False Claim: “COVID Isn’t a Virus”

Hind Khoudary

Science

5th June 2020

“CO” stands for corona, “VI” for a virus, “D” for disease (GettyImages)

The Claim

Italian doctors found that coronavirus “isn’t a virus” but instead is bacterial.

News posted on

www.alwatanvoice.com

Lenquete

Emerging story

A claim that coronavirus is a bacteria is making rounds on social media. Media outlets expressed their shock claiming that the World Health Organization deceived the people after pathologists had performed autopsies on people with COVID-19.

OTV, a Lebanese TV channel, also broadcasted a report that claims the alleged doctors said they were subjected to “deception and humiliation” by the WHO.

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar's investigation found that the claim that autopsies done on bodies infected by corona show that COVID-19 is not a virus is false.

MEDRxiv published a study in April 2020 that shows the historical patterns in lung tissue of patients with severe COVID-19 after autopsies on people who died due to the virus in Italy. Aurelio Sonzogni, a pathologist, confirmed that the study does not contradict the fact that COVID-19 is a virus that cannot be treated with antibiotics. John Hopkins University School of Medicine stated that coronavirus is a respiratory disease.

WHO reported that “CO” stands for corona, “VI” for a virus, “D” for disease, and 19 for 2019.

This clarifies that the claim is false, and COVID-19 is a virus.