CORONAVIRUS AND 10 MOST PREVAILING CONSPIRACY THEORIES

CORONAVIRUS AND 10 MOST PREVAILING CONSPIRACY THEORIES

PROF WAQAR HUSSAIN

          

           In between 12-29 December 2019, a few persons working in Seafood Market got infected. They were diagnosed being victim of Wuhan Virus; later called coronavirus (nCoV). In a jiffy, numbers augmented enormously. The rising death toll and escalating number of victim put all China in grip of horror. Once coronavirus patient identified in 20 countries, all world population went into panic and hoax - this paranoiac state sprouted conspiracy theories that are circulating in social media all around. Look them one by one.

1) 20th Year of every country is ominous.

                  Conspiracy pivot around the repetitive pattern of the most destructive pandemic of history such as 1320's Black Death with 20 million deaths; 1420's Pneumonia plague; 1520's small pox destroying Aztec Empire; 1620's plague killing 50 thousand; 1720's Great Plague of Marseille with 100 thousand deaths; 1820's Cholera killing 100 thousand people; 1920's Spanish flu wiping out 100 million individual and 2020's Coronavirus! Thus concluding, 20^th year of every century ill-starred.

                If one Google "list of Epidemic”: one would see pandemic are not confined to 20^th Year of century. Take three examples. In 1772, Plague of Persia killed 20 million people; 1860 Cholera in Russia death rose to 10 million; 1960 AID devoured lives of 30 million people. So, it is wrong to say that pandemic is 20th Year specific.

2) Simpson 1993 Cartoon; a future seeing ability or a future plan?

      

In one of 1993 Simpson cartoon episode, Homer Simpson places an order in Japan for a juicer for his mother. Two far eastern faces are shown while packing parcel in Japan. One worker coughs and virus shower on the juicer. When the parcel is delivered to Homer Simpson, at 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield USA. Simpson’s son carries it to father. When he opens parcel, virus diffuses in air. Some enter in his son's body, producing fever, cough and flu like state. Then virus spread on the road and proliferate everywhere.

                  People see this episode with Jaundice eye, questioning; How Simpson's producer came to know that Coronavirus will hit any yellow nation and then spreading all around? It is mere a coincidence or a part of plan? In 2000, Simpson showed a person coming into power with face similar to Trump. Simpson's many predictions came true. So, the question is still on; is it prediction or plan?

3) French comic book prediction 

                On 19 October 2017, 37 Asterix and the chariot race, the book of Asterix series, written by Jean-Yves Ferri was released to worldwide. The book showed word Coronavirus many times. At one place word Coronavirus is written 

thrice with sign of question mark (?) and sign of exclamation (!).

              It triggered conspirators to concoct story of planning behind it, emphatic use of word coronavirus many times, convinced many that all is designed.

4) Coronavirus leaked out of China’s biological Warfare Laboratory

              Dr Dany Shoham, a Microbiologist and former analyst of Israeli Military intelligence (1970-1991) speculated; Coronavirus may have origin in China's biological warfare laboratory- Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Washington Time heading "Virus-hit Wuhan has two laboratories linked to Chinese"

              China has always denied having biological offensive weapons. On the other hand, many Chinese have counter narrative that virus is biological weapon of the United states to incapacitate China after losing the Trade War. China’s history reveals; there is lesser tendency of being offensive and more of defensive. The Great Wall of China stands for its proof.

5) Bat Eating habit gave birth to Coronavirus

                    Coronavirus originated in Sea food market in Wuhan, Social Media Activist jumped to conclusion that Chinese predilection for eating bat brought forth virus that is going to put entire globe's heath in jeopardy. Above conspiracy is validated by many viral video showing Chinese eating bat or bat soup.

       But the survey of first 41 people infected; two third had no link with Huanan Seafood Market. Another survey was conducted from 2000 onward focusing on Chinese food advocated that the practice of eating exotic animal has reduced after 2003 SARS outburst.

               Moreover, Research pointed out that SARS virus transmitted to human from civet cat. And, there is no such research telling Coronavirus originated from bat. Furthermore, report of Medical Virology says that snake may have been the cause of infection. This conspiracy dies out on seeing the result of above research and surveys.

6) Pirbright company made coronavirus.

                   Pirbright Institute’s patent EP3172319B1 articulates: "The present invention related to an attenuated coronavirus comprising a variant replicas gene, which cause the virus to have reduced pathogenicity. The present invention also relates to the use of such a coronavirus in a vaccine to prevent and/or treat a disease."

              People just read ‘Pirbright made coronavrius and got it patented’. And their later press release further underwired conspiracy theory.

               "Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds development of Pirbright's livestock Antibody Hub supporting animal and human health.”

              Question was raised, why this virus was prepared in laboratory? The spokesperson of PirbrightDr Erika has responded that it was basically an avian virus and we want to study: how and why it spread in chicken cell. We have not used against human being. It relates to use of such a coronavirus in vaccine to treat disease. She further said Bill Gate funded it later whereas we started working on it in 2015.

