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Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
BOSS Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) of Nigeria on Thursday, July 23, announced that the country has recorded 5 per cent of the total Coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths in Africa.
He made the declaration in Abuja, Nigeria during the regular updates by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
Mustapha, the PTF Chairman warned Nigerians who still doubt reality of the pandemic to reconsider and abide by the laid down guidelines provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“On the African continent, the cumulative total for Africa has risen to 773,804 including 16, 448 fatalities,” Mustapha said.
“Nigeria with 38, 344 cases accounts for about 5 per cent of Africa’s numbers. Similarly, Nigeria with 813 deaths accounts for 5 per cent of fatalities in the continent.”
THE CLAIMS
Claim 1: That Nigeria accounts for 5 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in Africa.
Claim 2: That Nigeria records almost 5 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Africa.
Claim 3: That the cumulative figure of COVID-19 risen to 773, 804.
THE FINDINGS
Claim 1
Data provided by NCDC on the figure of confirmed COVID-19 cases as of July 23 in the country was 38, 948, while 16, 061 cases were discharged and 833 deaths recorded, but Mustapha had said the casualty figure was 813 deaths which is less by 20 deaths.
The NCDC COVID-19 daily reports are not made public until almost midnight each day as such the data Mustapha was using would have been that of the previous day which was July 22.
The ICIR analysed the July 22 data and the findings shows that the figure from the NCDC matched with those of the Mustapha – 38, 344 total confirmed cases and 813 deaths.
This implies that the SGF had bench-marked his claim with the July 22 daily report of the NCDC.
Data on COVID 19 Cases in Africa as of July 23. Infographics Credit: WHO Africa Region
As of July 23, the World Health Organisation (WHO), African Region Office confirmed 769, 608 cases of the virus in all African nations.
The data released by WHOAFRO is from the previous day. “WHO only publishes verified information. Data may reflect difference in reporting methods, retrospective data consolidation and reporting delays” reads a caveat on the health organisation daily infographic updates.
To check Mustapha’s figures, The ICIR instead of using July 22 as was done with the NCDC report, data released on July 23 by WHO was used. This is because WHO clearly states that it data for July 23 was from confirmed cases as at 22/07/20.
It states that 16, 435 deaths were recorded while Mustapha has said the casualty figure was 16,448 which makes his higher with 13 deaths. However the deaths in Nigeria figure he gave matched with that of WHO at 813.
So, to verify the five per cent figure claimed by the SGF, The ICIR calculated the percentage of the number of deaths recorded in Africa on July 22 – using the WHO July 23 data – total number of deaths in 16,435 Africa and 813 Nigeria.
The result is 4.95 per cent.
Claim 2
As at July 22 Africa has 769,608 confirmed cases says WHO, this is lesser than the figure Mustapha gave, which was 773,804 – a difference of 4,196.
However, the number of confirmed cases in Nigeria from the NCDC on which Mustapha bench-marked his figures tallied with that of WHO at 38,344.
To check the SGF’s assertion that Nigeria now accounts for almost 5 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Africa The ICIR used the WHO data on Number of confirmed cases in Africa and Nigeria and the result is 4.98 per cent.
Claim 3
The third claim by the SGF is about the cumulative figure of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa which he announced as 773, 804.
As earlier stated, as at July 22 Africa has 769,608 confirmed cases according to WHO, this is lesser than the figure Mustapha gave which was 773,804 – a difference of 4,196.
THE VERDICT
The claim that Nigeria accounts for 5 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in Africa is TRUE.
The claim that Nigeria records almost 5 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Africa is TRUE.
The claim that the cumulative figure of COVID-19 has risen to 773, 804 is MOSTLY TRUE. This is because the figure given by WHO is less with 4,196 and this might due to the updating methods adopted by different countries across africa which might account for a lag.
A video of Dr Stella Immanuel, a United States based medical doctor came up on social media with claims to have discovered the cure to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The video has since gone viral. In the video, Dr. Immanuel who was speaking was surrounded by people wearing medical coats.
She said she has treated over 350 COVID-19 patients including those with diabetes, high blood pressure (HBP), asthma and the elderly with a combination of Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Azithromycin.
“The oldest among the patients is 92 and the result has been the same,” Immanuel said.
“I put them on Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax and they are all well.”
She added she has recorded no casualty, and that she as well as other medical staff working with her were administered with the same drug as a preventive measure against contracting the virus.
She said: “There is no way I can treat 350 patients, still counting and no one is dead and even doing better. This virus has a cure. It is called Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax.”
Before her relocation to the US, Immanuel identified Hydroxychloroquine as one of the drugs she had used to cure malaria infection in Nigeria.
The video generated reactions on social media and was a point for discussion across several media platform in Nigeria and across Africa.
THE CLAIMS
Claim 1
That Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax combination is the cure for COVID-19.
Claim 2
That you don’t need a face mask to protect yourself from COVID-19 because there is prevention and there is a cure.
THE FINDINGS
CLAIM 1
In March, the US President Donald Trump approved the use of Hydroxychloroquine Zithromax also known as azithromycin as a possible cure for COVID-19.
He advised those infected by the virus to consider the use of both drugs with inputs from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This followed an emergency use authorisation from the FDA, despite warnings from medical experts.
