{"id":610170,"date":"2021-08-03T17:50:37","date_gmt":"2021-08-03T21:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=610170"},"modified":"2021-08-03T17:50:39","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T21:50:39","slug":"fact-check-does-this-chart-show-an-authentic-schedule-of-release-dates-for-covid-19-variants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-does-this-chart-show-an-authentic-schedule-of-release-dates-for-covid-19-variants\/","title":{"rendered":"FACT CHECK: Does This Chart Show An Authentic Schedule Of \u2018Release\u2019 Dates For COVID-19 Variants?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffact-check-does-this-chart-show-an-authentic-schedule-of-release-dates-for-covid-19-variants%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=610170&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1331896057-scaled-e1628006445459.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>An image <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/leadershippower\/posts\/10225541978965519\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">shared on Facebook<\/a> purportedly shows a chart of planned variants of COVID-19 and when they will be allegedly \u201creleased\u201d to the media.<\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Verdict: False<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The chart appears to have been fabricated. Some of the variants scheduled to be \u201creleased\u201d in the future have already been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), while others do not yet exist as of publication.<\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Fact Check:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Delta variant of the novel coronavirus is currently the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S., according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/07\/30\/delta-cdc-warns-variant-is-as-contagious-as-chickenpox-may-make-people-sicker.html\">CNBC<\/a>. The variant is extremely contagious and has a larger transmission window than the original COVID-19 strain, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n<p>A July 27 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/leadershippower\/posts\/10225541978965519\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook post<\/a> shows a chart in Spanish with the Greek alphabet in the first two columns, and a month and year in the third column. Next to the chart are the logos of organizations such as Johns Hopkins University, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the WHO.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are the PLANNED VARIANTS with the dates when they will be \u201creleased\u201d to the media,\u201d text accompanying the chart reads. \u201cThe last \u2018Covid variant\u2019 is scheduled for February 2023, meaning by the end of 2023, 7 Billion people are scheduled to die.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Viruses often change through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/variants\/variant-info.html\">mutation<\/a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the different variants of COVID-19 contain mutations of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=005825637436126335676:crrjgot3sag&amp;q=https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2021\/07\/13\/fact-check-covid-delta-variant-not-fake-news\/&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwieu6XEt5PyAhVNGVkFHTTzBHAQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw05Fbvm2Fil3RfstAihgWms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: No, The COVID-19 Delta Variant Is Not Fake)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s unclear from where the chart originated, the chart is not authentic or accurate. Check Your Fact searched the websites of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jhu.edu\/search\/?c=site_search&amp;q=covid+variant+schedule#gsc.tab=0&amp;gsc.q=covid%20variant%20schedule&amp;gsc.page=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Johns Hopkins University<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/search?query=covid+variant+schedule\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WEF<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/home\/search?indexCatalogue=genericsearchindex1&amp;searchQuery=covid%20variant%20schedule&amp;wordsMode=AnyWord&amp;healthtopic=undefined&amp;country=undefined\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WHO<\/a>, but found no instances of the schedule shown in the Facebook post. Had such a chart been released by any of the listed organizations, media outlets certainly would have reported on it, yet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=chart+showing+release+dates+of+COVID+variants+&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS890US890&amp;ei=X1wJYd31HaCv5NoPzLeiuAY&amp;oq=chart+showing+release+dates+of+COVID+variants+&amp;gs_lcp=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&amp;sclient=gws-wiz&amp;ved=0ahUKEwidoYCukZXyAhWgF1kFHcybCGcQ4dUDCA4&amp;uact=5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">none<\/a> have.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the chart in the Facebook post misrepresents when some of the variants were discovered. The WHO is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/en\/activities\/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants\/\">currently monitoring<\/a> several variants of COVID-19, which the organization <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/31-05-2021-who-announces-simple-easy-to-say-labels-for-sars-cov-2-variants-of-interest-and-concern\">named<\/a> using letters of the Greek alphabet. For instance, the chart states the Delta variant of COVID-19 was \u201creleased\u201d in June 2021, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/en\/activities\/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants\/\">earliest documented sample<\/a> of the variant is from India in October 2020, according to the WHO. The first case of the Delta variant in the U.S. was identified in March 2021, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/06\/22\/health\/delta-variant-covid.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The New York Times<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>The Facebook post also asserts the Kappa and Lambda variants will be \u201creleased\u201d in December 2021 and January 2022 respectively. The Kappa variant was first documented in India in October 2020, while the Lambda variant was first documented in Peru in December 2020, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/en\/activities\/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants\/\">WHO<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>Other variants in the Facebook chart, such as the Epsilon, Zeta and Theta variants were likewise documented before their respective \u201crelease\u201d dates in the chart, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/en\/activities\/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants\/\">WHO<\/a>, and some, like the Sigma and Tau variants, have not yet been discovered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a chart of planned variants of COVID-19 and when they will be allegedly \u201creleased\u201d to the media.Verdict: False The chart appears to have &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-610170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=610170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=610170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=610170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=610170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}