HIV

  • The FactChecker – Five Fact Checks You Should Share With A Friend

    A weekly newsletter that takes a closer look at the significance of truth and falsehood in today’s news stories.

    1. Video Shot In Ghana Used To Depict Support For Atiku

    A viral TikTok video is being shared with the claim that young people in  Adamawa State are out to show their support for the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar. However, DUBAWA discovered that the video was taken during Bugum Chugu, a fire festival that takes place in Ghana and has nothing to do with politics in Nigeria. Read here.

    1. Recurring Conspiracy Theory Claims COVID-19 Vaccines Infect Users With HIV

    A viral WhatsApp message claims the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has admitted to HIV being part of the COVID-19 vaccine. The message also claims that the smallpox vaccine introduced by the World Health Organisation is not safe because they are responsible for several AIDS infections. These claims are NOT TRUE. Findings show the claims are baseless and, therefore, FALSE. Read more here.

    1. Can Babies Be Grown In A Bag Instead Of Womb?

    A Facebook user, Chief Yuma, shared a post claiming that babies can be grown in bags and announcing the technology has been used for many years. The claim is FALSE. Babies cannot be grown in a bag. DUBAWA’s fact-check reveals that the bio bag designed to help preterm babies survive has only been carried out on lambs. Read more here.

    1. One Litre Of Fuel In Nigeria To Cost N462 Per Litre Without Subsidy? Unlikely

    Regarding the recent claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)  about petrol, its price and subsidy, here’s a fact-check detailing how much the NNPC is paying as the subsidy on fuel price and how much the same fuel will cost without the subsidy. Findings show the NNPC’s figures are not accurate. Read the full fact check here.

    1. Is Lagos The Third Largest Economy In Africa As Shettima claims?

    The Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Kashim Shettima, claims that Lagos State is the third largest economy in Africa. FALSE! Our findings show Lagos is neither the third largest economy in Africa nor one of the top three business cities in Africa. Read it here.

  • Recurring conspiracy theory claims COVID-19 vaccines infect users with HIV

    Claim: A viral WhatsApp message and image links HIV to COVID-19 and smallpox vaccines

    Our findings show these claims are baseless and are, therefore, false. 

    Full Text

    The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the white blood cells called CD4. 

    It can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen or vaginal fluids, and causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

    HIV continues to be a major global public health concern as it has claimed more than 35 million lives.

    Recently, a viral WhatsApp message claims the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has admitted to HIV being part of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

    “The BBC has now admitted that the HIV was in some of the Covid vaccines,” part of the message read. 

    The message which contains a link suggests this is the reason countries are reporting a rise in HIV infection. 

    Screenshot of the WhatsApp message. 

    Another viral image alleged that The Times report claimed the WHO injected Africans with over 50 million smallpox vaccines in 1987 which triggered AIDS. 

    Screenshot of the viral Image. 

    Seeing how fast this information has spread and based on requests for verification, DUBAWA decided to verify these claims. 

    Verification 

    Claim 1: COVID-19 vaccines contain the HIV

    The link contained in this WhatsApp message led to a website, praguetruth.cz  which contained the same claim referencing an article published in the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) in 2020.

    Screenshot of the report by Prague Truth. 

    Going through the article on AJMC, we discovered the original story on HIV and Adenovirus type-5 vaccine COVID-19 vaccine has been updated. 

    This new update showed that all authorised vaccines are safe and effective. 

    Screenshot of the article on AJMC. 

    Full Fact also clarified that the potential vaccine with HIV protein (the basis for the original version of this report) was never rolled out. 

    To ascertain if there are reported new cases of HIV, DUBAWA conducted a keyword search. We found no news report on a surge in cases of HIV. 

    A website (hiv.gov) that provides timely and relevant federal HIV policies, programs and resources in the United States (US) reveals an estimated 1.5 million individuals worldwide acquired HIV in 2021. According to their data, this number marked a 32% decline in new HIV infections since 2010 contrary to the claim on surges in HIV. 