But on June 15, the FDA revoked the emergency use authorisation for the drug use.
It expressed concerns the drugs might be ineffective in treating patients due to its side effects.
“In light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other potentially serious side effects, the known and potential benefits of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine no longer outweigh the known and potential risks for the authorised use,” the FDA, an agency under the supervision of the US Department of Health and Human Services had stated.
The FDA, in April, warned against the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 outside the health facilities due to possible kidney injuries, liver and heart problems among other likely complications.
On the use of Zinc, some health experts believe the material could play an important role in boosting the body immune system, particularly against COVID-19.
But, except in a clinical trial, Mohammed Razzaque, a medical expert warned against the use as supplements above the recommended diet.
Zithromax, the third drug mentioned by Dr Immanuel is also known as azithromycin. It is an antibiotic drug used to fight bacteria.
Reports from Drugsite Trust, a New Zealand based pharmaceutical firm that manages drugs.com says Zithromax could treat infections such as respiratory infections, skin infection ear infection and sexually transmitted diseases. Nevertheless, it excluded COVID-19.
But as of date, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is yet to establish a cure for the coronavirus disease.
Though there are ongoing clinical studies reviewing possible treatments, the global health organisation has not pronounced acceptable vaccine or drugs for the virus.
On July 6, WHO accepted recommendations from the Solidarity Trial International Steering Committee to stop further check on hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir due to the inefficiency.
“These interim trial results show that hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir produce little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients when compared to standard of care. Solidarity trial investigators will interrupt the trials with immediate effect.”
The ICIR contacted Professor Bola Olayinka, Infection, Prevention Control expert at the WHO Office, Nigeria to further verify the claim. She said there is currently no evidence to back up the claim on the use of Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax combination as a cure for COVID-19.
She noted that based on well-planned studies on thousands of people that are scientifically documented, Immanuel’s claim can’t be verified.
However, she advised the medical doctor could conduct a well-planned study with ethical approval or provide the data of what she has collected over time and present to the right authorities for proper validation.
“We do not have proof that it cures it (COVID-19),” Prof. Olayinka stated.
“For studies that have been done, it has not demonstrated any positive effect on the disease.”
Prof. Olufemi Babalola, the President of Guild of Medical Directors also faulted the claim. He described Dr Immanuel’s claim as unscientific and unsubstantiated.
“Dr Stella Immanuel strongly attests to treating over 350 patients in her clinic in Houston, Texas, with the combination of Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax. However, people must understand that this is not scientific evidence and just her own personal, unsubstantiated claims.”
He explained further about conflicting evidence regarding the drug stressing that while some studies assumed it is effective, others concluded with the opposite view.
Moreover, the Nigerian Government also has debunked the use of hydroxychloroquine. It says it is only limited to clinical trials.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), an agency under Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health maintained the drug is yet to be validated.
CLAIM 2
Immanuel, the medical doctor who claimed to have found a cure and prevention for COVID-19 says there is no need for masks.
She said “I know you people want to talk about mask. Hello! You don’t need mask, there is a cure. I know they don’t want to open school. No! You don’t need people to be locked-down, there is prevention and there is a cure.”
The prevention and cure Dr Immanuel refers to here is a combination of Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax. She claims she has administered the drugs to herself and other medical staff who are exposed to COVID-19 patients as a form of prevention, and it works.
However, these combination have not yet been approved by the relevant bodies.
WHO recommends the use of face masks as a protective measure against the virus spread. Since the virus is a respiratory infection which could spread through droplets from infected persons, the global health organisation advised the general public to make use of facemasks, aside from maintaining proper hand hygiene.
Other experts who earlier spoke with The ICIR regarding a recent Fact-Checkinformed stressed the need to use facemasks always as against face shield. This is expected to reduce the virus spread.
THE VERDICT
There are potential drugs which have been on clinical trial but are yet to be approved by the WHO as safe for use by the general public. Studies have shown the effects of hydroxychloroquine on patients who complained of hearing loss, tinnitus and other complications. Therefore the claim that Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax combination is the cure for COVID-19 is MISLEADING.
And the claim that you don’t need mask because there is prevention and cure is also MISLEADING.
This is because the claim is based on the premise that the cure and prevention -Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Zithromax combination – against COVID-19 has been found. These combination have not yet been approved by the relevant bodies.
On July 25th, a Twitter account with the handle @AustinNwabufo and profile name Austin Nwabufo, claimed that Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) is luring Abubakar Shekau with a vice-presidential ticket as a way of ending the insurgency.
Shekau is known as the leader of Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant group that has plagued the North-East region of the country for over 10 years leading to thousands of deaths and millions of Internally Displaced Persons.
The tweet made at 6:39 am by Nwabufo whose profile states that he is a lawyer has garnered 575 retweets and 855 as at press time.
THE CLAIM
The tweet reads “APC luring Abubakar SHEKAU with Vice Presidential Ticket as an inducement to end Boko-Haram War, details coming up later in the day, Keep tuned”
The claim is that APC is luring Abubakar Shekau with Vice Presidential ticket.
THE FINDINGS
Nwabufo did not respond to The ICIR request for comment. He, however, blocked the Twitter handle of the reporter.
