In other words – the study did not show any causal relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and developing new leprosy reactions.
Fact #7 : Only Two Had New Leprosy Reaction Post-Vaccination
The study wanted to look at whether the COVID-19 vaccination could trigger a T cell response, which would provoke an immunological response to a latent (hidden) leprosy infection.
Out of the 52 people in the study, the COVID-19 vaccination status was only known for 50. Out of those 50 people, 49 were vaccinated, while 1 was not.
Out of the 49 people who were vaccinated against COVID-19, only two individuals developed new leprosy reactions.
Even if we believe that COVID-19 vaccination can trigger leprosy reactions, and take this result at face value, the risk of existing leprosy patients developing new leprosy reactions after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is only 1 in 25 people (4%).
Fact #8 : Thousands Of Leprosy Cases Are Reported Every Year
While some people have suggested that leprosy is extinct, or extremely rare, the truth is – more than 200,000 new cases are reported every year, in over 120 countries!
Even in the United States, about 150-200 new cases are reported every year, with many cases reported in Florida.
If COVID-19 vaccination makes you more susceptible to leprosy, there would have been a global surge in leprosy cases. There has been no such surge in leprosy cases.
In fact, the 2023 surge in cases in Central Florida appear to be localised in Brevard County, suggesting that leprosy is now endemic in that area, and has nothing to do with COVID-19 vaccines.
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People are still claiming that Rab Wardell died from vaccine SADS, but that’s not true!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-06 : Updated with Rab Wardell’s official cause of death and other new details Originally posted @ 2022-09-03
Claim : Rab Wardell – Cause Of Death Was COVID-19 Vaccine!
It’s been almost a year since Rab Wardell died suddenly after he won the Scottish MTB XC Championships, but people continue to claim that the cyclist died from the COVID-19 vaccine. Here are just some examples circulating on social media :
rab wardell death read about rab wardell death cause #vaccine #StoptheShots🙀🙀🙀🙀
This is Mountain biker Rab Wardell speaking on TV last night about winning the Scottish championship 2 days ago.
He’s now dead, 37yrs old, “died in his sleep👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Rab Wardell another victim of the covid vaccine. How about that Fauci ?
RIP Rab. Huge fan. The truth of what the spike proteins from both the virus and the “vaccine” are doing to us is coming out, little by little. Your death will not be in vain. The truth is slowly but surely coming out.
Rab Wardell : Cause Of Death Was Not Vaccine SADS!
It’s becoming tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all athlete deaths or injuries on the COVID-19 vaccine.
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Rab Wardell Died From Athlete’s Heart
37 year-old Scottish cyclist Rab Wardell died on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 – just two days after winning the Scottish MTB XC Championships, and hours after appearing on BBC Scotland’s The Nine programme to talk about that victory.
Almost immediately, anti-vaccination activists started claiming that he died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) caused by the COVID-19 vaccine.
The next day, his wife – Katie Archibald – spoke out, explaining that Rab Wardell died from a cardiac arrest he suffered while they were in bed together.
I think you’ve heard that Rab died yesterday morning. I still don’t understand what’s happened; if this is real; why he’d be taken now – so healthy and happy.
He went into cardiac arrest while we were lying in bed. I tried and tried, and the paramedics arrived within minutes, but his heart stopped and they couldn’t bring him back.
Mine stopped with it. I love him so much and need him here with me. I need him here so badly, but he’s gone. I can’t describe this pain.
Almost a year later – on 31 July 2023, Katie revealed Rab Wardell’s official cause of death – hypertrophy of the left ventricle, which is also known as athlete’s heart. She wondered if Wardell might still be alive if he had not returned to elite level competition.
