View source for Social:COVID-19 misinformation

{{Short description|False or misleading virus information}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
[[File:Disinfodemic- Deciphering COVID-19 disinformation.pdf|thumb|upright=1.3|page=6|''Disinfodemic – Deciphering COVID-19 disinformation'', published by [[Organization:UNESCO|UNESCO]]|link=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Disinfodemic-_Deciphering_COVID-19_disinformation.pdf&page=6]]
False information, including intentional [[Social:Disinformation|disinformation]] and conspiracy theories, about the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and the origin, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease has been spread through social media, text messaging,<ref name="FTTextMsg">{{cite web |vauthors=Murphy H, Di Stefano M, Manson K |url=https://www.ft.com/content/34b6df5a-ea4a-471f-8ac9-606580480049 |title=Huge text message campaigns spread coronavirus fake news |date=20 March 2020 |work=Financial Times}}</ref> and mass media. False information has been propagated by celebrities, politicians, and other prominent public figures. Many countries have passed laws against "fake news", and thousands of people have been arrested for spreading COVID-19 misinformation. The spread of COVID-19 misinformation by governments has also been significant.

Commercial scams have claimed to offer [[Unsolved:List of unproven methods against COVID-19|at-home tests, supposed preventives, and "miracle" cures]].<ref>{{cite web |date=4 January 2021 |title=Fraudulent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Products |url=https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/fraudulent-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-products |publisher=U.S. [[Organization:Food and Drug Administration|Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) }}</ref> Several religious groups have claimed their faith will protect them from the virus.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Kowalczyk O, Roszkowski K, Montane X, Pawliszak W, Tylkowski B, Bajek A |title=Religion and Faith Perception in a Pandemic of COVID-19 |journal=Journal of Religion and Health |volume=59 |issue=6 |pages=2671–2677 |date=December 2020 |pmid=33044598 |pmc=7549332 |doi=10.1007/s10943-020-01088-3}}</ref> Without evidence, some people have claimed the virus is a bioweapon accidentally or deliberately leaked from a laboratory, a [[Earth:Human population planning|population control]] scheme, the result of a [[Social:Espionage|spy operation]], or the side effect of [[5G|5G]] upgrades to cellular networks.<ref>{{cite web |title=COVID: Top 10 current conspiracy theories |url=https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2020/04/covid-top-10-current-conspiracy-theories/ |access-date=5 January 2021 |website=Alliance for Science}}</ref>

The [[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]] (WHO) declared an "infodemic" of incorrect information about the virus that poses risks to global health.<ref name="Lowy">{{cite news |vauthors=Kassam N |date=25 March 2020 |title=Disinformation and coronavirus |work=The Interpreter |publisher=Lowy Institute |url=https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/disinformation-and-coronavirus}}</ref> While belief in conspiracy theories is not a new phenomenon, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this can lead to adverse health effects. Cognitive biases, such as jumping to conclusions and [[Confirmation bias|confirmation bias]], may be linked to the occurrence of conspiracy beliefs.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Kuhn SA, Lieb R, Freeman D, Andreou C, Zander-Schellenberg T |title=Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs in the German-speaking general population: endorsement rates and links to reasoning biases and paranoia |journal=Psychological Medicine |pages=4162–4176 |date=March 2021 |volume=52 |issue=16 |pmid=33722315 |pmc=8027560 |doi=10.1017/S0033291721001124 |doi-access=free}}</ref><section end="Intro" /> Uncertainty among experts, when combined with a lack of understanding of the scientific process by laypeople, has likewise been a factor amplifying conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nadesan |first1=Majia |date=28 April 2022 |title=Crises Narratives Defining the COVID-19 Pandemic: Expert Uncertainties and Conspiratorial Sensemaking |journal=American Behavioral Scientist |doi=10.1177/00027642221085893 |pmc=9051992 }}</ref> In addition to health effects, harms resulting from the spread of misinformation and endorsement of conspiracy theories include increasing distrust of news organizations and medical authorities as well as divisiveness and political fragmentation.<ref>{{cite magazine |vauthors=Radford B |date=November–December 2020 |title=Conspiracy Theories Grow as COVID-19 Spreads |url=https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/conspiracies-grow-as-covid-spreads/ |magazine=[[Unsolved:Skeptical Inquirer|Skeptical Inquirer]] |location=Amherst, New York |publisher=[[Organization:Center for Inquiry|Center for Inquiry]] |page=5}}</ref>