Yekini Nabena, the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, asked for the claim to be sent to him via WhatsApp which he read and made no comment.
When contacted by The ICIR, Mamman Muhammed, a spokesperson for the Chairman of APC National Caretaker Committee, Mai Bala Buni, said: “I am not in for this junk”. He ended the call and did not pick subsequent calls.
Murtala Abdullahi, a journalist covering security who spent three years of his career reporting the north-east insurgency told The ICIR that Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it “haram” (forbidden) for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with the western society.
Abdullahi said “Shekau does not believe in a democratic system and as a terrorist, he has been declared wanted by the Nigerian government and the US government. So, there’s no how, I mean totally impossible for one to think or fabricate something like this.”
Timothy Avele, the Director-General of International Center for Non-verbal intelligence studies (ICNIS), stated that “Government can negotiate with terrorists but must be from a stronger position. Do you remember the number of times bounty has been placed on Shekau’s head?”
He added that “the claim from the lawyer is weak and can not be true.”
Kabir Adamu Ada, the Managing Director of Beacon Consulting, a security and intelligence outfit told The ICIR that “it will be suicidal if that should happen and I do not think that will happen”.
Kabir further explained that Shekau is a globally wanted terrorist. He said, “the US has 7 million dollars bounty on his head and that is an internationally recognised bounty given the power of the US.”
He added that “I can not envisage a situation where the Nigerian government will enter such a negotiation.”
Adamu stated aside from the US bounty on Shekau, the Nigerian government also has one on him too.
“So to translate from a wanted terrorist to a likely VP candidate is laughable and I see it as a product of political skimming aims at discrediting the APC. This one of the fake news that will likely fly around before 2023 election,” Kabir added.
A security officer in the Nigerian intelligence service also confirmed that the Boko Haram leader ordered the execution of the humanitarian workers in Borno recently because the government refused to negotiate with the insurgents who were asking for $1 million as ransom.
THE VERDICT
From the information presented above the claim that the APC is luring Abubakar Shekau with Vice Presidential ticket FALSE.
A VIRAL post retrieved from WhatsApp on July 16, shows picture of a burnt human with a caption claiming that the person was struck and “roasted” by “thunder” (lightning bolt) while receiving a phone call in the rain.
The photograph recently has been shared several times on tWhatsApp, Twitter, Sharechat groups and Facebook,though The ICIR could not ascertain the origin of the image.
Some Nigerian blogs including OG Media Hub Nigeria and other Facebook pages like Orumba TV also published the image with a similar caption.
THE CLAIM
The caption reads “This roasted man was receiving phone call in the rain, thunder struck and he was roasted as you can see on the floor. Never receive or make calls while rain is falling heavily with thunderstorms.”
The claim as shared on a Facebook page, Orumba TV.
The post has three claims, namely:
That the man was receiving phone call in the rain
That thunder -lightning- struck and the man was burnt (roasted).
That receiving or making calls during thunderstorms can get one burnt (roasted).
THE FINDINGS
Claim 1
Forensic analysis carried out by The ICIR on the photo using InVid WeVerify application shows that the image was not manipulated, except for the texts printed at the upper edge of the photo.
Forensic analysis of the photo using InVid app.
Also, an image search of the photo using Google Reverse Image reveals that the photo was first shared on Twitter in June 2018, but without the printed text or caption.
Although search for that particular image with the caption on any news website yielded no result, findings by TheICIR show that two Twitter users with the handles: @Mano07512038 and @kaja_maiden shared that same image with other photos allegedly of the same incident involving the burnt man on June 11, 2018 and June 12, 2018 respectively.
Screenshot of tweet of the photos shared by Twitter user: @kaja_maiden on June 12, 2018.
TheICIR digged deeper and discovered that the burnt person in the image was that of a retired teacher who was found dead inside his burnt car in Ambalakkulangara, near Kakkattil, in Kozhikode district, Kerala state in India on June 6, 2018.
The deceased was identified as Koyyalummal Nanu, from Koyyal, a news website, www.OnManorama.com reported. It was also reported in the Malayalam language edition of the website.
Screenshot of the news reported by Onmanorama.com on June 6, 2018.
When the image was subjected to further search using TinEye, it came out with five results which indicated that another news website, Mathrubhumi, also reported the incident on June 7, 2018.
To ascertain the authenticity of the images, especially the one showing the burnt man alongside those used on the news sites, The ICIR contacted the journalist who reported the story on www.OnManorama.com via email and Twitter.
The journalist, Anupama Mili, who replied via Twitter, confirmed that the photos were of the same incident that she reported.
Also, when asked to confirm if the ‘burnt man’ in the photo was the same victim mentioned in her report (as published on the news site), she said “Yes, this is.”
Screenshot of Anupama’s response to The ICIR’s enquiry via Twitter.
Kuttyadi Police Inspector, Sunil Kumar, told Mathrubhumi.com that he (the burnt man) may have set himself on fire by pouring petrol on his body.
Although no post-mortem report was received, Sunil Kumar pointed out that the doctors had informed him that the cause of death was suicide.
Experts also pointed out that the cause of the car burning was not a short circuit or any other accident, the news report stated.
From all the media reports, TheICIR was able to confirm that the man was burnt by, and reportedly died from, the fire which spread from petrol kept inside his car.
