Coronavirus has taken a toll on lives, livelihoods, and businesses altogether. The worldwide scourge has caused what we term as a ‘new normal,’ and everyone has had to adapt. Many weren’t prepared for the coronavirus containment measures that we see today. But what do we know about coronavirus? Do we even know enough? And what about the coronavirus conspiracy? Can we make anything of it?
All of these questions are crucial. And we will attempt to answer them for you. But when discussing an emotive issue such as the coronavirus disease, one has to be very careful. We must distinguish the facts from the rumors. And we try to analyze everything based on available evidence because the coronavirus conspiracy isn’t small talk.
2020 gave everyone a fertile ground for the spread of viral misinformation. And almost everyone has their own theory about the virus. But some of these false claims and conspiracy theories have prompted people to take real-life actions.
What are some of the Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories?
Some coronavirus conspiracy theories claim that the virus was a deliberate scheme to control the world’s population. Others even go further to state that it was a top-secret spy plan that all went wrong.
For some people, the argument is that coronavirus is all but a scheme by pharmaceutical giants to defraud the world in what they say is a non-existent disease. One YouTuber went further to point accusing fingers at the development of the 5G network.
Politicians are not behind in this puzzle, as they also have their theories about COVID-19. Some from China, the US, and Iran have ignored the suggestions from their scientists. Instead, they have opted to use their views as weapons against their counterparts.
The most popular coronavirus conspiracy of all is that it was created in a lab. But this is perhaps the one that’s easy to debunk out of all of the coronavirus conspiracy theories. After scientists took their time to study coronavirus, they discovered that it has some similarities with a bat virus that was discovered back in 2013. They argue that the new strain evolved from the past one.
Scientific Argument about Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories
Scientists argue that using coronavirus as a weapon would make sense, especially since it’s highly contagious. They haven’t exactly established when and where it jumped from animals to human beings, but say that it’s somewhere around the end of 2019 in Wuhan. Wet markets such as Wuhan are substantial breeding grounds for diseases. Animals kept inside cages and then handled by human beings end up transferring different infections to those people.
This is the same scenario with SARS, which was the first deadly respiratory virus outbreak of the modern age. The second came to MERS, and this was along the camel trading routes. MERS also took place within the slaughterhouses in the Middle East.
Why Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories are Spreading so Fast
So, why are the coronavirus conspiracy theories spreading like wildfire? Ever heard of the street saying ‘negative vibes spread faster than positive vibes?’ Well, we believe that this is the same thing with the coronavirus conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, a lot of people are spreading misinformation and talking about things they barely have any evidence for.
And this spread of the coronavirus conspiracy theories isn’t going well with the current situation. It’s developing fear and panic inside people’s minds. It also makes it hard for people to believe anything. Even truthful information that’s emanating from verified sources such as the WHO or CDCs.
Masked Information
The coronavirus conspiracy theories came to life after people started to question the information they have. Any conspiracy theory arises when people feel duped or shortchanged. Especially, when they think that something is hidden from them. Some strongly believe that the truth is under a shadow, which only a few people can reach. Indeed, it also breeds the analogy that someone is intentionally pulling strings.
False credibility rises so fast, especially when people can’t wait for scientific findings to be complete before spreading whatever information they possess. Moreover, the reality is that nobody has the full story on coronavirus. Therefore, depending on general gossip isn’t going to help much in the end.
History is Relevant
However, the coronavirus conspiracy theories aren’t the first of this kind. Other viruses and infections in the past were equally marred with different claims on authenticity and origin. For example, let’s go back to 1918 during the First World War. When the Spanish flu had taken a toll on lives all over the world during this period, several theories and claims started to suffice. The flu claimed even more lives than the war itself. And the Germans bore the blame for developing it as a new kind of weapon.
As you can see, it’s all about mistrust and the lack of proper knowledge. That’s what causes a virus such as this to spread like wildfire.
Final Thoughts
When a global pandemic such as coronavirus occurs, there are bound to be several biased and unverified pieces of information. Thus, coronavirus conspiracy theories aren’t anything out of the norm. Indeed, it would be weird if they never existed.
