Don’t be an ‘idiot’: ID-10T is not the name of a new global virus

Rumors about a supposed potential pandemic are spreading online, as some social media users share what looks like a news headline declaring that a "new global virus called ID-10T is spreading quickly."

Of course, ID-10T looks like the word "idiot." 

"Pretty much explains itself and the people who fall for it," one man said in an Aug. 22 Instagram post. 

"New variant but we the people will NEVER comply," another post said. 

"How ironic wake up," a third post read.

Multiple posts that published a screenshot of the headline were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

First, this is an old headline. The date March 31, 2020, is visible in the image. 

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Facebook posts

stated on January 22, 2020 in a Facebook post

Says a coronavirus patent expired just as there is a "sudden outbreak" and, despite "media fear-mongering," there is already a vaccine available.

This headline also appears to have originated on a satire site. The Caps Lock News story has since been deleted, but the Caps Lock News Instagram account that shared the headline in October 2020 wrote "you or a loved one may already be infected" with hashtags including #satire, #humor, #politicalsatire,  #politicaljokes #fakenews.

The Instagram account’s bio says "satire for the left, right and your mom" and that it was founded by @HeroicHenry, the same handle that appears in the image circulating anew on social media.

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses names viruses based on their genetic structure, according to the World Health Organization. We found no evidence that a virus was named ID-10T, much less one that was "quickly spreading globally" and "reported in every country," as the image says. 

We rate that claim Pants on Fire!