jpd459/healthver_resplit huggingface dataset:
Question: Does Vitamin D impact COVID-19 prevention and treatment?
Claim: vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk, and potentially severity, of COVID-19.
Evidence: A significant negative correlation (p=0.033) has been observed between mean vitamin D levels and COVID-19 cases per one million population in European countries.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Vitamin D deficiency that is not sufficiently treated is associated with COVID-19 risk.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: A principal defence against uncontrolled inflammation, and against viral infection in general, is provided by T regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs). Treg levels have been reported to be low in many COVID-19 patients and can be increased by vitamin D supplementation. Low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increase in inflammatory cytokines and a significantly increased risk of pneumonia and viral upper respiratory tract infections. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increase in thrombotic episodes, which are frequently observed in COVID-19. Vitamin D deficiency has been found to occur more frequently in patients with obesity and diabetes. These conditions are reported to carry a higher mortality in COVID-19. If vitamin D does in fact reduce the severity of COVID-19 in regard to pneumonia/ARDS, inflammation, inflammatory cytokines and thrombosis, it is our opinion that supplements would offer a relatively easy option to decrease the impact of the pandemic.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: In Middle East, the recovery rate (r= 0.267) and mortality rate (r= -0.217) showed a medium correlation.
Verdict: Supports
Question: what hand sanitizers kill COVID-19?
Claim: The best ways to protect yourself from COVID-19 are to wash your hands, keep your distance from other people, wear a mask when you are outside your home or can't keep your distance from others, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and avoid crowded indoor spaces.
Evidence:  There is currently no vaccine for COVID-19, leaving governments and public health agencies with little defense against the virus aside from advising or enforcing best practices for virus transmission prevention, which include hand-washing, physical distancing, use of face covers, and use of effective disinfectants.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: The index of India has remained very low (161) so far, mainly due to early implementation of social lockdown, social distancing, and sanitizing hands.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: When hand washing with soap and water is unavailable, a sufficient volume of sanitizer is necessary to ensure complete hand coverage, and compliance is critical for appropriate hand hygiene.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: By extrapolating effectiveness of hand sanitizers on viruses of similar structure to SARS-CoV-2, this virus should be effectively inactivated with current hand hygiene products
Verdict: Neutral
Question: Does Vitamin D impact COVID-19 prevention and treatment?
Claim: Vitamin D's effect on Covid-19 maybe be exaggerated
Evidence: A principal defence against uncontrolled inflammation, and against viral infection in general, is provided by T regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs). Treg levels have been reported to be low in many COVID-19 patients and can be increased by vitamin D supplementation. Low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increase in inflammatory cytokines and a significantly increased risk of pneumonia and viral upper respiratory tract infections. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increase in thrombotic episodes, which are frequently observed in COVID-19. Vitamin D deficiency has been found to occur more frequently in patients with obesity and diabetes. These conditions are reported to carry a higher mortality in COVID-19. If vitamin D does in fact reduce the severity of COVID-19 in regard to pneumonia/ARDS, inflammation, inflammatory cytokines and thrombosis, it is our opinion that supplements would offer a relatively easy option to decrease the impact of the pandemic.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: In Middle East, the recovery rate (r= 0.267) and mortality rate (r= -0.217) showed a medium correlation.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Vitamin D dose was not significantly associated with testing positive for COVID-19.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: The severity of coronavirus 2019 infection (COVID-19) is determined by the presence of pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS-CoV-2), myocarditis, microvascular thrombosis and/or cytokine storms, all of which involve underlying inflammation.
Verdict: Neutral
Question: Can face masks protect me from the coronavirus disease?
Claim: the general public wear cloth face masks to help decrease everyone's chances of getting COVID-19.
Evidence: It would therefore be reasonable to suggest that consistent widespread use of face masks in the community could prevent further spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Together, this study suggested that medical masks are adequate for use on most social occasions, and both medical masks and N95 masks can be reused for a few days with steam decontamination between use.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: In this study, we demonstrated, using avian coronavirus of infectious bronchitis virus to mimic SARSCoV2, that medical masks and N95 masks remained their blocking efficacy after being steamed on boiling water even for 2 hours.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Wearing medical masks or N95 masks (namely N95 respirators) can slow the virus spread and reduce the infection risk.
Verdict: Supports
Question: Can wearing masks help in preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease?