Similarly, the local Police neither retrieved any phone from the scene of the incident nor mentioned it among items recovered from the scene, according to media reports.
It is therefore evident to conclude that the man was not receiving phone call in the rain when the incident happened.
Claim 2
Further findings by TheICIR reveal that none of the locals who reported the incident to the Police and fire brigade mentioned that there was any thunderstorm or rain around the area when the incident occurred, though the ground around the scene of the incident was wet (as seen in the photos).
The ICIR could not independently verify the cause of the wetness at the scene of the incident, but believes this may not be unconnected with the water used by the fire brigade in putting out the fire from the victim’s car.
SCREENSHOT: Result of the Google Reverse Image search conducted on the photo.
Moreso, local Police in the area reportedly told the media that “the fire is obviously spread from inside” of the car.
This invalidates the claim that “thunder” – lightning- struck and the man was “roasted” as a result of the thunderstorm.
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning, It is however the lighting that strikes.
Claim 3
Findings by TheICIR show that there is a misconception globally that cell phones attract lightning strike which may burn (roast) the person receiving phone call during a rainy weather.
John Jensenius, lightning safety specialist for the U.S. National Weather Service, reportedly said, “If someone is struck by lightning and they have a cell phone on them, it will usually melt or burn. People have taken that and blamed the cell phone, but in reality it is unrelated.”
“People are struck because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place is anywhere outside. The wrong time is anytime a thunderstorm is nearby,” it stated.
Further findings by The ICIR reveal that using a corded telephone during a rainy-stormy weather or thunderstorm is discouraged because the phone is physically connected by wires to the outside.
“A cellphone, however, has no such physical connection and the electric current from a nearby lightning strike cannot reach it. It is perfectly safe to use a cellphone during a thunderstorm,” the Chicago Tribune reported.
Lightning. PHOTO CREDITS: Pexels.com
A similar fact-check done by www.Snopes.com on the topic also corroborated the fact that using cell phones during stormy weather is safe.
Part of the reports reads “Cell phones (and cordless portable phones) used indoors during electrical storms are perfectly safe because there is no wire through which the electrical discharge could travel. (The belief that lightning can “follow the radio waves” into a cell phone is completely unfounded.)
“And although some people feel cell phones pose a risk when used outdoors because lightning is attracted to metal (it’s not — metal is merely good at conducting electrical currents), handsets generally contain insignificant amounts of metal,” it concluded.
The caption on the picture did not indicate what kind of phones it was referring too, because electrical discharge could travel through a land line phone with outlet wiring connected to a phone service provider.
It is however unlikely that the man was in his car with a land line telephone on the road.
THE VERDICT
From the information obtained;
The claim that the man was receiving phone call in the rain is FALSE.
The claim that thunder – lightning – struck and the man was burnt “roasted” is also FALSE.
The claim that receiving or making calls during thunderstorms can get one burnt (roasted) is MOSTLY FALSE.However, when hit by a lightning bolt electrical discharge can pass through a land line telephone with outlet wires, this is not applicable to the ubiquitous cell phone.
A POST with several claims about 2023 presidency and the internal leadership tussle in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) party went viral on WhatsApp last week.
One of the claims in the post is that the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, was in Abuja for three days and was not able to see Governor Mai Mala Buni, who is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Caretaker Committee.
Gboyega is also a member of the APC.
THE CLAIM
Part of the WhatsApp post reads – (SIC) “You can confirm from the Governor of Osun State, Mr Oyetola, he was in Abuja for three days and couldn’t see Governor Mai Mala Buni because both Mai Mala Buni and Akeredolu group didn’t want to allow him and other pro Asiwaju Bola Tinubu group in the Committee to discuss the MODE OF PRIMARY FOR ONDO STATE APC GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION”
The claim: Oyetola spent three days in Abuja without seeing Buni
THE FINDINGS
On the 17 of July at 9:35pm, Governor Oyetola spokesman, Ismaila Omipidan shared photos of Oyetola and Buni on Facebook.
Omipidan captioned it “Pictures don’t lie”.
He went further to write that the pictures were taken before the commencement of the caretakers committee meeting at the party Secretariat.
The ICIR also reached out to Omipidan and he restated that Oyetola met with Buni.
He said: “There is nothing true about the post (WhatsApp post). It is nothing but false. Those two leaders were together and meeting all through our stay in Abuja”.
The ICIR also contacted Mamman Muhammad, the spokesperson of Governor Buni, he confirmed that the parities in question met.
Muhammad said: “The last time they were here at the secretariat of the party, I saw the man (Oyetola) myself with my principal many times together. What kind of cheap blackmail is that!”
Referring to the the claim, he said “nothing like that happened, the information is false”.
THE VERDICT:
From the information presented above, the claim that Oyetola spent three days in Abuja without seeing Buni is therefore, FALSE
A STATEMENT attributed to the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the West African College of Surgeons (Ghana Chapter) issuing a warning on the danger posed by using face shields alone has gone viral on the internet, blogs, social media.
The statement claimed that using face shields without face masks could lead to further spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
As at the time of this report neither the GMA nor the West African College of Surgeons have debunked the statement. They neither responded to the numerous calls and messages – spanning several days – from The ICIR to confirm if the statement was actually from them.
