Till about six months back, nobody had even heard the term coronavirus. Now, it’s all over the news as it is creating havoc across the world. Every time you open social media, you are bombarded with posts about the coronavirus. But how do you know what you’re reading is real or not? How do you differentiate between coronavirus rumors and facts? There is a lot of information being shared but along with that, some misinformation is also being spread.
Coronavirus Rumors or Fact
In this section, we bring you a list of coronavirus rumors and conspiracy theories that are being circulated around the world.
The Official Narrative
The official narrative as of now is that the coronavirus originated accidentally in the Chinese city of Wuhan. It originated in a Chinese wet market in Wuhan where animals are sold. It has made a transition from bats to humans as per popular belief. There is the widely accepted narrative and there is some evidence to back this up as well. The genome of COVID-19 and bat coronaviruses is very similar. Hence it is expected that COVID-19 shifted its host from bats to humans. However, some details are still not clear and some people use that lack of clarity to reject this narrative.
Coronavirus is a bio-weapon
There is a conspiracy theory that Coronavirus is a Bio-weapon made by China. It has been unleashed upon the world to destroy the world economies while China remains relatively unaffected. Countries around the world are having a high number of coronavirus cases. China, on the other hand, seems to have bounced back after an initial spike. While countries are going into lockdown, China is opening up. However, there is hardly any proof to back this up. You should be a tad bit skeptical while believing that someone would intentionally start a pandemic.
Coronavirus originated in Wuhan
Okay, there are a string of conspiracy theories related to Wuhan. The official narrative also states that the virus originated in Wuhan and hence people end up believing these theories instead. We will highlight some of the common conspiracy theories revolving around Wuhan:
Coronavirus originated in a bio-weapons lab in Wuhan
The coronavirus did originate in Wuhan but not in a bio-weapons lab. There is no bio-weapons lab in Wuhan as such. The lab in question is not a bio-weapons lab but a Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) lab which is a high level of biocontainment. BSL-4 labs are designed to study deadly viruses that have no cure. This lab was built to prevent such viral outbreaks in the wake of the SARS epidemic in 2002. Wuhan Institute of Virology is the official name of the facility. It aims is to research on deadly viruses and try to come up with reliable cures. So, it was built for exactly the opposite purpose than what it is being accused of.
Coronavirus was spread by a researcher from Wuhan Institute of Virology
This is a highly amusing conspiracy theory. Some people believe that a female researcher from the Wuhan Institute of Virology accidentally spread the virus. She ended up contracting the virus while researching about it and then went on to give it to her boyfriend. These two ended up spreading the coronavirus to more people. This sounds like a really good movie plot. However, there is no evidence that this is how the Coronavirus spread.
Coronavirus started because of a man drinking bat soup in Wuhan
Again, the official narrative does support that the coronavirus originated in Wuhan. However, there is no evidence that the first patient was a man drinking bat soup. It is also believed officially that Coronavirus shifted hosts from bats to humans. Still, there is no evidence of a bat soup being involved.
Coronavirus was accidentally leaked from a research lab in Wuhan
This conspiracy theory is fuelled by the fact that the virus did originate in Wuhan and that there is a BSL-4 research lab in Wuhan. People believe that the COVID-19 originated in this lab and then it was leaked accidentally. It is true that the lab was carrying out research on bat coronaviruses. However, it was not trying to create COVID-19 during its research. It is the only BSL-4 facility in Asia and France assisted with its construction and set up. Hence, the accidental of COVID-19 from such a facility leakage is highly unlikely.
The US military released the Coronavirus
This is another preposterous conspiracy theory. This is mainly propagated by the Chinese media. The Chinese media is state-controlled. The US has been constantly blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak. Hence, to hit back the Chinese media is propagating this theory among the Chinese people. This conspiracy theory is largely confined to China. The rest of the world is well aware that the coronavirus originated in Wuhan. The US military has no presence there and is not involved with this in any way.
Coronavirus has something to do with Corona Beer
This is the most preposterous one of them all. Corona is a popular beer brand from Mexico that is popular around the world. Unfortunately, it shares its name with the coronavirus. This led people to make a connection between. People started believing that coronavirus had something to do with the Corona beer. Some people even said that the coronavirus was spread by the Corona Beer. This makes no sense whatsoever. Corona is a popular Beer brand from Mexico. The Novel Coronavirus is a virus that originated in Wuhan in China. The coronavirus is causing the pandemic while the Corona beer is letting people unwind in peace. Corona remains a good beer brand that is safe to consume.
Final Thoughts
The COVID-19 pandemic has us all worried about ourselves and our loved ones. It is important to stay aware of what is happening in the world regarding the pandemic. The WHO has set up dedicated portals for COVID-19 where you can get accurate and updated information. It is also important to not fall for any coronavirus rumors or conspiracy theories. Try your best to spread accurate knowledge and always check the source of any new information.