Claim: Only sick people need to wear face masks
Evidence: Evidence that face masks provide effective protection against respiratory infections in the community is scarce. However, face masks are widely used by health workers as part of droplet precautions when caring for patients with respiratory infections. It would therefore be reasonable to suggest that consistent widespread use of face masks in the community could prevent further spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Wearing medical masks or N95 masks (namely N95 respirators) can slow the virus spread and reduce the infection risk.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: This study 1) illustrates transmission routes of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); 2) addresses controversies surrounding the mask from perspectives of attitude, effectiveness, and necessity of wearing the mask with evidence that the use of mask would effectively interrupt the transmission of infectious diseases in both hospital settings and community settings; and 3) provides suggestion that the public should wear the mask during COVID-19 pandemic according to local context.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Face masks are an avenue to curb the spread of coronavirus, but few people in Western societies wear face masks.
Verdict: Refutes
Question: touching a contaminated surface will not make you sick
Claim: SARS-CoV-2, can live on surfaces and it can live for varying lengths of time on different surfaces.
Evidence: Inefficient human-to-human transmission of zoonotic strains may initially limit the spread of transmission, but an infection may be contracted by touching contaminated surfaces.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Human Coronavirus 229E Remains Infectious on Common Touch Surface Materials
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Contacting contaminated nonfabric surfaces may pose an indirect contact risk up to three orders of magnitude higher than that of contacting contaminated fabric surfaces.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: Most viruses from the respiratory tract, such as coronaviruses, influenza, SARS-CoV, or rhinovirus, can persist on surfaces for a few days.
Verdict: Supports
Question: Can people recover from COVID-19?
Claim: Most people who contract COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate flu-like symptoms, from which they will make a full recovery. The amount of time that it takes to recovery will vary.
Evidence: Epidemiological, clinical and immunological studies from COVID-19 recovered patients are particularly important to understand the disease and to prepare better for potential outbreaks in the future.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: In this situation, it is imperative to understand the possible outcome of COVID-19 recovered patients and determine if they have any other detrimental illnesses by longitudinal analysis to safeguard their life in future.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this outbreak a global health emergency and as on April 24, 2020, it has spread to 213 countries, with 25,91,015 confirmed cases and 742,855 cases have been recovered from COVID-19.
Verdict: Neutral
Question: Is dexamethasone effective for treating COVID-19?
Claim: Dexamethasone and other corticosteroid drugs are effective treatments for seriously ill COVID-19 patients
Evidence: Trials such as the SOLIDARITY and RECOVERY are ongoing, and first results were announced in favour of therapy with dexamethasone with a significant trend showing greatest benefit among those patients requiring ventilation.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: In June 2020, a large randomised controlled clinical trial in the UK found that dexamethasone was effective in reducing the number of deaths in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: There are many therapeutics undergoing clinical trials, but there is no effective vaccine or therapy for treatment thus far.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Corticosteroids could be useful in patients with an inflammatory profile, considering that acute respiratory distress syndrome may be the consequence of cytokine storm syndrome. LEARNING POINTS: One of the main pathophysiological hypotheses for severe COVID-19 pneumonia is inappropriate immunological hyperactivation. Corticosteroid therapy may be useful in these patients.
Verdict: Supports
Question: has social distancing had an impact on slowing the spread of COVID-19?
Claim: To practice social or physical distancing, stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms' length) from other people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Evidence: We use a simple log-linear model with intercept and trend break to evaluate whether the measures are effective preventing/slowing down the spread of the disease in Turkey.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: Discussion: The combined social distancing measures implemented by the Greek authorities within the first few weeks after the first confirmed case of the virus reduced the COVID-19 growth rate.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: counties where the policies have been imposed have effectively increased social distancing and have seen slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: The government of different countries has adopted various policies to contain this epidemic and the most common were social distancing and lockdown. Our analysis revealed that the measures can slow down the outbreak. We can reduce the epidemic size and prolong the time to arrive at the epidemic peak by seriously following the measures suggested by the authorities.
Verdict: Supports
Question: what is the origin of COVID-19
Claim: The CORONAVIRUS did not originate in nature and did not emerge from the market in Wuhan
Evidence: However, the source(s) and transmission routine(s) of SARSCoV2 remain elusive' (1).
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: Although to date it is considered that Covid19 originates from bats (96.2% overall genome sequence identity) (1), the type of intermediate animals that caused the transmission to humans remains unknown (2-4).
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Covid19 infection began in Wuhan (Hubei, China) in December, 2019.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: Zhou et al (1) mentioned that 'Direct contact with intermediate host animals or consumption of wild animals was suspected to be the main route of SARSCoV2 transmission.
Verdict: Refutes
Question: Can 5G technology cause COVID-19?