The statement accused blogs of misinforming the public that using face masks could cause a build-up of carbon dioxide.
THE CLAIM
The joint press statement dated Wednesday, July 16, 2020 and allegedly signed by Dr. Frank Ankobea, GMA President and Prof. Peter Donkor, the first Vice President and Country Representative of the West African College of Surgeons in Ghana makes two claims:
The statement from Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the West African College of Surgeons (Ghana chapter)
CLAIM 1:
That “continuous use of face shields without masks by the general public will lead to increase cases of COVID-19”
CLAIM 2:
That “emerging scientific evidence has shown that COVID-19 has the potential to spread through the air.”
THE FINDINGS
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the use of face masks as a preventive measure against COVID-19.
The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also shared the same position on the importance of using face masks for self-protection and to slow the spread of the disease.
Dr. Robert Redfield, the US, CDC Director in a release issued by the Center, Tuesday, July 14, 2020, emphasised how the use of face masks could protect families and communities from being infected.
“Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities,” Redfield said.
The ICIR contacted the World Health Organisation (WHO) Nigeria to further verify the claims.
The Infection, Prevention and Control Expert with the WHO, Nigeria, Prof. Adebola Olayinka, said using the mask reduces the virus transmission not face shields.
“That is actually very right. In fact, it is something we have also been discussing because many people now use face shields,” Olayinka said while commenting on the first claim.
She described the issue of community spread as a major concern emphasising that “what will really help to reduce community transmission is the mask and not the shield.”
Olayinka noted that the phrasing of the statement on face shield increasing coronavirus cases could have been better stated.
“Although, the way they put it that the use of it (face shield) will increase, I think it will be better to say the use of face shields would not help us reduce the transmission.
“The use of face shields alone without masks will not help us reduce transmission of the virus,” she noted.
On the second claim, Olayinka concurred with the claim about COVID-19 being potentially airborne, but with a caveat.
She was specific about conditions COVID-19 could become airborne especially in cramped places, crowded locations that are poorly ventilated.
“It is not completely correct because yes, there are emerging piece of evidence that there could be potential airborne transmission in confined places, crowded places and places where there is poor ventilation. We have some conditions attached to it.
“So, there is that potential for it to spread but how easily it spread, we are not really sure but we know that it spread by droplets and also there have been articles based on experiments that have shown it could stay in the air for some time.
“How long it does or not but of course if the ventilation is good, then the chances are much more reduced but if people stay closer together in confined places, then the chances increase.”
Her comment was similar to the position of the WHO International.
The WHO defines airborne transmission as, “the spread of an infectious agent caused by the dissemination of droplet nuclei (aerosols) that remain infectious when suspended in air over long distances and time.”
The document affirmed the disease could be transmitted through respiratory secretions or droplets expelled on hard surfaces from a confirmed case.
It stated that the airborne transmission of the virus could occur during medical operations that generate aerosols.
Aside that , there are theories that the virus, especially from an infected person could escape through normal breathing and talking via the aerosols. However, this would largely depend on the quantity of the breath out droplets “and the infectious dose of viable COVID-19 virus.”
The WHO brief which was backed up with 99 references, however, called for an in-depth high-quality research to clarify the different mode the virus could be transmitted, the role of airborne transmission and the proportion of COVID-19 virus required for the disease transmission to occur.
Likewise, a study conducted by a group of scientists from China and US to examine if COVID-19 is airborne showed that the virus could spread in enclosed places such as buses and conference rooms.
The study, released in April 2020 was conducted on samples taken from 293 Buddhists and 30 trainees. It, however, concluded on the likelihood of airborne transmission.
Sunday Omilabu a Professor of Virology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) shared further insights on the need for face masks, and not just the use of face shields alone like obtainable.
The Face shield, Omilabu said is to protect medical officials who take samples from individuals and the idea was to prevent splashes of particles from patients during sample collection.
He said both items serve different purposes, thus face shields should not replace face masks.
“…you can see that it is not only the face shield they (medical personnel) put on. They also have the face mask on,” the Omalibu said while stressing that face mask is to protect the nose and mouth.
On the second claim, the virologist agreed that the virus causing COVID-19 could spread through the air.
He explained that since the virus attacks the respiratory tract and it is lighter compared to bacteria, it could be transmitted by air.
“All along, I have that belief that the virus can be airborne because it is released through saliva. Since all these pathogens are released into the air, the wind has that capacity to transport it, to move it from one place to the other.
“And because the virus attacks the respiratory tract, that gives it the power of being transmitted by air. Most of the respiratory tract infections are airborne. So, it’s not unexpected because it (the virus) is carried by air and air can move it from one place to the other and the virus particles are very light when you compared them to bacteria.”
The ICIR also contacted Dr Emmanuel Balogun, a lecturer in the Biochemistry Department of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, he said ‘it is absolutely wrong’, to discard face masks for face shields.
“Taking away the masks and using the face shield alone does not protect you because this is a disease that can be transmitted to you through droplets and this thing can travel far.”
Balogun buttressed his point that individuals could still touch their mouths after touching contaminated surfaces while having the face shield on without masks. But, it is safer when the face mask is on.
On the question, if the virus is airborne, the Varsity teacher shared a similar position with the WHO and the other experts.
