Cases of monkeypox have recently increased in the United States and around the world. According to experts, the disease is spread through close contact.
But some social media users have offered alternative medical theories, without any evidence.
“MONKEY POX is transmitted by (sic) mosquitoes too omggg,” read a July 31 Facebook post, which was shared more than 4,000 times within days.
But there is no evidence that the monkeypox virus is spread through mosquito bites, according to USA Today. It is not transmitted in the same way as diseases such as malaria or West Nile virus.
“There are no laboratory or epidemiology data that support transmission of monkeypox by mosquitoes – and plenty of data that refute this diagnosis and support direct contact,” said the University Medical Center epidemiologist. ‘University of Nebraska, Dr. Ali Khan, to USA Today.
Monkeypox is not spread in the same way as mosquito-borne diseases. In a study of 528 cases of monkeypox diagnosed earlier this year, 95% appear to be transmitted through sexual contact between men.
Although mosquitoes can sometimes transfer a small amount of infected blood from one person to another, this amount would not be enough to cause a new monkeypox infection, said Ilhem Messaoudi Powers, professor of microbiology at the University of Kentucky at USA Today.
“When individuals are infected with the monkeypox virus, levels of the virus in the blood do not reach a high enough level to be transmitted via a blood meal taken by a mosquito,” she said. .
McConnell didn’t say Pelosi should be jailed
A post making the rounds on social media, including a video, claims Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should be in jail.
But this assertion is false. according to Reuters. The post actually includes two videos of McConnell speaking, but it says nothing about Pelosi being imprisoned.
In the first clip, McConnell speaks in 2019 about the passage of the US Middle East Enhanced Security Act. In the second clip, the Republican leader talks about Pelosi’s proposal for a commission to investigate the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol building.
McConnell mentions Pelosi in both videos but doesn’t say she should be jailed.
A search of McConnell’s tweets and other statements found nothing about Pelosi going to jail, Reuters said.
Not all IRS employees are required to carry firearms
The $740 Billion Inflation Cut Act includes nearly $80 billion in funding for the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS. Some social media users shared posts about how the money will be spent.
“The IRS is looking to fill 87,000 positions. Requirements include working at least ’50 hours a week, which may include irregular hours, and being on call 24/7, including holidays and weekends. weekends’ and ‘Carry a gun and be prepared to use deadly force, if necessary,’ read an Aug. 10 Facebook post.
But that’s not right, according to the Associated Press. This job description does not apply to most positions at the IRS. This is an advertisement seeking help for special agents from the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. It is shared as a generic announcement for all new jobs.
Criminal Investigations Division spokesman Justin Cole said PA special agents in that division were the only officers among nearly 80,000 IRS employees to carry firearms.
“In reality, only a small fraction of IRS employees — about 2,100 special agents in IRS criminal investigations — carry firearms. This is consistent with other federal law enforcement agencies “, said Cole.
The claim that the Cut Inflation Act will allow the IRS to hire 87,000 new officers is also misleading, the AP said.
This number comes from an earlier Treasury Department proposal to hire as many IRS employees over the next decade, but a specific number is not in law. The IRS has not finalized its hiring plans, a Treasury official told the AP.
The Social Security boost is not intended for seniors
An online article claims that older Americans — those born before 1957 — will receive a $1,728 increase in their Social Security payments if they click a link to register.
But the post is wrong, according to PolitiFact. It’s a scam.
The site asks the user to fill in their name, age, location, phone number and email address. After filling in the information, the user lands on a page with advertisements for Medicare supplemental insurance.
The website is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
“CMS makes no such payments,” a CMS spokesperson told PolitiFact. “Scammers target people on Medicare because older Americans are especially vulnerable to fraud and scams.”
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.
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