==Overview==
In January 2020, the BBC reported on the developing issue of conspiracy theories and bad health advice regarding COVID-19. Examples at the time included false health advice shared on social media and private chats, as well as conspiracy theories such as the outbreak being planned with the participation of the [[Organization:Pirbright Institute|Pirbright Institute]].<ref name="bbc_misinfo">{{cite news |date=30 January 2020 |title=China coronavirus: Misinformation spreads online about origin and scale |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51271037 |url-status=live |access-date=10 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204163412/https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51271037 |archive-date=4 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Shmerling RH |title=Be careful where you get your news about coronavirus |url=https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/be-careful-where-you-get-your-news-about-coronavirus-2020020118801 |website=Harvard Health Blog |access-date=25 March 2020 |date=1 February 2020}}</ref> In January, ''{{wipe|The Guardian}}'' listed seven instances of misinformation, adding the conspiracy theories about bioweapons and the link to [[5G|5G]] technology, and including varied false health advice.<ref name=GUAR>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/31/bat-soup-dodgy-cures-and-diseasology-the-spread-of-coronavirus-bunkum |title=Bat soup, dodgy cures and 'diseasology': the spread of coronavirus misinformation |date=31 January 2020 |access-date=3 February 2020 |vauthors=Taylor J |newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202141231/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/31/bat-soup-dodgy-cures-and-diseasology-the-spread-of-coronavirus-bunkum |archive-date=2 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In an attempt to speed up research sharing, many researchers have turned to [[Preprint|preprint]] servers such as [[ArXiv|arXiv]], [[Biology:BioRxiv|bioRxiv]], [[MedRxiv|medRxiv]], and SSRN. Papers are uploaded to these servers without peer review or any other editorial process that ensures research quality. Some of these papers have contributed to the spread of conspiracy theories. The most notable case was an unreviewed preprint paper uploaded to ''bioRxiv'' which claimed that the virus contained [[Biology:HIV|HIV]] "insertions". Following objections, the paper was withdrawn.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Majumder MS, Mandl KD |title=Early in the epidemic: impact of preprints on global discourse about COVID-19 transmissibility |journal=The Lancet. Global Health |volume=8 |issue=5 |pages=e627–e630 |date=May 2020 |pmid=32220289 |pmc=7159059 |doi=10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30113-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Oransky I, Marcus A |url=https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/03/retraction-faulty-coronavirus-paper-good-moment-for-science/ |title=Quick retraction of a faulty coronavirus paper was a good moment for science |work=Stat |date=3 February 2020 |access-date=21 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-research-preprint-servers/ |title=Coronavirus Research Is Moving at Top Speed – With a Catch |magazine=Wired |vauthors=Rogers A |date=31 January 2020 |access-date=13 February 2020 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> Preprints about COVID-19 have been extensively shared online and some data suggest that they have been used by the media almost 10 times more than preprints on other topics.<ref name="BesançonPeiffer-Smadja2020">{{cite journal |vauthors=Besançon L, Peiffer-Smadja N, Segalas C, Jiang H, Masuzzo P, Smout C, Billy E, Deforet M, Leyrat C |title=Open science saves lives: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic |journal=BMC Medical Research Methodology |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=117 |date=June 2021 |pmid=34090351 |doi=10.1186/s12874-021-01304-y |doi-access=free |biorxiv=10.1101/2020.08.13.249847 |pmc=8179078 |s2cid=221141998}}</ref>

According to a study published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, most misinformation related to COVID-19 involves "various forms of reconfiguration, where existing and often true information is spun, twisted, recontextualised, or reworked"; less misinformation "was completely fabricated". The study also found that "top-down misinformation from politicians, celebrities, and other prominent public figures", while accounting for a minority of the samples, captured a majority of the social media engagement. According to their classification, the largest category of misinformation (39%) was "misleading or false claims about the actions or policies of public authorities, including government and international bodies like the WHO or the UN".<ref name="reuters-institute">{{cite web |vauthors=Brennen JS, Simon F, Howard PN, Nielsen RK |url=https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/types-sources-and-claims-covid-19-misinformation |title=Types, sources, and claims of COVID-19 misinformation |agency=Reuters Institute |date=7 April 2020 |access-date=21 April 2020}}</ref>

