Fact Check: No, WHO didn’t say coronavirus is losing potency; viral post falsely attributed to World Health Organization
- By: Urvashi Kapoor
- Published: Jun 23, 2020 at 05:35 PM
New Delhi, (Vishvas News): A post doing rounds across social media claims that World Health Organization (WHO) has conducted a study and has found that COVID-19 is losing potency. It further claims that COVID-19 is getting weaker and harmless. Vishvas News investigated and found that the World Health Organization has not conducted this study, instead, in a press conference, WHO said the coronavirus has not changed to become stronger or weaker. It seems to be staying the same, WHO added.
Claim
A widely shared post with a graphics and a WHO logo reads: “Covid-19 Losing potency. A study conducted by world health organisation (WHO) and world majer hospitals has found that covid-19 become weaker,harmles those who have been recently infected by cronavirus, symptoms shows there is no lethal the petient will suffer covid-19 easer than two months ago.” The archived version of the post can be checked here.
Investigation
As seen in the photo shared in the viral post attributed to World Health Organization (WHO), there are glaring spelling mistakes. ‘Coronavirus’ is mis-spelt as ‘Coronaviruse’, ‘harmless’ is mis-spelt as ‘harmles’.
Vishvas News further investigated and found a report on Reuters dated June 1, 2020 titled: “New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says.” The report claimed that an Italian doctor has claimed that coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal.
However, as per other news reports, WHO had refuted the claim that coronavirus is losing its potency. the reports also state that WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, as well as several other experts on viruses and infectious diseases, said Zangrillo’s comments were not supported by scientific evidence.
As per another report, Zangrillo told Reuters: “We have never said that the virus has changed, we said that the interaction between the virus and the host has definitely changed.”
We further searched and found a youtube video titled: Virus not less potent, WHO says after Italian doctor claim, on the channel of AFP. In a press briefing, Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, stated that novel coronavirus is still a killer disease and there is no evidence to support claims that it has become less serious.
VishvasNews contacted World Health Organization (WHO). As per WHO Spokesperson, the viral post is falsely attributed to WHO. They said: “No, that is a false post. In fact in our press conference, we said the virus has not changed to become stronger or weaker. It seems to be staying the same.”
The post is shared on Facebook by a user named Liaqat Ali Khan Afridi. When we scanned the social profile of the user, we found that the user is based out of Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion
World Health Organization (WHO) didn’t say coronavirus is losing potency. The viral post false attributed to World Health Organization (WHO).
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 : WHO said coronavirus is losing potency
- Claimed By : Fb user: Liaqat Ali Khan Afridi
- Fact Check : False
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