Motunrayo Joel

Nigeria deputy editor/health researcher

Latest fact-checks

WhatsAppMessage_False

Reddington hospital didn’t send WhatsApp message warning of third Covid wave in Nigeria

A message circulating on WhatsApp in Nigeria claims the managing director of the private Reddington hospital in Lagos, southwestern Nigeria, has warned that Nigeria is experiencing a third wave of Covid-19.

The message, online since May 2021, also warns people who have received the first…

Vaccine_false

No, French virologist Montagnier didn’t say ‘all vaccinated people will die within two years’

Did Luc Montagnier, a French virologist and Nobel laureate, say all vaccinated people would die in two years? That’s the terrifying claim in a message doing the rounds on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram in May 2021.

Most versions show a photo of Montagnier and are headed: “All vaccinated people…

Bed-Wetting_Incorrect

Egg, black seed oil and milk stops bedwetting in adults? No scientific evidence

“How to cure BED-WETTING Naturally,” begins a message posted on Facebook in Nigeria in March 2021.

It claims a mixture of egg, black seed oil and milk is a “very effective” cure for bedwetting in adults.

“When we say cure for bed-wetting, we are only referring to bed-wetting in adults or…

NigeriaSpotcheck_Misleading

Covid-19 vaccine

Headlines saying 96% of Nigerians have received Covid-19 jabs are misleading

The headline of an article on Latest Nigerian News, an online news aggregation website, claims Nigeria’s federal government has administered the first Covid-19 vaccine dose to 96% of Nigerians.

The May 2021 report continues to circulate online. The same headline was spotted on Facebook and…

Latest facts

What is Covid-19 variant found in India?

Source

Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism – Three for three: Understanding the 3 COVID variants circulating during SA’s third wave

Short answer

What is Covid-19 variant found in India?

The Delta or B.1.617.2 variant of SARS CoV-2 (previously known as the “Indian variant”) was first detected in India in December 2020 and became the most commonly reported variant in the country from mid-April 2021. The mutations in the Delta variant’s spike protein help the virus to better…

Back Full answer

Which Covid-19 vaccine is more effective against the variant found in India?

Source

Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism – Three for three: Understanding the 3 COVID variants circulating during SA’s third wave

Short answer

Which Covid-19 vaccine is more effective against the variant found in India?

Although it is still too early to know, there is some evidence suggesting that the Delta variant reduces vaccine efficacy. Data from cases in England showed that the effectiveness of both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines had been lowered after one dose from 51.1% to 33.5%. But after a second…

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Is it true that South Africans drink more alcohol than any other African country?

Source

Global status report on alcohol and health 2018

Short answer

Is it true that South Africans drink more alcohol than any other African country?

According to the World Health Organization’s data, South Africa’s drinking population consumed 28.9 litres of pure alcohol per capita a year, the fifth highest consumption rate in the world, This was below Namibia (31.3 litres), Eswatini (32.7 litres), Cook Islands (32.9 litres) and…

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Natural resources & energy

Governance & service delivery

What share of South African households have access to electricity from the grid?

Source

General Household Survey 2019 (Statistics South Africa)

Short answer

What share of South African households have access to electricity from the grid?

The percentage of South African households that were connected to the mains electricity supply increased to 85% in 2019 – an increase from 77% in 2002 (the year of the first General Household Survey).

Related: Frequently asked questions about electricity in South Africa

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David Ajikobi

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Samba Dialimpa Badji

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Alphonce Shiundu

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Motunrayo Joel

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