Is There A Government Plot Behind The Coronavirus?

Online speculation about the origins of COVID-19 has surged following a report from the Energy Department concluding that the virus leaked from a China lab. Conspiracy theories have been rapidly proliferating during the pandemic, including the possibility that COVID-19 is part of a government bioweapons program and 5G cell towers. As the world struggles to break the grip of COVID-19, psychologists and misinformation experts are studying why the pandemic spawned so many conspiracy theories.

On 28 February 2023, the controversial claim that the pandemic might have leaked from a Chinese laboratory was once dismissed by many as a fringe. Most Americans have heard of a conspiracy theory, with believers more likely to be heavy users of social media and viewers of conservative media.

False information, including intentional disinformation and conspiracy theories, about the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and its origin, prevention, and spread have been a growing concern. Research has shown that conspiracy beliefs claiming the pandemic is a hoax are linked to weaker support of containment-related behavior.

A statement in The Lancet assails misinformation about the possibility that COVID-19 came from a lab in Wuhan, China. A survey also finds one in seven say violence is a fair response to alleged conspiracies such as “15-minute cities”.

Belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories can have significant consequences for the pandemic and future threats.