The screenshot below was shared on Facebook on May 8 and resurfaced on Instagram on June 16. It has been presented as ‘breaking news’ by CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer with the claim that getting new tattoos is a cure for the coronavirus.
Background
Since the COVID-19 outbreak that has now infected over 8 million people and killed over 400,000 (and still counting), there has been plenty of misinformation on possible cures for the virus, which is yet to be found.
Verification
A Google reverse image search unearths different versions of the same screenshot, some of which had already gone viral earlier in the year.
For instance, the one below that was circulating in early March with claims that constant sex kills the coronavirus. It has since been debunked.
Another one that went viral in late February and has also been debunked was the one below claiming that alcohol kills the coronavirus.
Tagging such claims to an international media organization can dupe some people into believing them, but there are no reports on the same on the CNN website as the screenshots are made using online meme generators like imgflip.
Tattoos can cause allergic reactions and skin infections but there is no evidence linking them to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic whatsoever.
For up-to-date and credible information on COVID-19, best practice remains checking updates from public health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and your local government health ministries.
Verdict
The screenshot of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer is the result of a template featured on an online meme generator designed to produce humourous/satirical content that shouldn’t be taken seriously. The claim that getting new tattoos can cure coronavirus is, therefore, FALSE.
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