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A FALSE CLAIM that a patient in a UK trial for a Covid-19 vaccine died after being injected has resurfaced in Ireland in recent days, months after it was originally shared and debunked.
Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford Elisa Granato was one of the first two people injected with a potential Covid-19 vaccine in a trial in the UK in April.
Within days of participating in the trial, false claims spread on social media that said Granato had died as a result of the vaccine trial.
The false claim suggests that “Elisa had complications a few hours after taking the vaccine and died while on admission”.
One post sharing the false claim has been viewed over 24,000 times on Facebook since it was shared on 4 August.
Another variation, which has been copied, pasted, and shared by multiple social media users, tells readers to “get rolling up your sleeve for that killer shot”.
One post sharing a screenshot of an article announcing her ‘death’ was originally captioned “Everyone ready? #kungflu”, with a vaccine emoji and skull emoji. It was edited shortly after it was posted to also include “#billgates”, despite no apparent link between the article and Bill Gates.
Bill Gates has been the subject of a significant number of false claims and conspiracy theories surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic that TheJournal.ie has already debunked, such as this one, this one, and this one.
False rumours
In fact, Granato is still alive.
Granato made a statement on Twitter shortly after the rumour first circulated to say that she was doing well and that an article claiming she had died was fake.
Elisa Granato 🦠🔬 / Twitter
Elisa Granato 🦠🔬 / Twitter / Twitter
She spoke to the BBC in a video on 26 April, when she said that was “very much alive”.
Fergus Walsh / Twitter
Fergus Walsh / Twitter / Twitter
The UK Department of Health and Social Care also stated that the claim the first volunteer in a UK Covid-19 vaccine trial had died was untrue.
Department of Health and Social Care / Twitter
Department of Health and Social Care / Twitter / Twitter
The claim’s resurgence
The false claim was originally shared widely at the end of April, but it has recently picked up speed again in August – particularly in Ireland.
The claim originally circulated in late April, with worldwide Google searches for Elisa Granato spiking between 26 April and 2 May and picking up some traction again in August.
In Ireland, Google searches for Elisa Granato were also high during that period in late April, and fell in May, June, and July – but they have since peaked between 2 August and 8 August.
The 100 figure on the Google Trends chart does not indicate the number of searches for the term, but rather, points to the most popular time period for searches of that term in a particular location.
Other spikes in the chart are assigned a number that represents the search interest at that time relative to the highest point on the chart.
In Ireland, searches for Elisa Granato have been scored a 100 between 2 August and 8 August, and a 98 between 26 April and 2 May – meaning it is a more popular search term in Ireland now than when the false claim first circulated months ago.
The most popular related search topics worldwide were “death”, “vaccine”, and “United Kingdom”.
Staying alive
Although the claim has resurfaced, Granato remains alive and well.
Granato has been active on her Twitter account, including sharing photos of herself as recently as 9 August.
She is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Oxford’s zoology department.
On Wednesday, Granato delivered a presentation at a virtual conference on Microbial Ecology and Evolution.
She presented on the topic of the evolution of mass cell suicide in bacterial warfare.
Stephanie Rodrigues / Twitter
Stephanie Rodrigues / Twitter / Twitter
The press office at the University of Oxford did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The vaccine trial which Granato volunteered for was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a potential Covid-19 vaccine developed by a team in the University of Oxford.
In an initial trial of 800 people, half were given the Covid-19 vaccine, while half were given a control vaccine that protects against meningitis, not coronavirus.
The use of a control is a standard practice in scientific research to ensure the accuracy of results.
Participants were aware they could receive either the Covid-19 vaccine or the control vaccine, but did not know which vaccine they specifically were given.
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There is a lot of false news and scaremongering being spread in Ireland at the moment about coronavirus. Here are some practical ways for you to assess whether the messages that you’re seeing – especially on WhatsApp – are true or not.
STOP, THINK AND CHECK
Look at where it’s coming from. Is it someone you know? Do they have a source for the information (e.g. the HSE website) or are they just saying that the information comes from someone they know? A lot of the false news being spread right now is from people claiming that messages from ‘a friend’ of theirs. Have a look yourself – do a quick Google search and see if the information is being reported elsewhere.
Secondly, get the whole story, not just a headline. A lot of these messages have got vague information (“all the doctors at this hospital are panicking”) and don’t mention specific details. This is often – but not always a sign – that it may not be accurate.
Finally, see how you feel after reading it. A lot of these false messages are designed to make people feel panicked. They’re deliberately manipulating your feelings to make you more likely to share it. If you feel panicked after reading something, check it out and see if it really is true.
TheJournal.ie’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here. For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader’s Guide here. You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here
Have you gotten a message on WhatsApp or Facebook or Twitter about coronavirus that you’re not sure about and want us to check it out? Message or mail us and we’ll look into debunking it. WhatsApp: 085 221 4696 or Email: answers@thejournal.ie
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Not alone has she not died, the experts have also stated that once her fur and claws have fully developed, she will be able to live a full and happy life in the wild.
Whoever is creating these false rumours should be tracked down and prosecuted. These rumours are causing unnecessary panic
@Jim Beatty: lot of that going around.
@Jim Beatty: “should be tracked down and prosecuted”
What do you charge them with?
@Jim Beatty: Especially among the ones involved in the trials
@Will: Rumurder
@Jim Beatty: Realistically though if we were to start formally charging people for deliberately spreading fake news, The World Health Organisation would have a lot to answer for.
@Will: not sure if there’s anything but there should be. It’s public endangerment as you just no her “death” will be given as an excuse for people to not have a vaccine.
@Jim Beatty: controlled opposition. Lies mixed with truth. So when the truth comes in to play, people already debunk it without looking at all angles. Like the term conspiracy theory, this term was created by the CIA after JFK. So yes the controlled opposition should be tracked down and prosecuted.
Anti vaxxers spreading nonsense? No way!
It’s certainly not the first false claim and will not be the last.
Amazing what the Covid deniers have to resort to in order to keep their anti-science, conspiryloon, Bill Gates dunnit, plandemic, scamdemic nonsense alive.
@Tommy Roche: You sound like a government shill!
@Tommy Roche: Anti Science and Covid denying. I’m confused.
@xor: Touch a nerve, did I ?
Apparently, She has now developed an insatiable apatite for human brains
@Newnob: She better steer clear of the anti-vaxxers so, she will find very few there.
@Brian McDonnell: lol. Very good Brian
These rumors were also posted to the Journal, a claim that American resechers gave a an experimental vaccine to Ukrainian soldiers, killing several. This false claim what made by the pro-Russian rebels in East Ukraine.
I posted a link debunking the fake news, but it got lots of up votes. The post wasn’t taken down.
@David Jordan: Meep.
So who here believes that everyone will take a vaccine and it’ll get rid of Covid-19?
@Patrick Agnew: We all know not every one will take it, just like flu vaccines. What will happen is enough of the people that the vaccine will use it. That being the vunerable.
@Joe_X: ‘that need the’ …….sorry.
@Patrick Agnew: I’ll take it once it’s available.
@Patrick Agnew: It wont eradicate it, just like the flu hasnt been. But it will hopefully protect the vulnerable and anyone who chooses to take it.
@Diarmaid Mac Aonghusa: me too. Annual flu jab is no big deal. They’ll probably end up giving the Covid and flu together annually.
Her grandson Stephen Ireland is said to be so relieved.
Lol, not in the least.
She said that extra toe and finger she grew on her feet and hands came in super handy
Well that escalated quickly
have your say