On March 8th, the Facebook user “Koba Avtandilis Dze Kuprashvili” posted a photo with a CNN visual stating that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine causes myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle). The photo shows CNN presenter Anderson Cooper. Kuprashvili notes that the Americans blame the increased myocarditis on the occupation of Ukraine, while in fact, one year has passed since the start of vaccination.
The information, as if CNN presenter Anderson Cooper said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine causes myocarditis, was made up by the satirical outlet “The Babylon Bee” and is, therefore, false.
A satirical article about CNN presenter Anderson Cooper linking myocarditis cases to the Russia-Ukraine war was published on babylonbee.com on March 7th. The article also mentions that another CNN host, Don Lemon, hinted at an alarming correlation between myocarditis and high gas prices.
Babylon Bee is a well-known satirical outlet, which is also highlighted on its website. The mission statement states that Babylon Bee publishes fictional satirical information about Christianity, politics, and everyday life.
Satirical publications of “The Babylon Bee” have been circulated as actual facts on Georgian social media in the past as well. For more, see the articles of “Myth Detector:”
- Did Joe Biden Unfollow Putin on Twitter?
- Does the Pope Require Vaccination to Enter Heaven?
Heart inflammation (myocarditis and pericarditis) was named by the CDC as a possible rare side effect of RNA vaccines. The CDC estimates that cases of myocarditis after coronavirus vaccination were detected in 0.48 out of 100,000 people, and the incidence was 1.2 in 100,000 people aged 18-29. Notably, most cases are mild and require minimal treatment. The CDC explains that given the rarity of these cases, the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks.
For more information about myocarditis and RNMa vaccines, see the articles:
- Does Vaccination Cause Heart Inflammation?
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