Fact Check: No, CDC Didn’t Issue Facial Hair Guide To Prevent Novel Coronavirus
- By: Urvashi Kapoor
- Published: Dec 8, 2020 at 03:13 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News): A graphics social media on facial hair and respirator use is going viral alongside a claim that states CDC Recommends people shave their facial hair to prevent coronavirus. Vishvas News investigated and found the graphics to be more than two years old and is unrelated to COVID-19.
Claim
Vishvas News received Whatsapp Chatbot for fact check. The graphics on facial hair and respirator use is going viral alongside a claim that states CDC Recommends people shave their facial hair to prevent coronavirus.
The post is also viral on Facebook. The archived version can be seen here,
Investigation
Vishvas News performed the Google Reverse Image Search of the viral photo and found the same graphics on the website of Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) in a November 2017 blog post regarding wearing of respirators by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
The graphics was shared more than two years before the discovery of the novel coronavirus,
CDC has also added a warning on the top of the blog post: This blog and infographic from 2017 are intended for workers who wear respirators at work. For the most up-to-date information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), please visit CDC’s COVID-19 website.
NIOSH also tweeted in February 2020 regarding the same. The tweet read: @CDCgov does not currently recommend the general public use respirators for #COVID19. This 2017 graphic is meant for workers who wear them for airborne hazard protection, as facial hair can cause the tight seal to leak.
Vishvas News spoke to Dr. Nikhil Modi who is a pulmonologist at Apollo Hospital. He said: “COVID-19 spreads mainly by droplets produced as a result of coughing or sneezing of a COVID-19 infected person directly or indirectly. Facial hairstyles does not seem to decide whether one can contract coronavirus. One should always make sure to be safe and practice good hygiene.”
The post is shared on Facebook by a user named Joel Vincent Brown. When we scanned the profile of the user we found that the user is based out of Virginia.
Conclusion
No, CDC Didn’t Issue Facial Hair Guide To Prevent Novel Coronavirus. Viral graphics is old and unrelated to COVID-19.
Disclaimer: The #CoronavirusFacts database records fact-checks published since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic and its consequences are constantly evolving and data that was accurate weeks or even days ago might have changed. Remember to check the date when the fact-check you are reading was published before sharing it.
- Claim Review : CDC Recommends people shave their facial hair to prevent coronavirus.
- Claimed By : FB user: Joel Vincent Brown
- Fact Check : False
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