As soon as President Trump announced that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for Covid-19, fake news related to the topic began to be published and distributed online.
Among the main rumors were claims that the president called the virus a "hoax" and that a military "doomsday plane" (an unofficial designation for a type of aircraft used as an Air Command Post in the event of a nuclear war, disaster, or other large-scale conflict) was launched because of this news.
Some even speculated – without evidence – that the diagnosis was faked.
The Counter-Disinformation Unit BBC-, brings some examples of claims that have attracted the most readership on the internet.
Trump did not call Covid-19 a "hoax"
President Trump has been spreading some unproven and false information about Covid-19. But in the wake of his positive diagnosis, there are also false rumors circulating about things he didn't say.
For example, he never called the virus a "hoax" - which was said in several viral social media posts.
Such confusion could have been created by some statements by the US president during the first phase of the virus' spread, when he accused Democrats of "politicizing the coronavirus" - then, arguing for the misinterpretation made to him about COVID-19, he said it was all a "hoax."
In fact, the President has occasionally ignored recommendations for social distancing and masks, and earlier this year on Twitter he promoted hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment for the Corona virus.
Analyze
By Marianna Spring, disinformation specialist and social media reporter
Disinformation on the internet spreads quickly following major and new events. Of course, this topic cannot be an exception.
On the contrary, in these special circumstances, topics related to the US president and the Corona virus, during this election season, are very fertile for bad information and conspiracy theories.
Confusion and panic partly explain it. The infection of a world leader raises many questions – and worries many people.
The President himself has earned a reputation for spreading misleading claims about the coronavirus and downplaying its severity. And that has given much encouragement to his opponents.
On the other hand, everyone should keep a few key points in mind when reading controversial news: always think about the source of a social media post. Ask yourself how it makes you feel. And think about the motives that the publishers of such news may have.
(Fact-check analysis by BBC)