He said the possibility of the virus being airborne is high as it could be transmitted through aerosols citing an instance of when an infected person coughs.
The ICIR further attempted to authenticate the statement but every efforts to reach out to the GMA via an email and official phone line failed.
THE VERDICT
From the evidence above the claim that “continuous use of face shields without masks by the general public will lead to increase cases of COVID-19” is TRUE.
The claim that “emerging scientific evidence has shown that COVID-19 has the potential to spread through the air” is also TRUE.
A REPORT alluding that a newborn baby was born holding the mother’s intrauterine device, IUD, has gone viral on the social media.
Aside the social media, different variations of the report alluding that the child came out of the womb holding the device abound on blogs and some news websites.
On June 30, 2020, the hospital, located in the city of Hai Phong in northern Vietnam, posted two photos of a newborn baby holding an IUD device and a third photo with the device by the side.
As at Monday noon when this report was filed, the photo has received over 3,600 likes, garnered over 3,900 comments and had been shared over 4,400 times on the page.
Dr Tran Viet Phuong, one of the heads of the hospital’s obstetrics department where the child was born told a Vietnamese Newspaper – VN ExpressInternational – that when the boy was born, the device came out with him and he grabbed it.
The IUD came out at the same time as the baby, but separately – it was only after being born that the infant grabbed the coil, the newspaper reported.
Phuong said “After delivery, I thought him holding the device was interesting, so I took a picture. I never thought it would receive so much attention.”
An IUD is a birth control device placed in the uterus, it prevents the sperm from fertilising an egg.
“But it does not have a 100 percent success rate,” said Phuong. “Upon its insertion, the device might have been moved from its original position and thus was no longer effective,” the doctor explained.
Dr. Malachy Emeka Ayogu, an obstetrician and gynecologist (OBGYN) at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada in Nigeria, told The ICIR that “nothing is impossible in medicine but it is very rare for pregnancy to occur with IUD in situ.”
Dr. Ayogu warned that people should be “mindful of this era of photoshopping where images can be manipulated to mean anything.”
He stated that “Failure rate for IUD failure is actually less than 1%”
On the claim that the baby was born holding the birth control device, he said “It is difficult to explain how a baby could hold an IUD on the palm after all the processes involved in the mechanism of labour unless Caesarean delivery was the option. In fact, it can’t be explained scientifically.”
This isn’t the first time that similar post will go viral on social media alluding that a baby was born holding the mother’s birth control device.
In 2017, Snopes did a report about a photo that went viral with a misleading caption. The mother had posted a picture of her newborn holding a Mirena-brand birth control device along with the caption “Mirena Fail.”
The image was later re-shared to mean the baby was born holding the IUD.
Dr. Leena Nathan, an OBGYN and assistant clinical professor for the University of California at Los Angeles in the report said it would be impossible, however, for a newborn to be delivered holding such a device because there would be no way for the IUD to get inside the amniotic sac, a fluid-filled membrane that envelops a foetus while it grows inside the womb.
THE VERDICT
From the evidence presented above, the claim that the child came out from the mother’s womb holding the IUD, is therefore, FALSE.
UPDATE – 26 July 2020.
Tuko has corrected the report on its website reflecting that the baby was not born clutching on the IUD but it came out separately, he just grabbed it later.
The news platform in a communication with the ICIR said “the error was not intentional.”
It stated that “We offer our apologies and assurance that the error was not intentional as we strive to feed our audience with facts-based stories at all times”.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on July 11 claimed that it is safe to be in an aircraft cabin without physical distancing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
He made the comment when he led a team of aviation industry stakeholders and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano.
The trip was to assess the airport’s readiness for resumption of domestic flights following the coronavirus-induced lockdown of the nation’s aviation sector.
It has also generated a lot of public debate and reactions from Nigerians.
THE CLAIM
Sirika in the news report said “However, let me explain the mechanics and the going ons in an airplane that makes it safe in COVID-19 period. Airplanes are designed in such a way that the ambient air at altitudes is clean. It is not contaminated.
“The air is dropped in the aircraft, pressurised and because of pressurisation, the temperature of the air goes up to 200 degrees which is twice boiling water and there is no bacteria or virus that can survive it and it is suddenly cooled to about 2 degrees centigrade and then it is passed to a filter.
“Passing through the filtration system ensures that every single organism is screened and then it is passed to the cabin and once it is passed through the cabin, it comes from the ceiling downwards.
“So, it is not coming from the cockpit to the rear, it is from the ceiling downwards and it drops on the floor and gets circulated.
“This circulation happens every two minutes. So, on a flight from Abuja to Lagos, the circulation will happen like 27 to 30 times. With this, it is ensured that it is more hygienic to be in an airplane than to be in an operating theatre in the hospital” .
FILE PHOTO: Lagos airport.
Sirika added that “With this mechanism in place, everything will be safe provided that we are decontaminating the airplane before we enter and decontaminating after we leave and also cleaning all the possible surfaces that one will touch.
“If this continues, then everyone is safe to remain in the cabin seated next to each other with the mask on. So with this, yes you can be without physical distancing but in the departure and arrival halls and everywhere including the buses, you must remain physically distanced like at least six feet or two metres.”