Claim: Coronavirus is a hoax and part of a wider 5G
Evidence: Findings revealed that belief in 5G COVID-19 conspiracy theories was positively correlated with state anger, which in turn, was associated with a greater justification of real-life and hypothetical violence in response to an alleged link between 5G mobile technology and COVID-19, alongside a greater intent to engage in similar behaviours in the future.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: 5G-based robot-assisted remote ultrasound system is feasible, and effectively obtains ultrasound characteristics for cardiopulmonary assessment of COVID-19 patients.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of the drivers of the 5G COVID-19 conspiracy theory and strategies to deal with such misinformation. 
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: a popular theory has linked 5G to the spread of COVID-19
Verdict: Supports
Question: Can smoking cannabis (weed) help in preventing COVID-19?
Claim: smoking the substance could increase a person's risk of getting COVID-19
Evidence: Data indicate CVIR demonstrates significant trends across cannabis use intensity quintiles and with relaxed cannabis legislation. Recent cannabis use is independently predictive of CVIR in bivariate and multivariable adjusted models and intensity of use is interactively significant. Cannabis thus joins tobacco as a SARS2-CoV-2 risk factor.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Cannabis thus joins tobacco as a SARS2-CoV-2 risk factor.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Male, older than 65, and smoking were risk factors for disease progression in patients with COVID-19 (male: OR=1.76, 95% CI (1.41, 2.18), P < 0.00001;
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Since many articles have reported the effect of smoking (tobacco and cannabis) and vaping in cerebrovascular and neurological systems, and considering that smokers are more prone to viral and bacterial infection compared to non-smokers, it is high time to explore the probable correlation of smoking in COVID-19 patients.
Verdict: Supports
Question: How can I reduce the risk of getting COVID-19?
Claim: And there is no clear guideline for how to social distance that can reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Evidence: Given the increasing incidence especially in elderly and individuals with comorbid conditions, it is advised by health authorities to stay home if possible, maintain social distancing and stay away from those who are sick or could be infected.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: To share a useful intervention to minimize risk of COVID-19 infection to both healthcare workers and patients in the eye clinic.
Verdict: Neutral
Question: Can animals spread COVID-19?
Claim: COVID-19 unlikely spreading from people to animals
Evidence: ferrets and cats are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 as infected by virus inoculation and can transmit the virus directly or indirectly by droplets or airborne routes.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now a pandemic threat. This virus is supposed to be spread by human to human transmission.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Cellular angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the receptor of SARS-CoV-2 which is identical or similar in different species of animals such as pigs, ferrets, cats, orangutans, monkeys, and humans. Moreover, a recent study predicted that dog might be secondary host during the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 from bat to human. Therefore, there is a possibility of spreading SARS-CoV-2 through domestic pets.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Experimental data showed ferrets and cats are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 as infected by virus inoculation and can transmit the virus directly or indirectly by droplets or airborne route.
Verdict: Refutes
Question: Can COVID-19 spread through food?
Claim: Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread from person-to-person through respiratory droplets.
Evidence: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is easily transmitted from person to person, which has fueled the ongoing pandemic.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: The need for developing respective bioanalytical protocols for food and environmental safety applications to adapt in the post-lockdown period is also highlighted.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: This review summarizes the possible transmission ways of COVID-19 through the foods, food supply chain, surfaces, and environment before exploring the development of corresponding detection tools of SARS-CoV-2.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: Also, SARS-COV-2 transmission through food, food packages, and food handlers has not been identified as a risk factor for the disease.
Verdict: Neutral
Question: does hydroxychloroquine treat COVID-19?
Claim: Hydroxychloroquine is a medication that doctors prescribe to treat a variety of conditions, including malaria, arthritis, and lupus.
Evidence: There is theoretical, experimental, preclinical and clinical evidence of the effectiveness of chloroquine in patients affected with COVID-19. 
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: early empiric short-term administration of HCQ in symptomatic individuals, may be a promising, safe and low-cost strategy.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: HCQ should be prescribed as a part of treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients, with possible outcome of saving lives.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin showed benefits in positive-to-negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 (odds ratio [OR], 1.95 [95% CI,0.19 to 19.73] and a reduction in progression rate (OR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.58 to 1.37]), but without demonstrating any statistical significance.
