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Peace

Comparing suicide statistics
24 August 2021

EXPLAINER: Comparing how deaths by suicide are measured across the UK and Ireland

During the pandemic, there have been claims that the number of deaths by suicide has increased, reflecting the acknowledged mental strain experienced by many. FactCheckNI

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Health

COVID-19 vaccinations: fertility and pregnancy
5 August 2021

EXPLAINER: How do COVID-19 vaccines impact fertility and pregnancy?

The issue of how COVID-19 vaccines may impact fertility and/or pregnancy continues to be live. Health Minister Robin Swann told the Stormont health committee on

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Health

Pregnancy and COVID-19 vaccines
28 July 2021

Explaining how guidance regarding vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy has changed as new research and evidence has emerged

On 16 April 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advised that all pregnant people should be offered the COVID-19 vaccine at the same

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Health

COVID-19 vaccines and aborted fetuses
27 July 2021

Concerns have been expressed on social media that COVID-19 vaccines are made from aborted fetuses, and some people object to the vaccines on religious and ethical grounds.

UPDATE: This article was updated on 27 July 2021, in response to a query about whether an mRNA vaccine by CureVac uses fetal cell lines

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Health

Lateral flow device tests for COVID-19
9 July 2021

Lateral flow tests: their use, false positives and false negatives

Two biological tests are being used in the UK to control the spread of COVID-19: (1) the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR, or PCR)

Europe

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Pets and the Northern Ireland Protocol
6 July 2021

Background: worries about Brexit and pets

Before the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, FactCheckNI published a fact check on the claim that pet owners travelling from Northern Ireland

Elections

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The process of nominating the First and deputy First Ministers
1 June 2021

EXPLAINER: Which parties might be in a position to nominate one of their MLAs to be First or deputy First Minister after future elections?

The publication of polling data about changing levels of party support in Northern Ireland has led to speculation about which parties might be in a

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Health

Long COVID
27 May 2021

What is Long COVID and how prevalent is it?

“Long COVID” or “ongoing COVID” are terms given to those who remain ill with COVID-19 for a period of time longer than four weeks. The

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Health

COVID-19 vaccinations: fertility and pregnancy
13 April 2021

EXPLAINER: COVID-19 vaccines, fertility and pregnancy

The issue of how COVID-19 vaccines may impact fertility and/or pregnancy continues to be live. Health Minister Robin Swann told the Stormont health committee on

Elections

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Explainer

The electoral register and the 10-year canvass
2 March 2021

EXPLAINER: How is the electoral register maintained in Northern Ireland?

What is the electoral register? The Electoral Commission describes the electoral register as “a record of the names and addresses of people eligible to vote

Economy

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Health

Children living in poverty in Northern Ireland
25 February 2021

EXPLAINER: A paediatrician has claimed that one third of children in Northern Ireland live in poverty.

How many children in Northern Ireland live in poverty? Dr Julie-Ann Maney, a paediatrician who works at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, wrote

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Health

How does a RT-PCR test for COVID-19 work?
4 February 2021

EXPLAINER: How to PCR tests work and how accurate are they?

A video recently shared on Facebook made the claim (at 05:39): “[The] problem with PCR [testing] is that it’s something of a haystack creator in