The Different Conspiracy Theories Behind COVID-19
Politics, POP CULTURE
Do you believe them?
It's been months of lockdown (in one degree or another) for us here in the Philippines and—along with the different other pieces of news we're constantly taking in—sometimes we come across a few COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Whether or not we believe them or take them to heart is a personal thing, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't listen to them (for entertainment, more than anything).
Take this all with a grain of salt, my friends, because the whole concept of a conspiracy theory is that it hasn't been proven. They're just possible explanations to events.
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#1: COVID-19: The Escape
Because the coronavirus' original epicenter was the Chinese city of Wuhan, one the favorite COVID-19 conspiracy theories is that it accidentally escaped from a lab. It doesn't help that Wuhan is home to a virology institute where researches have been studying bat coronaviruses for quite a while. However, researcher Shi Zhengli has confirmed that none of the genetic sequencing of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus matched those of her institution's own samples.
#2: COVID-19: Weaponry
To add to our first conspiracy and to make it more sinister is the belief that COVID-19 was indeed created in a Chinese lab—and that the release was intentional and used as a new form of weaponry. People around the world thought it was strange that the numbers of cases in China remained relatively low compared to other countries and theorized that it may have been because they were prepared for it.
(But, you know, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has entirely natural origins.)
#3: COVID-19: The entry-way to human control
In 2015, Bill Gates had a TED talk, wherein he talked about the Ebola outbreak and warned of a new pandemic that might occur. Many people took this, in hindsight, as a warning from the billionaire that he would eventually lead a project that would release COVID-19.
Moreover, there are those that think the reason behind Gates' supposed go-signal on this was that so he (and his company) could use vaccines as a means to implant digital microchips to track (and even control) the world's population.
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#4: COVID-19: Making Big Pharmas BIGGER
How do you cure a virus? With medicine!
One COVID-19 conspiracy theory is that the coronavirus is actually the tipping point of a big plot from a big pharmaceutical company. The theory goes on to say that a vaccine will be released once the unnamed company finally steps in with a magic vaccine to cure the world of the pandemic.
Funny no one's stepped in yet though…
#5: COVID-19: A figment of everyone's imagination
There are still people around the world that believe COVID-19 isn't real—or that it isn't as big a deal as media makes it out to be. Instead, they consider the different lockdown precautions as a method to simply cut freedoms we'd all likewise still be experiencing.
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So, who do we listen to? I don't know about you guys, but my ears are out for whatever science has to say. Check your sources, check the logic and let's have fun where we can still have fun. These conspiracy theories are entertaining, some kind of candy for the brain to play with, but until they can be founded on more respectable roots, then we shouldn't let them take so much of our mental space.
Art Alexandra Lara
Conspiracies COVID-19
Made of sarcasm and expletives. Did three years for an economics degree, rewarded myself with three years in the insurance biz. Entered this world as a freelance writer for entertainment and news, now making a living on movies, intimate interviews and the hush-hush of relationships.