Verdict: Neutral
Question: what are the mortality rates overall and in specific populations
Claim: Covid-19 seems to most seriously affect older people
Evidence: As COVID-19 mortality occurs mainly in elderly and as Africa has a comparably young population, the death rates should be lower than on other continents. We calculated standardised mortality ratios (SMR) using age-specific case fatality rates for COVID-19 and the age structure of the population of Africa and of other continents. Compared to a European or Northern American population, the standardised mortality ratio was only 0.22 and 0.25, respectively, corresponding to reduction of deaths rates to a quarter. Compared to the Asian and Latin American & Caribbean population, the SMR was 0.43 and 0.44, respectively, corresponding to half the death rate for Africa.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: Mortality was significantly associated with older age, lower body mass index, chronic renal disease, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, lower PaO2/FIO2 ratio, higher D-dimer, higher C-reactive protein, and receipt of mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, renal replacement therapy, or vasodilator therapy.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence: We estimate an overall infection fatality rate of 1.29% (95% credible interval [CrI] 0.89 - 2.01), as well as large differences by age, with a low infection fatality rate of 0.05% for under 60 year old (CrI 0-.19) and a substantially higher 4.25% (CrI 3.01-6.39) for people above 60 years of age.
Verdict: Supports
Evidence:  The COVID-19 population-level mortality rate (per 100,000 person-years) increased with age: from 0.1 deaths among 30-39 year olds to 9.5 deaths among 80 year olds.
Verdict: Supports
Question: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health?
Claim: no evidence COVID-19 impact on mental health
Evidence: The socio-health emergency caused by COVID-19 may have a significant psychological impact on the population.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Of all respondents, 24.7% reported a moderate or severe psychological impact, and 48.8% showed mental health problems.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated physical isolation practices are likely to result in a range of mental health and psychosocial challenges.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and mental health status with the Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). 
Verdict: Neutral
Question: touching a contaminated surface will not make you sick
Claim: SARS-CoV-2 is more stable copper and cardboard
Evidence: The most common coronaviruses may well survive or persist on surfaces for up to one month.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: the tested bacteria favor lower temperatures for their survival in dry environments
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: We report here that pathogenic human coronavirus 229E remained infectious in a human lung cell culture model following at least 5 days of persistence on a range of common nonbiocidal surface materials, including polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon; PTFE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ceramic tiles, glass, silicone rubber, and stainless steel.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: The contaminated surface environment in hospitals plays an important role in the transmission of several key nosocomial pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp., Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter spp., and norovirus.
Verdict: Neutral
Question: what are the mortality rates overall and in specific populations
Claim: The rate of coronavirus cases per capita is still much higher among younger people than older ones
Evidence: We estimate an overall infection fatality rate of 1.29% (95% credible interval [CrI] 0.89 - 2.01), as well as large differences by age, with a low infection fatality rate of 0.05% for under 60 year old (CrI 0-.19) and a substantially higher 4.25% (CrI 3.01-6.39) for people above 60 years of age.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence:  The COVID-19 population-level mortality rate (per 100,000 person-years) increased with age: from 0.1 deaths among 30-39 year olds to 9.5 deaths among 80 year olds.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: A confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection substantially increased the probability of death across all patient groups, ranging from nine (6 to 15) times the population mortality in 35-year old infected females to a 53-fold increase (46 to 59) for 95 year old infected males. The highest relative risks were observed among males and older patients.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: As COVID-19 mortality occurs mainly in elderly and as Africa has a comparably young population, the death rates should be lower than on other continents. We calculated standardised mortality ratios (SMR) using age-specific case fatality rates for COVID-19 and the age structure of the population of Africa and of other continents. Compared to a European or Northern American population, the standardised mortality ratio was only 0.22 and 0.25, respectively, corresponding to reduction of deaths rates to a quarter. Compared to the Asian and Latin American & Caribbean population, the SMR was 0.43 and 0.44, respectively, corresponding to half the death rate for Africa.
Verdict: Neutral
Question: Does Vitamin D impact COVID-19 prevention and treatment?
Claim: using Vitamin D can prevent or lessen the impact of Covid-19
Evidence: a small reverse correlation between mortality rate and vitamin D status was observed throughout the globe (r= -0.177). In Asia, a medium direct correlation was observed for recovery rate (r= 0.317) and a significant reveres correlation for mortality rate (r= -0.700) with vitamin D status in such patients.
Verdict: Refutes
Evidence: there is not enough evidence on the association between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 severity and mortality. Therefore, randomized control trials and cohort studies are necessary to test this hypothesis.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: The severity of coronavirus 2019 infection (COVID-19) is determined by the presence of pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS-CoV-2), myocarditis, microvascular thrombosis and/or cytokine storms, all of which involve underlying inflammation.
Verdict: Neutral
Evidence: Vitamin D dose was not significantly associated with testing positive for COVID-19.
Verdict: Refutes