The Coronavirus Collection: International Response

As COVID-19 spread from China to the rest of the world in early 2020, rumors emerged about how various countries were (or weren't) coping with the pandemic.

Check out the other categories to read the rest of our COVID-19 fact checks. What questions do you have? Help Snopes investigate rumors around the novel coronavirus by sending us your tips.

Do Sulfur Emissions from Wuhan, China, Point to Mass Cremation of Coronavirus Victims?

Feb 24, 2020 A data map that appeared in a popular Twitter thread did not show what some people claimed.

Did Millions of Canceled Cellphones Reveal Unreported Coronavirus Deaths in China?

Apr 6, 2020 American intelligence agencies have concluded that the Chinese government itself does not know t ...

Did Kim Jong Un Order North Korea's First Coronavirus Patient To Be Executed?

Mar 23, 2020 Rumors from North Korea are notoriously difficult to fact check.

Did a Doctor in Italy Warn Coronavirus Wasn't Just a 'Bad Flu'?

Mar 11, 2020 Physician: "The situation is now nothing short of dramatic. No other words come to mind."

Did Italy Confirm Almost 200 Coronavirus Deaths in 24 Hours?

Mar 13, 2020 As of early March 2020, Italy had seen the worst COVID-19 outbreak outside Asia.

Has Italy Stopped Treating the Elderly in the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Mar 16, 2020 A viral social media post claimed Italian doctors were not treating older patients with coronavi ...

Did Dolphins and Swans 'Return' to Italian Waterways Amid COVID-19 Lockdown?

Mar 20, 2020 A few wildlife sightings were excitedly shared across social media as a note of sunny news amid ...

Did Chinese Doctors Confirm African People Are Genetically Resistant to Coronavirus?

Feb 17, 2020 Misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak seems to have traveled farther than the virus itself.

Did the Kenyan Government Have Maasai Tribe Whip People To Enforce Curfew?

Apr 7, 2020 Humor doesn't always translate from one culture to the next.

Are the Himalayas Visible from Northern India for First Time in 30 Years?

Apr 9, 2020 Pollution levels in India did drop dramatically in April 2020, but beyond that the story gets a ...

Did an Irish Times Column Express 'Pity' for the US?

Apr 28, 2020 A scathing opinion column was copied and pasted then circulated online, prompting some to questi ...

Are Dutch Restaurants Letting People Dine in Personal Pods During COVID-19 Pandemic?

May 4, 2020 One restaurant's proposed solution to dining out during the COVID-19 pandemic went viral on soci ...

Did Tanzania's President Expose Faulty COVID-19 Testing by Submitting Non-Human Samples?

May 7, 2020 Viral social media posts claimed Tanzanian President John Magufuli used samples from a fruit, qu ...

Are These New Zealanders Celebrating the End of COVID-19 Restrictions?

Jun 9, 2020 In June 2020, New Zealand lifted all social distancing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pand ...

The Coronavirus Collection: International Response

The novel coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, China, and spread to other parts of China and the rest of the world from there. Snopes fact-checks the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Snopes Staff

Published Mar 16, 2020

Is China Building a Hospital in 10 Days to Treat Coronavirus Patients?

Does Video Show Guns, Violence in Aftermath of Coronavirus Outbreak in China?

China's Official Newspaper Mislabels Video Footage in Coronavirus Coverage

Is China Seeking Approval to Kill 20,000 Coronavirus Patients?