The minister made two claims:
That it is safe to be in an aircraft without physical distancing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
That it is more hygienic to be in an airplane than to be in an operating theatre in the hospital?
THE FINDINGS
Claim 1
Findings obtained by The ICIR from Embraer, one of the leading global aircraft manufacturers, show that keeping safe physical distance on an airplane may not be necessary for one major reason; because “cabin air circulation and ventilation inside an aircraft are carefully engineered to disperse and re-direct contaminants.”
It states further: “In fact, most aircraft exchange their entire volume of cabin air 20 to 30 times more frequently than the air in an office, and 5 to 6 times more than hospitals.
Air circulation in an aircraft. PHOTO CREDITS: Embraer.com
“The air in an Embraer E-Jet cabin is completely refreshed at least 20 times every hour. The air circulates through strategically placed vents and upper and lower air inlets around the overhead bins.
“We conducted a series of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) tests and simulations of cabin air flow years ago during development of our E-Jets.
“Our objective was to ensure that airborne contaminants were effectively directed away from passengers. In other words, droplets, like those generated by talking, coughing, and sneezing, are dispersed vertically and channelled away from other passengers as much as possible.
“We found that the correct positioning of the PSU gaspers in relation to a person’s head, and the resulting airflow, creates a kind of air curtain, or air barrier. The cone-shaped flow pattern from the gasper directs particles to air return grills located near the cabin floor. This minimizes cross-contamination between rows although the seat banks themselves serve as natural blocks to exhaled droplets. Forward-facing seats also minimize direct face-to-face passenger interaction.”
Air quality in an aircraft. PHOTO CREDITS: Embraer.com
Embraer noted that the most common droplets that people expel are between 4 and 8 microns in size. “The heavier ones fall close by and collect on surfaces, like seats and clothing. The smaller ones, however, can remain suspended.”
“Aircraft-grade High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, like those on every E-Jet, are extremely efficient. In fact, they’re 99.97 per cent effective in trapping airborne particles and other bio-contaminants as small as 0.3 microns.”
Furthermore, a briefing paper on the ‘Cabin air quality – Risk of communicable diseases transmission’ for the the International Air Transport Association, IATA, states that “the risk on airplanes is probably lower than in many confined spaces because modern airplanes have cabin air filtration systems equipped with HEPA filters.”
Using the European air filter efficiency classification, The IATA describes HEFA filter as any filter element rated between 85 per cent and 99.995 per cent removal efficiency.
In an interview with The ICIR, Professor Sunday Omilabu, a Professor of Virology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos – Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said the claim by the aviation minister that it is safe to be in an aircraft without physical distancing “may be hinged on the fact that the passengers are all using face masks.”
“So, I may agree with him on that” while adding that, all passengers wearing face masks ‘will limit the transmission of the virus particles.”
A graph showing air quality in an aircraft when compared to an hospital and other building. PHOTO CREDITS: Embraer.com
He pointed out that “if you want to really prevent transmission, maintaining a distance would help because when the virus is released, it cannot travel a long distance; that’s what informed the idea of within a two-meters distance among each other.
“But inside the aircraft, that will be difficult to observe; so I think that’s why we should all put on our face masks and then they restrict all on-boarding activities.”
Similarly, Dr Emmanuel Oluwadare Balogun, a lecturer at the Biochemistry Department of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria also agreed with the minister’s claim.
“I think it’s safe as long as air passengers and crew maintain the minimum safety advice,” he told The ICIR but warned that “if it’s not absolutely important, we shouldn’t travel. But when we travel, we should just try to maintain the minimum safety regulations and advice.”
Further findings by TheICIR show that Nigerian airline operators who resumed flight operation across the country days ago ensured that air passengers wear their face masks within airport vicinity and onboard aircraft.
This, according to the Captain Ado Sanusi (retired), the Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, was in line with the Nigerian Government’s directives and the World Health Organisation (WHO) travel advice as well as the COVID-19 advisory guidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Claim 2
A document obtained by TheICIR from IATA shows that the risk of catching any infection on an aircraft is typically lower than in any other place, including an hospital, a shopping centre or an office environment.
“We assess that the risk is lower. Compared with those locations, a modern aircraft has its cabin air changed many times more frequently than offices or shops.
“For most modern aircraft types, the air supplied to the passenger cabin is either 100% fresh or is a mixture of fresh and re-circulated air that is filtered through HEPA filters of the same efficacy (99.97% or better) in removing viruses as those used in surgical operating rooms.
“As in a shopping centre or an office, the biggest risk is if someone remains in the environment while unwell with a viral infection. Hence, maintain good personal hygiene is key,” it stated.
Is it, therefore, more hygienic to be in an airplane than to be in an hospital’s theatre room?
“That is not absolutely true,” Dr. Balogun said.
He added: “I guess what the minister is trying to say is that the inside of a cabin without passengers is clean, neat and not risky. The reason for that is because most aircrafts have in the air circulation system what we called the HEPA filters. These HEPA filters remove over 99.9 per cent of any particles suspended.
“But by the time you have the passengers in there, then it can no longer be as clean as he thinks it is. Even while seated in the aircraft, wear your mask and then at regular intervals, have your hand sanitizer with you and use it regularly.”
