Health

Explainer

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Health

EXPLAINER about the concept, benefits and downsides of group COVID-19 testing

Summary: Group screening takes samples from multiple people, mixes them together, and tests them as one. People within a group that test positive are individually

Health

CLAIM: Online articles continue to circulate with claims of the curing properties of tea. Basile 'G-Star' Sery told a newspaper reporter that “Coronavirus is mucus blocking the oxygen supply and [his] tea can flush out the mucus” and “help with coronavirus”.

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INACCURATE

There is no evidence of tea curing or alleviating the symptoms of COVID-19. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, there are no medicines

Economy

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Explainer

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Health

This explainer article details the Northern Ireland Executive’s COVID-19 recovery plan. Last changed on Thursday 15 October 2020, this article is no longer being updated.

Please refer to the NI Direct website for information about the latest restrictions. [This article was originally part of the COVID-19 Information Dissemination (COVID-19 ID)

Health

CLAIMS: three claims about RT-PCR tests and the inventor of the PCR technique

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INACCURATE

CLAIMS: A high number of amplification cycles used in an RT-PCR test will lead to a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 Kary Mullis, inventor of the

Economy

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Health

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Law

CLAIM: At a Northern Ireland Policing Board meeting, the PSNI's Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said that there was 90% compliance with people wearing face coverings in retail settings.

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UNSUBSTANTIATED

Constable Alan Todd has clarified that this figure was an estimate. This claim is unsubstantiated. On 10 August 2020, the use of face coverings in

Health

CLAIMS: three claims about COVID-19, the death rate and the certification of deaths

Rating

MIXTURE

CLAIMS:  Covid-19 was downgraded from high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) status by the UK government on 19th March, 2020. Death rates are no higher this year

Health

CLAIM: 33 people died by suicide during the first week of September in Northern Ireland.

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UNSUBSTANTIATED

This claim is unsubstantiated. There are no official statistics or evidence to support the claim that 33 people died by suicide in Northern Ireland (or

Health

CLAIM: 82% of the public are now wearing face masks [or coverings] on Translink buses and trains in Northern Ireland.

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ACCURATE

Translink’s statistics indicate that over 80% of passengers were wearing face coverings on its services at the end of July. At a press conference on

Explainer

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Health

EXPLAINER: answering some of the questions around the StopCOVID NI Mobile App and how it works.

This explainer article answers some of the questions you may have about the StopCOVID NI Mobile App and how it works. [This piece is part

Explainer

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Health

EXPLAINER: the difference between face masks and face coverings, and their effectiveness.

This article explains how to learn guidance and regulations of the use of face coverings in Northern Ireland and explores some of the available evidence

Explainer

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Health

What are “excess deaths”, and how does the figure for Northern Ireland compare with elsewhere in the UK and across Europe? [This explainer article is

Health

CLAIM: Face coverings/masks became “mandatory” in shops in Northern Ireland as of 1 August 2020.

Rating

INACCURATE

The wearing of face coverings/masks is currently being “encouraged” in a number of indoor settings. The NI Executive is due to review this approach on