    We also found that this claim and similar ones which have been debunked by Reuters here and here originated from this BBC report that highlighted how an Australian vaccine was abandoned over a false HIV response. 

    Viral Facts Africa in its videos here and here have also dismissed claims linking the COVID-19 vaccine and HIV.

    The Infomedic Manager for the WHO Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), Sergio Cecchini, dismissed this claim as false.  

    “The claim that HIV virus was included in COVID-19 vaccines is false. There have been several rumours including that COVID-19 vaccines were causing HIV infections.”

    Claim 2: smallpox vaccine by WHO caused a wave of AIDS infection. 

    Our research shows there is no link between AIDS infection and the Smallpox vaccine. We also found a fact-check by Full Fact also debunking this. 

    Mr Sergio of the WHO alliance also said this claim is old and has been debunked, making reference to the verification by Full Fact highlighted above. 

    “This very old false claim about WHO infecting 50M people has been deeply debunked by FullFact here”. 

    Conclusion 

    Our findings show these claims are baseless and therefore false. 

  • Shin gaskiya ne a gano maganin kawar da HIV, wato kwayar cuta mai karya garkuwar jiki?

    Zargi: Wani sako a shafin tiwita na zargin wai an gano hanyar warkar da masu fama da kwayar cutar HIV ta hanyar amfani da sabuwar fasahar dasa kwayoyin halittan da aka sarrafa a dakin gwaji/kwalba

    Gargadi: Babu maganin warkar da cutar HIV kuma wannan dabarar ta dasa kwayoyin halitta daga CCR5 yunkuri ne da ke hasashen samar da kyakyawar makoma ba wai an sami amsa takamaimai ba. Dan haka wannan ikirari yaudara ce kawai.

    Kwayar cutar HIV ya kan janyo ciwon da ke lahani ga kwayoyin jinin da ake kira CD4 cells a turance wadanda dama su ne ke yaki da cututtuka a jikin dan adam su kuma ingantan garkuwar jiki.

    A shekarar 2020 ana kiyasin cewa mutane sama da milliyan 37 ke rayuwa da HIV kuma kwayar cutar na cigaba da kasancewa karfen kafa ga lafiyar jama’a ko’ina a duniya tunda kawo yanzu mutane sama da milliyan 36 suka hallaka a dalilin cutar.

    Wani mai amfani da shafin Tiwita mai suna Pride(@masi_nonxuba) na zargin wai mutane uku sun warke daga cutar, bayan da suka yi amfani da sabon salon na dashen kawyoyin halittan.

    An dade ana neman maganin da zai kawar da wannan cutar daga doron kasa, shi ya sa tantance gaskiyar wannan labarin ke da mahimmanci.

    Tantancewa

    Wannan sako da aka wallafa ranar alhamis 17 ga watan Fabrairu ya dauki hankali sosai. Sai dai duk da haka mutane sun bayyana ra’ayoyi mabanbanta wajen yin tsokaci. Misali, wani mai amfani da shafin mai suna Mr Closet (@Reeuq11) ya ce ana dai kan hanyan samun magani amma ba’a riga an kai ga yin hakan ba. 

    Wani mai amfani da shafin kuma tambaya ya yi ko akwai rahoton da ya nuna hujja. Sai wanda ya wallafa labarin ya amsa da adireshin shafin news24.com mai dauke da labarin da kamfanin dillancin labaran Reuters ya rubuta, mai taken “macen da ta fara warkewa daga HIV bayan da aka yi mata dashen bargo.”

    A cewar rahoton wanda aka wallafa ranar 16 ga watan Fabrairu, batun wani bangare ne na babban binciken da ke samun goyon bayan Amirka, a karkashin jagorancin Dr. Yvonne Bryson daga jami’ar Carlifonia Los Angeles (UCLA) da Dr Deborah Persaud na jami’ar John Hopkins da ke Baltimore.