7) Bill Gate predicted coronavirus in advance

              Where there is Vaccine; there is Bill Gate. India banned polio vaccine after losing precious lives; Jordan Sarther's tweet, first dragged Pirbright by saying "was the release of this disease planned?" then, Sarther followed up and bridged Pirbright foundation and Bill Gate; creating conspiracy

           These were a ticker on Business insider in April 2018: "Bill Gate thinks a coming disease could kill 30 million people within 6 months and says we should prepare for it as we do a war"

On social media, Gate's remarks sparked controversy that Billionaire ominously predicted the engineering of global catastrophe. Truth is: Bill Gate did not mention the coronavirus outbreak. But he did warn the world to be prepared for a pandemic that can have global consequences. He said all in broad perspective that government need to work better with the private sector to develop the technology to fight a potential pandemic.

8) Russian Scientist claims:

              Russian Scientist, Sergie Kolesnikov and member of Russian Academy of Medical Science claimed SARS coronavirus is combined version of measles and mumps. Such genome combination cannot be formed naturally; it must have been synthesized in laboratory.

               Another Russian scientist Nikolai Filator, head of Moscow's Epidemiological Services said SARS was probably man made. With advent of coronavirus, finding of Russian scientists are circulating in social media.

           Those who oppose Russian scientist’s findings, say SARs is coronavirus whereas measles and mumps are paramyxoviruses’, it is improbable to create coronavirus from paramyxovirus.

                 Claim of above two scientist became a topic of discussion in China. Many Chinese believe SARS was a biological weapon prepared by USA which perceive China's rise as a potential threat to its superiority. Its purpose is incapacitating China after losing Trade War. Tong Zeng, a Chinese lawyer wrote a book and speculated SARS could be a biological weapon. Defenders of this conspiracy project idea that SARs virus transmitted to human from civet cat, eaten in Guangdong, where SARS was first diagnosed.

        The USA has taken decisive philanthropic gesture by offering help to china, President Donald Trump said on Sunday but Robert O’ Brien , an American lawyer who is current United State National Security Advisor said: “Beijing had not accepted the offer of assistance”, afterward USA also offered millions of dollars to China to counter problematic time. Sole super power’s pro bonopublico bids have proved her superiority in humanitarian arena and excluded conspiracies.

9) Vaccine of Coronavirus has been made:

                   On 22nd January, a viral post having screengrab of patent filled by the CDC for what is purported to be a coronavirus vaccine. Conspiracists say virus is introduced to benefit pharmaceutical companies.

                Defenders say; said patent refer to SARS and not for coronavirus nCoV. However, companies are trying to develop vaccine. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at al Johns Hopkin University said:

"There is no vaccine available for any coronavirus let alone the (Wuhan) one".

10) Glazerson Prediction about Coronavirus:

The Jerusalem post: “Secret Bible code allegedly predicted worldwide coronavirus outbreak.” Rabi Matityahu Glazersen knows decoding of Israeli Bible and in his video on YouTube, he said: Coronavirus will outbreak in China and will bring devastation in world. His explanation is also rotating in conspiracy circle.

        Here, is an analogous example; how conspiracy is spawned. China is country of 1.3 billion populations (most populous) and 9.596960 km³ area (3^rd largest).

It had world’s worst earthquake in 1556 killing 830 thousand people; worst famine 1960 in which 7.5 million people lost their lives; worst flood of Huang-He river in 1931 killing 3.1 million Chinese; worst mine disaster of 1942 coal dust explosion, 1549 Chinese killed; worst genocide 1311-40 Mongol killed 3.5 million Chinese.

        Conspiracists can fabricate; Chinese did all this to control population or can say; it is land of calamities.

       If one sees pragmatically, China is the world largest wheat producer (11.4 million MT annually); largest Rice producer (20 million MT annually); third largest sugarcane producer (12.5 million MT annually). China is making all-out effort to produce food and to keep its population alive. Conspiracy dies out!

        Second, what is the philosophy behind ‘worst hit’ on China? it is her population. If earthquake rocks Greenland, flood overflows Antarctica; famine strike Sahara: Causalities will not be in double digit due to lesser population of these areas.

        In summation, all conspiracy theories are pitching nation against nation. Conspiracies are mostly the off shoots of fear, hoax and prejudices. It is easier to blame or alleges other. But, it bears no fruit. The fact is; when humanity is pitched against calamity. All 7.7 billion heads must fight it like war as Bill Gate advocated. In the history of mankind, we find that at times of natural disasters, man united, putting aside all differences of creed, race, religion and fought like an organic whole. Time demands again such unity!

How prudently Haile Selassie said:

       History teaches us that unity is strength, and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength, for the path to true brotherhood and unity.