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This video has circulated in reports about people queuing for masks in Singapore after the novel coronavirus outbreak

Published on Wednesday 19 February 2020 at 09:25
A video has been viewed tens of thousands of times in multiple posts on Facebook alongside a claim that it shows people queuing to buy Halal food at a mall in Singapore. The video has been shared in a misleading context; it has previously circulated in media reports about people queuing for face masks in Singapore after the novel coronavirus outbreak.
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Thai doctors say their treatment helped a coronavirus patient recover, but it was not a ‘cure’

Published on Tuesday 18 February 2020 at 02:45
Multiple social media posts and media reports shared hundreds of times in February 2020 claim Thailand has cured a COVID-19 patient within 48 hours using a cocktail of an anti-HIV drug and an antiviral drug used for treating influenza. The claim is misleading; Thai doctors say the cocktail of drugs did greatly improve the condition of the patient over 48 hours but did not cure them of the viral infection; the World Health Organisation said there is “no specific medicine” to prevent or treat novel coronavirus as of February 14, 2020.
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AFP / Anthony Wallace

Doctors dismiss misleading online claim that drinking bubble tea can directly cause gallstones

Published on Friday 14 February 2020 at 07:45
A video has been viewed thousands of times in multiple posts on Facebook, Twitter and Line which claim drinking bubble tea, a popular Taiwanese tea-based drink with tapioca pearls, can cause gallstones. The claim is misleading; health experts, including the US-based doctor who took the original video, told AFP “it is not possible” for tapioca pearls to collect in gallbladders or directly cause gallstones in the human body.
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AFP / Lillian Suwanrumpha

Thai health experts say there is no evidence the 'green chiretta' herb can prevent the novel coronavirus

Published on Monday 10 February 2020 at 05:10
An article published by a Thai media site claims that a herb cultivated in southeast Asia, andrographis paniculata or “green chiretta”, can prevent and relieve symptoms of the novel coronavirus. The claim is misleading; Thai health experts said there is no scientific evidence that the herb can boost immunity or relieve the symptoms of the novel coronavirus. 
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AFP / Mladen Antonov

Thai Department of Health denies authorising face mask infographic after novel coronavirus outbreak

Published on Friday 7 February 2020 at 10:20
An infographic describing different types of sanitary face masks and their effectiveness against germs and air pollutants has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook. The graphic claims that the Thai Department of Health is its source of information. The claim is false; the Department of Health told AFP that the image was created and distributed without its consent.
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