    Da muka yi binciken mahimman kalmomi mun ga cewa kafofin yada labarai da dama sun dauki labarin. Kafofi irinsu BBC, New York Times, Muryar Amirka, Reuters Aljazeera da Sauransu.

    Da muka yi bincike kan rahotannin mun gano cewa wata mace mai shekaru 64 na haihuwa wadda ake wa maganin cutar sankarar bargo ta warke daga HIV. Hakan ya faru ne bayan da aka dasa mata wasu kwayoyin halitta na musamman. A yanzu haka matar ta cika watanni 14 ba tare da kwayar cutar ta HIV ba.

    Wannan matar ce mutun na uku da ke samun waraka daga cutar. Sauran mutane biyun farko maza ne (Timothy Ray Brown da Adam Castillejo)

    Timothy Ray Brown wani mazaunin Berlin shi ne ya kasance mutumin farko wajen cin moriyar wannan sabon fasahar. A shekarar 2007 aka dasa mi shi bargon sakamakon sankarar da yake fama da ita. Wanda ya ba shi kyautan bargon ya na dauke da wata kwayar halitta a jinin shi mai suna CCR5 wanda ba safai ake ganin irin ta ba. CCR5 kwayar halitta ce da ke hana mai shi kamuwa da cutar HIV ko da kuwa me aka yi.

    A shekarar 2020, Castillejo wani mazaunin Landan shi ma mai fama da cutar HIV ya kasance mutun na biyu da ya sami waraka sakamakon dashen bargon da aka yi mi shi a dalilin sankarar da ya ke da shi.

    Ko da shi ke, a na sa dashen an yi amfani da jinin da ke igiyar cibiya ne wanda aka ce yana da hadari kuma bai da ce a yi amfani da shi a kan wadanda ke dauke da kwayar cutar HIV ba.

    Mene ne kwayar halittar CCR5?

    Daga rahoton mutun farkon da ya sami waraka mun ga cewa ya sami jini ne daga wani wanda ke da kwayar halittar CCR5 wanda ba safai ake samu a jikin dan adam ba. 

    Me wannan ke nufi?

    A shekarar 1996, masu bincike sun gano cewa CCR5 yana iya juya kafar da HIV ke amfani da shi ta shiga jinin mutun daga farkon kamuwa da cutar kuma wadanda su ke da irin wanann kwayoyin halittan guda biyu (wanda ake kira allele a turance) ba su da irin wannan kafar dan haka kwayar cutar ba za ta iya mu su lahani ba.

    An sami irin wadannan kwayoyin halittan a jikin wadanda suka yi ma’amala da cutar ba tare da sun kama ba. Dan haka ne ake ganin cewa wanann wata dama ce ta samu a cigaba da neman maganin cutar da ake yi.

    Me Hukumar Lafiya ta Duniya WHO ke cewa?

    Hukumar Lafiya ta Duniya ta ce babu wani maganin da ke warkar da HIV. Mai dauke da cutar zai iya daidaita kiwon lafiyarsa ta hanyar kula da kai da shan magungunan ARV kala biyu zuwa uku.

    “Magungunan da muke da su (ART) bas u warkar da cutar HIV suna takaita yaduwar kwayoyin cutar ne kawai a cikin jinni ta yadda garkuwar jikin mutun za ta iya inganta kanta ta sami karfin yaki da cututtuka masu hatsari …..” a cewar daya daga cikin daftarorin aikin WHO.

    Tun shekarar 2016 WHO ta ba da shawarar cewa a baiwa duk masu fama da HIV magungunan da za su yi amfani da su na tsawon rayuwarsu. Wannan ya hada da kananan yara, matasa, manya maza da mata, mata masu juna biyu da shayarwa, ba tare da yin la’akari da yanayi ko yawan ciwon da ke jikinsu ba.

    A watan Yunin 2021 kasashe 181 sun dauki wannan shawarar kuma kashi 99 cikin 100 na duk wadanda ke fama da cutar a duniya na cin moriyar tallafin magungunan.

