FACT CHECK: Alleged Image File Containing Virus Was Not Reported On By CNN Or The BBC
A video shared on Instagram claims an image titled “Mexico did it” is going around and causing a computer virus, according to alleged reports from CNN and BBC.
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Verdict: False
This claim is baseless. Neither media outlet reported this. CNN confirmed they did not cover this story in email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone get a new COVID-19 booster, but 75 percent of people skipped the last year’s booster, according to PBS. The Food and Drug Administration authorized updated versions of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines for emergency use, The Guardian reported.
Now, an Instagram post purports an image claiming Mexico cured COVID-19 is spreading a computer virus. The post features a screenshot of a text conversation with the claim.
“They are going to publish an image that shows how Covid 19 is cured in Mexico and it is called ‘Mexico did it’, do not open it because it enters the phone in 5 seconds and it cannot be stopped in any way. IT IS A VIRUS,” the video’s text reads in part. It also claims that this information was reported by CNN and the BBC.
The claim is inaccurate, however. No articles on the subject can be found on CNN or the BBC’s websites. Likewise, there are no credible news reports at all about the alleged computer virus or any about Mexico curing COVID-19.
“No, CNN did not report this,” a CNN spokesperson told Check Your Fact in an email.
Check Your Fact has reached out to the BBC for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
