Facts in Q&A format

While some men reported spending more time caring for children, an analysis of National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey data found that a bigger share of women devoted more time to childcare during South Africa's Covid-19 lockdown. In interviews with about 7,000 adult re...

The release of South Africa’s official unemployment numbers for the second quarter of 2020 (April to June) has been delayed. According to an analysis of National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey data, women accounted for the bulk of net job losses. This is “because wo...

While wearing a face mask is compulsory in Nigeria, no sanction for failing to do so has been announced. More: Has Nigeria imposed a N20,000 fine or 6-month jail term for refusal to wear a face mask? ...

The percentage has varied over time. On 3 June, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported that 75% of Covid-19 cases in Nigeria had unknown sources of infection; 2% had a travel history and 23% were contacts of existing patients. “It means that community transmission is happening. It ...

A claim circulating on WhatsApp “assuring” people that chewing raw onions would ensure their recovery, is not supported by scientific evidence.More: FALSE: Chewing raw onions can cure coronavirus...

Yes, in a letter dated 16 June, health facilities and districts were told to “desist from mass testing” of people unless authorised to do so by the director-general of the Ghana Health Service.More: FACT-CHECK: Mass coronavirus testing halted in Ghana’s Central region...

An epidemic occurs when there is a higher than expected number of cases of an illness in a community or region. A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a disease, usually affecting a large number of people. More: Is the claim of a pandemic every 100 years accurate? ...

No, a group of researchers held a press conference to announce that they had developed a potential vaccine candidate. It will take months to determine if it’s effective. More: No, Nigeria hasn’t found Covid-19 vaccine yet – but hunt is on ...

Dr Jaco Laubscher, a Stellenbosch-based physician, has claimed that Covid-19 “is a vascular problem and not a respiratory problem”.He argues that Covid-19 is a disease that affects blood vessels and not the lungs. Therefore, the way the condition is treated by health professionals should change....