    Duk da cewa an dade ana neman hanyar shawo kan cutar, babu wata hujjar da ta nuna cewa an yi nasarar yin hakan. Tun shekarar 2007 ake amfani da salon da marubucin tiwitan ya wallafa, kuma mutane ukun da suka warke an yi amfani da salon dashen ne dan cutar dajin da suke dauke da shi, sai maganin ya kawar musu da cutar HIV amma ba HIV din ake da burin warkarwa ba, kuma salon na da hadarin gaske ba kowa ne zai sami nasara ba.

    Hukumar Lafiya ta Duniya ta ce har yanzu dai babu maganin HIV kuma dabarar amfani da CCR5 ba’a riga an gama bincikenta ba.

  • Chloroquine Does NOT Cure Coronavirus!

    Social media posts claim Chloroquine, an antimalarial drug can cure  #COVID19.

    No health authorities have certified Chloroquine as a cure for coronavirus. WHO, the foremost authority on the subject, according to the Director-General of the body, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says while the organisation is currently conducting a number of drug trials, it does not expect a result before three weeks. More so, the “malarial Chloroquine used in China was not one of the drugs.”

    Full Text

    Yesterday, the most trending tweets featured the hashtag CHLOROQUINE

    The thread indicates that Chloroquine which is an anti-malarial drug and autoimmune disease drug is a proven cure for covid-19 (Coronavirus).

    https://twitter.com/therealdaddymo1/status/1230388892253278209?s=12

    We traced what may be the source of this dialogue to Verified Twitter page, China Science.

    Similarly, news site, Coinspeaker published a report saying: China Approves Favipiravir as Potent Treatment against New Coronavirus COVID-19 Strain.

    Verification

    Dubawa currently awaits a response to emails sent to representatives of the WHO, CDC and  NCDC.

    Dubawa checks found not only Chloroquine Phosphate as the only purported remedial treatments for coronavirus, but reports also named Favipiravir and Remdesivir.

    Global Times China and China Science on their verified Twitter handle attested to the fact that Chloroquine Phosphate an anti-malaria treatment drug has proven effective in treating Covid-19. The tweet says:

    Treatment not definitive

    It is essential to note the phrase “clinical effects” does not necessarily indicate a definite cure; but rather a potential solution to the virus. The post surmises Chloroquine Phosphate as a likely remedy to Covid-10, not a confirmed treatment.

    A report by Clinical Trials says Chloroquine yields positive data in Covid-19 trial.

    Another report says a group of researchers who have researched (Vitro cell research) on the disease outbreak, tested several antivirals in the lab for effectiveness against covid-19. The result was that Remdesivir stopped the virus from replicating in a lab dish. Further, the group found that Chloroquine was effective in preventing the infection from spreading in human cells in the lab. The researchers gave their feedback in a report published by the journal Cell Research.

    Their findings conclude that Remdesivir and Chloroquine are highly effective in the control of covid-19 infection in vitro (laboratory-controlled conditions).

    Excerpt from site

    Research Efforts

    Interestingly, a report by BBC News Pidgin noted the group found Remdesivir and Chloroquine as capable of blocking the virus infection at low-micromolar concentration. BBC Pidgin even released the names of the Chinese researchers:

    • Manli Wang
    • Ruiyuan Cao
    • Leike Zhang
    • Xinglou Yang
    • Jia Liu
    • Mingyue Xu
    • Zhengli Shi
    • Zhihong Hu
    • Wu Zhong &
    • Gengfu Xiao 

    In the report, a medical expert says the research findings are not strange to science; still, the claims of the Covid-19 response group will need higher authorities such as WHO for authenticity and mainstream application.

    New Turn in Events

    On 20th February, CNBC published a report claiming that the World Health Organisation expects preliminary results from two clinical trials. The story went on to state that these trials scheduled in three weeks are potential treatments for the virus.

    It stated that one trial combines HIV drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir; while the other is testing U.S.-based biotech Gilead Sciences’ antiviral Remdesivir.  The Lead for clinical management in the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Janet Diaz said that there are currently no proven therapies for the new virus. Additionally, she said there is no proof to claims by some scientists that Chloroquine, can be a potential treatment for the infection.

