What Will We Be Discussing?

SARS-CoV-2, or commonly known as the Covid-19, originated in Wuhan, China of November, 2019. It spread to the U.S at the beginning of 2020 and has been the cause of 3.2M worldwide deaths as of May 2nd with 154M people global infected currently*. Many people were quick to wonder about the details of Covid-19’s origins and even quicker to make their own theories. In my research, I will give you the conspiracies of Covid-19, how they were created, my perspective on this current event, and why people are most vulnerable to false news in the midst of panic.

*These are just the reported deaths and infections, it is definite there are more cases than what is reported.

Illusory Patterns

A significant illusory pattern people have believed to support their various theories is the former virus SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which originated in Guangdong, China. People have used this detail to state that these viruses prove a theory of a “Chinese Bioweapon.” Some background information on this theory is that people believe China created Covid-19 in a laboratory. Research has proven that coronaviruses are found naturally in other animals such as pangolins, and that it also acts as a host between humans and bats. Kristian Anderson, a professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research Institute, disclosed “It’s something that is fully natural, so it’s not something [that was created] in tissue culture.” This theory has much evidence against it and has proven to be falsifiable. 

Another debunked theory, that also supports evidence against the Chinese Bioweapon Theory, starts in the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. It is 15 to 22 miles close to the Wuhan animal market, where the first cases were reported, and has been suspected of leaking the virus while researching it. Director Shi Zhengli studies bat coronaviruses at the laboratory. She claimed that her laboratory has never studied the current pandemic version, and that all the coronaviruses they have specified, are not proven to be Covid-19.  The lab she works at has some of the most extensive biosafety control which includes sealed containment, monitored airflow, limited authorization to the lab, highly trained virologists, and PPE (personal protection equipment). Anderson also supported that Zhengli and her team becoming infected with the virus, leaving the lab, and going to the market is “fleeting compared to the alternative hypothesis, which is that we as humans, because we live amongst animals carrying these viruses- bats, but also many other intermediate hosts- and, of course, we don’t go around wearing PPE, we naturally get into contact with these viruses all the time.” Assuming “these viruses” means ones that rarely serve as a host on humans and only other animals. 

Media Misinformation

The media has played a significant part in all things Covid related. While sometimes being informative, it has led to a “pandemic of misinformation” as U.N General Antonio Guterres calls it. From false Covid protection like gargling salt water to promoting unproven science, this is the peak of incorrect media claims. When the outbreak started, news reporters who had little to no experience in the medical field had to rush through all the information they had been given, leading to, as the Harvard Gazette says, “lean[ing] too heavily on traditional journalism values like balance, novelty, and conflict.” On March 20, 2020, the FDA approved the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine sulfate and another substance of the name chloroquine phosphate to  treat hospitalized patients with Covid. Yet later in June 2020, the FDA released new data, stating caution of further use of both treatments. Other administrations have discouraged use as well. President Donald Trump used the former evidence and affirmed in a journalist interview of July 28, 2020, that his past tweets promoting the use of the substances from that year were still true. This becomes a problem when trusted people, like news reporters and politicians, affirm false statements to millions of people.

Looking At Perspectives

From my observations, groups of people who are likely to believe misinformation are, people who were never taught about false news and baby boomers, since many of them may not know how to use technology properly. These groups are susceptible to believe a viral claim they see first pop up on the internet.  The target audience of theorists is blurry, but I infer that they aim to groups of people like Generation Z and younger Millennials, as they are most likely to participate in bandwagoning and have easily swayable opinions. My perspective on these conspiracy theories are that in times of crisis, people who have more power over the general public, use the public’s panic to their benefit. Although some of my research, like in Media Misinformation, may not be formed with malicious intent, those instances show how if the general public can believe false evidence, they are likely to believe statements with an agenda behind them. The motive behind supporting these theories is up to debate, but it is necessary to differentiate fake news from real news, regardless of bias.

How You Can Better Discern Media Manipulation

In this article, I have talked about theories circulating the pandemic, the media’s role in the public’s knowledge, details people have used to support their theories, and perspectives on this issue. As mentioned several times, in desperate needs some people are looking for answers and others are looking for opportunities to spread their bias. Use my research as food for thought that even in something as serious as public health, there will be people to share misinformation. Next time when something on the web has caught your attention, ask yourself: “Is there a clear-cut bias?” If not what are some underlying clues, like certain words used, that you know can provoke a negative or agreeing emotion when reading. Another way to dig deeper into an article, is simple fact checking. The author, dates, facts, statistics, even quotes from other people used, can all be checked with a Google search. Try out for yourself and check out some of the sources from this article, who knows, maybe this study could be false? Thank you for reading.

Citations

Bolsen, Toby, et al. “Framing the Origins of COVID-19.” Science Communication, SAGE Publications, 10 Sept. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7484600/. 

Mary Van Beusekom | News Writer | CIDRAP News  | May 12, 2020. “Scientists: 'Exactly Zero' Evidence COVID-19 Came from a Lab.” CIDRAP, 12 May 2020, www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/05/scientists-exactly-zero-evidence-covid-19-came-lab. 

Pazzanese, Christina. “Social Media Used to Spread, Create COVID-19 Falsehoods.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 11 May 2020, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/05/social-media-used-to-spread-create-covid-19-falsehoods/. 

Officials, CDC. “Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine Prescribing Patterns by Provider Specialty Following Initial Reports of Potential Benefit for COVID-19 Treatment - United States, January–June 2020.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Sept. 2020, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6935a4.htm.