The number of coronavirus cases continues to grow globally and regrettably, so do the deaths. The worst part is, the pandemic does not seem to stop and the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the world that the worst is yet to come. In these circumstances, we have heard many coronavirus conspiracy theories that have started a totally different debate.
Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories
Though there are many desperate efforts are undertaken to make a vaccine for this pandemic but the results show we are not getting one sometime soon. The US and China are blaming each other for the responsible of the COVID-19. The US has frequently declared the virus was originated from China’s Wuhan city. China, though, contradicts the claim and is determined that the virus was present in the US much before it was reported in China.
Amid all these wild speculations, in a short public announcement, the Office of the US Director of National Intelligence, which commands American spy agencies, has stated it coincides with the “wide scientific consensus” concerning Covid-19’s natural origins.
“The intelligence community will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.”
It was the first open acknowledgment from American intelligence debunking conspiracy theories — both from the US and China — that the virus is a bioweapon. But it seems that President Trump has undercharged his own intelligence agencies by implying that he has seen the proof that the coronavirus made in a Chinese laboratory.
While Chinese officials on the other hand accuse that the US military carried the virus to Wuhan in October last year. One theory is that the US through the virus wanted to reduce the economic growth of China.
In countries like Pakistan and India, these conspiracies theories have gone even further. People from the subcontinent started to believe that the world powers have decided to control the growing world population, and hence the virus.
There is one section in the region that thinks that there is no disease such as Covid-19. These people believe that statements about people dying of coronavirus are just the rumors; and people are dying because of natural causes but their deaths are being associated with the virus to create a terror in the world.
Multiple Russian sources of disinformation finally echoed in other countries, highlighted the bacteriological war purpose of the pandemic, whether it started in the United States or China. Thus, the virus was created in a lab and released deliberately in order to gain geopolitical or economic goals.
Ultimately, the 5G conspiracy theory in Europe and many other countries is almost growing an account of its own, primed in Europe and beyond. Popular theories are that the coronavirus is transmitted through 5G antennas or that the 5G technology has an adverse health impact and thus makes people exposed to the virus.
And remember the financial and social cost of this virus. The world economy is suffering the most serious crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. In the US alone, over 30 million people have applied for unemployment benefits, and the number is rising. The consequence of Covid-19 on the global oil industry is even intense. The prices of oil have fallen to a record low.
The result of these conspiracies theories is that the people in the world, including the educated lot, are not taking the coronavirus threat seriously. Conspiracies theories are good for drawing room arguments or discussions on social media but it no time for contentment.