Also speaking, Professor Omilabu noted that “there is a limit to what the filter can take when you have too many people now releasing air into the cabin. So, the possibility of over tasking the filter can be there.”
He noted that the theatre too is supposed to be sterile. “But there are possibilities of jeopardizing that sterility depending on the procedure going on in the theatre. And you know that patient being operated needs to be protected because they’re exposing his body to pathogens. So, these are two different set up.”
But Embraer maintained that most aircraft exchange their entire volume of cabin air 20 to 30 times more frequently than the air in an office, “and 5 to 6 times more than hospitals,” thus making the cabin more hygienic than a hospital in general.
However, speaking specifically about some hospital areas like the operating theatre, the IATA put forward that the aircraft cabin uses a similar re circulation system as that of an operating theatre.
While speaking about HEPA in planes the IATA stated that “For their production of aircraft with cabin air re-circulation systems, manufacturers have chosen the higher efficiency filters, which are similar to what you would find in a hospital operating theatre”.
THE VERDICT
From all data obtained, TheICIR is able to confirm that:
The claim that it is safe to be in an aircraft without physical distancing amidst the COVID-19 is TRUE.
The claim that it is more hygienic to be in an airplane than to be in an operating theatre in the hospital is MOSTLY TRUE this is because modern aircraft cabin have HEPA filters which gives it a better air circulation than a hospital in general. However specific areas in a hospital like the operating theatre also uses similar higher efficiency filters.
ON Thursday, July 16, Dele Momodu, a Nigerian journalist and publisher of The Ovation magazine claimed that Kenya’s Amina Mohammed has beaten Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General’s position.
The claim which was started with the kicker “Breaking News” was tweeted on his twitter handle @DeleMomodu around 6:30pm.
Momodu has over 1.2 million followers on his verified handle. The tweet garnered 370 likes, 170 retweets and 64 comments before it was deleted.
A news medium, City News also posted a similar report on its website.
CLAIM
The tweet reads: “Breaking News: Kenya’s Amina Mohammed beats Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo Iweala for the WTO’S top Job.
The claim here is : Did Kenya’s Amina Mohammed beats Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo Iweala for the WTO’s top job?
The Claim by Dele Momodu
FINDINGS
Findings by THE ICIR revealed that although both Okonjo Iweala and Amina Mohammed are among the eight contestants jostling for the position of the WTO’s Director-General position, no one has been elected for the position.
While Amina Mohammed is Kenya’s candidate for the job , Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy is the Nigeria’s candidate for the same job.
A check on the WTO’s website further revealed that nomination period for the 2020 DG selection process ended on 8 July and they are currently at the phase where the candidates are being invited to meet with members at a special General Council meeting, which is scheduled to hold from 15 to 17 July.
In addition, according to the information on the WTO’s website, the second phase of the process in which the candidates “make themselves known to members” will end on 7 September. After which the third phase would commence.
The third stage is expected to take place within a period of two months, which may involve more than one stage of consultations as members seek to narrow the field of candidates.
Further checks by The ICIR revealed that Dele Momodu has tweeted a correction to his earlier tweet stating that Amina Mohammed has not been confirmed for the WTO top job. He apologised for his action.
His tweet reads: “CORRECTION… Just received news that AMINA MOHAMED has not been confirmed for the W.T.O job but nominated by KENYA… The interviews are still ongoing…
“So is Nigeria. Even after NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA’S interview the Nigerian delegation is still with Ngozi in Geneva. Very sorry.”
VERDICT
Based on the available information the claim that Kenya’s Amina Mohammed beats Nigeria’s Okonjo Iweala for the WTO’s top job is FALSE.
A MESSAGE with the headline “7 biggest brain-damaging habits”, attributed to the World Health Organisation (WHO), has been trending on social media.
This message has gone viral on WhatsApp and other social media like Pinterest.
A variation of the message on other social platforms was however not attributed to WHO.
THE CLAIM
That the WHO shared nuggets on “7 biggest brain damaging habits”. The habits listed include; “missing breakfast”, “sleeping late”, “high sugar consumption”, “more sleeping specially at morning”, “eating meal while watching TV or computer”, “wearing cap/scarf or socks while sleeping” and “habit of blocking/stopping urine.”
THE FINDINGS
A preliminary check showed that the claim is filled with typographical and grammatical errors.
It reads, (sic) “Don’t Just ReadForward to whom you careAs I care for U” with the word ‘you’ represented as an abbreviation “u” and spaces between some words omitted.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the WHO would issue a public information message in this pattern.
The claim was subjected to internet search and further findings revealed that a similar claim appeared on the internet in 2017.
It had similar content except for the quoted caption and graphics. While the claim under verification was attributed to the WHO, the latter was referenced to another organisation.
As part of the verification process, the WHO Nigeria office also debunked the claim that the message originated from its office.
Charity Warigon, Head of Communications, WHO Nigeria, told The ICIR via a phone call that, “Certainly, it doesn’t sound WHO at all.”
She asked for the viral claim to be forwarded to her through the WhatsApp platform. This was done, and in her response, she labelled it as fake.
“This is FAKE,” Warigon stated.
THE VERDICT
Based on the above findings, WHO did not send out the circulated message. Therefore, the attribution to WHO is FALSE.