    Similarly, Guardian (international edition) says that Doctors are looking into HIV and Ebola drugs for coronavirus cure, but results are not expected before March.

    Potential treatment

    Pointing to Remdesivir, one of the drugs under trial, The Guardian notes that Gilead, the manufacturers, had tested Remdesivir during the Ebola outbreak in the Republic of the Congo in  2018, with only limited cheering results; although it accepts that for now, the drug holds a pole position in the race for a solution to Covid-19.  “The new trial of remdesivir will be “gold standard” and investigate how well it works in moderately and severely ill patients compared with others given a placebo,” reports the Guardian.

    Meanwhile, WHO which has set a three-week result timeline for drug tests its research and development experts are executing, clarifies that the anti-malarial Chloroquine used in China was not one of the drugs in trials, according to its director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

  • Can you get HIV/AIDs from Fruit?

    Fruits sold in cut pieces are not only cheap but you also get a variety with less money. Not to mention, the importance of daily fruits intake, an important source of vitamins. All good right… but then comes this claim.

    So, should we abandon this medium of buying fruits -cut fruits from vendors? Are we vulnerable to contracting HIV?AIDS from vendors with hand injuries?

    What is HIV/AIDS?

    AIDS – Acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is a disease condition resulting from an HIV -Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection. AIDS occurs when a person infected with HIV is not treated. This usually happens between 5-10 years post-infection. Diagnosis occurs 3-4 months or even 6 months after infection.

    HIV/AIDS has been around for a little over 4 decades now from when HIV was first discovered in 1981. The virus, thought to have first originated from chimpanzee monkeys, has now become one of the world’s top killer infectious diseases.

    Within a person’s body, HIV attacks the immune system (the body’s defence mechanism) giving way for other infections, termed opportunistic infections in this instance, to also infect the body.

    How Does One Get Infected With HIV

    HIV infection often occurs through contact with infected blood, semen, pre-semen, vaginal or anal fluid and breastmilk. These fluids must come in contact with a person’s mucous membranes (found within the mouth, vagina, anus, & penis). Transmission through injection is also plausible. Poor snipping of the umbilical cord during childbirth is also a risk factor.

    The general advice is to avoid unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing needles, syringes or other sharp objects, or transfusion with unscreened infected blood.

    Same plot, different script

    During the early phase of HIV, there was a proliferation of transmission myths. This claim seems to follow the same line of false information and belief. Although acts such as kissing can predispose one to infection, the person infected has to have bruises or wounds in their mouth for transmission to occur.

    However, there has been evidence to show that HIV does not survive for a long time outside the body. This is the reason for the conclusion that HIV transmission cannot occur through saliva, sweat, tears or closed-mouth kissing. The same rationale applies to air, water, insect or pests bites; sharing toilets, utensils, food or drinks.

    How True Is This Message?

    It turns out this story has been around for a while now, as other sister fact-checking websites avert.org and Snopes show. Snopes further shows that this message which has been recirculating since at least May 2005 over the internet, has come in varied forms; the boy eating a pineapple from an infected vendor… being another example.

    “Except for rare cases in which children consumed food that was pre-chewed by an HIV-infected caregiver, HIV has not been spread through food. The virus does not live long outside the body. You cannot get it from consuming food handled by an HIV-infected person; even if the food contained small amounts of HIV-infected blood or semen, exposure to the air, heat from cooking, and stomach acid would destroy the virus”

    US Centre for Disease Control

    This is similar to all known information provided by the WHO about HIV transmission and developing AIDS.

    Conclusion

    Foremost research and knowledge on the subject reveal that this claim is a hoax. Even so, HIV is still a global epidemic as UNAIDS tells us.
    Engaging in safe sexual practices (use of a condom), avoiding sharing sharp needles and objects, screening blood for transfusion and getting tested are the only means to remain safe.

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