Facts in Q&A format

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…

Malagasy president Andry Rajoelina has claimed that a herbal tonic, made from the artemisia plant, could cure Covid-19. The beverage, Covid Organics, was reportedly tested on fewer than 20 patients.In April, the National Academy of Medicine of Madagascar warned against the use of the tonic based on…

According to research published in the online journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA Network Open, traces of the new coronavirus were found in the semen of six men with Covid-19. This small study took place at China’s Shangqiu Municipal Hospital and involved 38 men – some who were in the…

The Burden of Disease Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council has been using information from the National Population Register and historical data from 2018 and 2019 to estimate the number of deaths that could be expected during 2020. They compare it with deaths registered…

Researchers are still learning about the possible complications of Covid-19. A study of 32 patients with both Covid-19 and strokes in New York found that they tended to be younger than stroke patients who didn’t have Covid-19 and that their strokes were more severe. They also had higher levels…

In an address about the pandemic on 29 March, Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari said conditional cash transfers for the next two months would be paid to “the most vulnerable in society” immediately. But it is not possible to apply for this assistance as community leaders and groups help to…

As of 16 April, Lagos state had the largest number of cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. This was 251 of the 442 confirmed cases in the country.

There is no evidence that the disease has been found in chicken farmed for meat.More: False: Coronavirus has not been found in broiler chickenRelated: No, you can’t get coronavirus from eating chicken

The Ghana Health Service has denied reports that imported Chinese medical supplies were contaminated with Covid-19. More: FALSE: Chinese medical aid to Ghana contaminated with coronavirus