An image purporting to show an article published by Britain’s ITV News warning that shaking a duvet too strenuously can trigger a heart attack is digitally altered and was never published by ITV. Some have shared the fake screenshot as “proof” of a cover-up for COVID-19 vaccine side-effects.
The ITV News website masthead is viewable at the top of the screenshot with an image of an individual shaking a duvet. The headline of the alleged article reads: “Shaking a duvet too vigorously while making your bed can increase your chances of a heart attack, scientists warn.”
One user shared the screenshot on Facebook and said: “It’s definitely not your jab.” ( here ).
Another said: “So now literally anything can cause a heart attack? How very convenient” ( here ).
One user said in the comments: “Not quite 'anything' for instance experimental drug injected into people through the fearmongering, coercion, bullying and propaganda of Government, SAGE, MSM does not give you a heart attack .... oh hang on!” ( here ).
Other examples of the image shared online can be seen ( here ), ( here ), ( here ).
The screenshot is fabricated, however, and was not published by ITV News. Reuters did not find any such article published on the ITV News website ( www.itv.com/news ), ( here ).
A spokesperson for ITV News also confirmed that no such headline was published.
“We are aware of a fabricated article currently being circulated online as an ITV News website story. ITV News takes the provision of accurate high-quality news very seriously and as such we are investigating the source of this false story,” the spokesperson said.
A Twitter advanced search did not reveal the article published by the @ITVNews Twitter handle ( archive.is/wip/IuVah ).
Reuters has previously addressed fake images purporting to show authentic news articles ( here ), ( here ), ( here ), ( here ).
VERDICT
Altered. A screenshot purporting to show a headline published by ITV News warning that shaking a duvet too vigorously could lead to a heart attack is digitally altered.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.