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People across the globe continue to seek answers on how to defeat the coronavirus that has sickened millions.
One proposed solution has recently gained attention: vitamin D.
A link between vitamin D and COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, caught the eye of U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Republican from Wisconsin.
In a May 21 news release, Grothman encouraged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to look into vitamin D’s impact on the virus.
“Research illustrates a clear correlation between vitamin D deficiencies and (higher) COVID-19 mortality rates,” the release said.
Studies cited by Grothman do suggest vitamin D deficiencies may have contributed to COVID-19 deaths in some countries. But many questions remain about the relationship between the two, and researchers say more work should be done to better understand it.
Is Grothman right about the correlation?
Click here to read the full fact-check.
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A tweet and a TikTok video claiming that wearing a mask causes hypercapnia — a type of carbon dioxide poisoning — have a small kernel of truth, but they’re Mostly Not Legit. The CDC and the World Health Organization both recommend wearing a mask in public. Watch the fact-check»
Facebook post claims Michigan governor reopened region for family event
Easing one of her COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer partially reopened a large swath of northern Michigan. The governor’s office said the reopening did not coincide with any Whitmer family event in Traverse City, which is in the reopened area. Get the facts»
Tweet claims Los Angeles closed COVID-19 testing centers to punish protesters
News about coronavirus and protests against police brutality collided in a viral tweet claiming that the city of Los Angeles shut down its COVID-19 testing centers to punish the protesters. It’s Not Legit. Watch for more»
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Alex Mahadevan is a senior multimedia reporter at MediaWise. He can be reached at amahadevan@poynter.org or on Twitter at @AlexMahadevan. Follow MediaWise on TikTok.
