The Coronavirus Collection: Origins and Spread

24 Articles

Snopes investigates rumors and memes about the origins and spread of COVID-19.

Brandon Echter

Published 6 March 2020

Image via CDC/Hannah A Bullock; Azaibi Tamin

The novel coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China in 2019 and quickly spread throughout that country and beyond. Its origins and development into a pandemic prompted rumors and misinformation, and these investigations by Snopes.

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.

‘Uncle With Masters Degree’ Gets Facts Wrong in Coronavirus ‘Announcement’ A viral Facebook post amplified dubious and potentially dangerous claims amid an outbreak of the...

News

The Origins and Scientific Failings of the COVID-19 ‘Bioweapon’ Conspiracy Theory The coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 has deadly adaptations that make it perfect for infecting humans....

News

Did a Chinese Intelligence Officer Reveal the ‘Truth About the Coronavirus Outbreak’? A piece of horror fiction was a little too believable for some readers.

Fact Check

False

Did Health Experts ‘Predict’ New Coronavirus Could Kill 65 Million People? Some details from a mock health exercise were confused with real-world reports.

Fact Check

False

Did Chinese Doctors Confirm African People Are Genetically Resistant to Coronavirus? Misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak seems to have traveled farther than the virus itself.

Fact Check

False

Was That Cough You Had Last November or December COVID-19? Scientists do not know exactly when or where the first COVID-19 case occurred. Does that...

News

Was COVID-19 Discovered in the US and South Korea on the Same Day? These two countries took different approaches in the early days of the pandemic and saw...

Fact Check

True

Is Coronavirus Spreading Faster Than SARS, Ebola, and Swine Flu? A video clip supposedly showing the exponential spread of a new coronavirus misled some viewers.

Fact Check

Mixture

Did Italy Confirm Almost 200 Coronavirus Deaths in 24 Hours? As of early March 2020, Italy had seen the worst COVID-19 outbreak outside Asia.

Fact Check

True

Did a Doctor in Italy Warn Coronavirus Wasn’t Just a ‘Bad Flu’? Physician: "The situation is now nothing short of dramatic. No other words come to mind."

Fact Check

Correct Attribution

Can Contaminated Money Spread the New Coronavirus? The World Health Organization has advised people to “wash their hands after handling banknotes.”

News

Is COVID-19 Being Spread Through Gas Pumps? Gas pump handles are one of many common objects that could be contaminated, so consumers...

Fact Check

Mixture

Was COVID-19 Found in Packages of Toilet Paper? The last thing readers needed amid the 2020 coronavirus pandemic was fiction disguised as "news."

Fact Check

False

coronavirus heat trump warm weather COVID-19

Will Warm Weather Kill Coronavirus? U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped the virus would go away in April 2020...

Fact Check

Unproven

Are Thieves Handing Out Masks With Chemicals That Make You Pass Out? Memes exploiting fear over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have been widespread on social media.

Fact Check

False

Did Pat Robertson Blame Oral Sex for COVID-19? A routine review of content labeled satire.

Fact Check

Labeled Satire

Should Fabric Masks Be Sanitized in a Microwave? Experts do not recommend heating up your personal protective gear like leftovers.

Fact Check

False

Can Your Pets Get Coronavirus, And Can You Catch It from Them? When talking about a virus, the words “get” or “catch” are vague. A more precise...

News

Is This COVID-19 Mask Efficacy Chart Accurate? The CDC recommends wearing a cloth face mask in public during the COVID-19 pandemic to...

Fact Check

Mostly False

Did Nobel Laureate Tasuku Honjo Say COVID-19 Was ‘Man-Made’? Unlike new viruses, quotes can be manufactured with ease.

Fact Check

False

Did This Nobel Prize Winner Say COVID-19 Was Created in a Lab? Keep in mind, the opinion of one person does not outweigh the consensus of the...

Fact Check

Correct Attribution

Is NYC’s COVID-19 Death Rate at Least 250x Higher Than Tokyo’s? A viral tweet from software engineer John McAfee raised questions about social-distancing measures during the...