logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Does a video prove that the proposed COVID drug molnupiravir is dangerous?

By Dean Miller
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

There's no credible data supplied in a video that labels the COVID-19 drug molnupiravir as dangerous, and publicly-available evidence does not support the video's claims.

The eight-minute video makes multiple false or unsupported claims including:

  • Molnupiravir is dangerous because it was developed in a collaboration between a private university and an agency of the Department of Defense. The video provides no reason that a collaboration in and of itself makes the drug dangerous.
  • The drug manipulates the human genome in an uncontrolled way. A July 2021 paper in the Journal of Biological Chemistry describes the drug as an antiviral that interferes with how viruses cause illness. The drug causes mutations in the viral material, not in the human genome.
  • Viruses have no DNA. A standard microbiology text book says, "Most viruses have either RNA or DNA as their genetic material."
See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Journal of Biological Chemistry Molnupiravir promotes SARS-CoV-2 mutagenesis via the RNA template
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.