In addition to social media, television and radio have been perceived as sources of misinformation. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Fox News adopted an editorial line that the emergency response to the pandemic was politically motivated or otherwise unwarranted,<ref>{{cite news |last=Darcy |first=Oliver |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/12/media/fox-news-coronavirus/index.html |title=How Fox News misled viewers about the coronavirus |date=13 March 2020 |publisher=CNN |access-date=23 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/a8r3p |title=How Right-Leaning Media Coverage of COVID-19 Facilitated the Spread of Misinformation in the Early Stages of the Pandemic |last=Motta |first=Matt |website=osf.io |access-date=23 September 2021}}</ref> and presenter [[Biography:Sean Hannity|Sean Hannity]] claimed on-air that the pandemic was a "hoax" (he later issued a denial).<ref>{{cite news |last=Rieger |first=JM |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/19/sean-hannity-denied-calling-coronavirus-hoax-nine-days-after-he-called-coronavirus-hoax/ |title=Sean Hannity denied calling coronavirus a hoax nine days after he called coronavirus a hoax |date=19 March 2020 |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |access-date=23 September 2021 }}</ref> When evaluated by media analysts, the effect of broadcast misinformation has been found to influence health outcomes in the population. In a [[Medicine:Natural experiment|natural experiment]] (an experiment that takes place spontaneously, without human design or intervention), two similar television news programs that were shown on the Fox News network in February–March 2020 were compared. One program reported the effects of COVID-19 more seriously, while a second program downplayed the threat of COVID-19. The study found that audiences who were exposed to the news downplaying the threat were statistically more susceptible to increased COVID-19 infection rates and death.<ref name="Becker Friedman Institute">{{cite web |vauthors=Bursztyn L, Rao A, Roth C, Yanagizawa-Drott D |url=https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/2020-44/ |title=Misinformation During a Pandemic |work=Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=21 April 2020}}</ref> In August 2021, television broadcaster Sky News Australia was criticised for posting videos on [[Company:YouTube|YouTube]] containing misleading medical claims about COVID-19.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Visentin |first1=Lisa |title=Sky News hosts silent as the channel deletes unproven COVID-19 treatment videos |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/sky-news-hosts-silent-as-the-channel-deletes-unproven-covid-19-treatment-videos-20210810-p58hgz.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=22 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811022946/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/sky-news-hosts-silent-as-the-channel-deletes-unproven-covid-19-treatment-videos-20210810-p58hgz.html |archive-date=11 August 2021 |date=10 August 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Conservative talk radio in the US has also been perceived as a source of inaccurate or misleading commentary on COVID-19. In August and September 2021, <!-- four, see following source -->several radio hosts who had discouraged COVID-19 vaccination, or expressed skepticism toward the COVID-19 vaccine, subsequently died from COVID-19 complications, among them Dick Farrel, [[Biography:Phil Valentine|Phil Valentine]] and Bob Enyart.<ref name="fahri-0901">{{cite news |last1=Farhi |first1=Paul |title=Four conservative radio talk-show hosts bashed coronavirus vaccines. Then they got sick. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/conservative-talk-radio-covid-deaths/2021/08/31/a912a89c-0a66-11ec-aea1-42a8138f132a_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901120527/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/conservative-talk-radio-covid-deaths/2021/08/31/a912a89c-0a66-11ec-aea1-42a8138f132a_story.html |archive-date=1 September 2021 |date=1 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="guardian-20210921">{{cite web |last1=Gabbatt |first1=Adam |title=Dangerous transmissions: anti-vax radio shows reach millions in US while stars die of Covid |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/21/anti-vax-radio-hosts-dying-covid |website={{wipe|The Guardian}} |access-date=22 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921222843/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/21/anti-vax-radio-hosts-dying-covid |archive-date=21 September 2021 |date=21 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Misinformation on the subject of COVID-19 has been used by politicians, [[Social:Advocacy group|interest group]]s, and [[Social:State actor|state actor]]s in many countries for political purposes: to avoid responsibility, scapegoat other countries, and avoid criticism of their earlier decisions. Sometimes there is a financial motive as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/19/america-far-right-coronavirus-outbreak-trump-alex-jones |title=Disinformation and blame: how America's far right is capitalizing on coronavirus |website=The Grenadian |vauthors=Wilson J |date=19 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c201gekj |title=Analysis: Is China finding scapegoats in its coronavirus narrative? |work=BBC Monitoring}}</ref><ref name="buzzfeed_042220_origin">{{cite web |vauthors=Broderick R |date=22 April 2020 |title=Scientists Haven't Found Proof The Coronavirus Escaped From A Lab in Wuhan. Trump Supporters Are Spreading The Rumor Anyway. |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/coronavirus-rumors-escape-lab-china-fox-news-trump |website=BuzzFeed News}}</ref> Multiple countries have been accused of spreading disinformation with state-backed operations in the social media in other countries to generate panic, sow distrust, and undermine democratic debate in other countries, or to promote their models of government.<ref name="rankin">{{cite news |vauthors=Rankin J |date=10 June 2020 |title=EU says China behind 'huge wave' of Covid-19 disinformation |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/10/eu-says-china-behind-huge-wave-covid-19-disinformation-campaign}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/foreign-minister-marise-payne-hits-out-at-chinese-russian-disinformation-20200616-p552y9.html |title=Foreign Minister Marise Payne hits out at Chinese, Russian 'disinformation' |vauthors=Galloway A |date=16 June 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref><ref name="iran disinformation">{{cite news |vauthors=Brewster T |date=15 April 2020 |title=Iran-Linked Group Caught Spreading COVID-19 'Disinformation' On Facebook And Instagram |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2020/04/15/iran-linked-group-caught-spreading-covid-19-disinformation-on-facebook-and-instagram/}}</ref><ref name="russian disinformation">{{cite news |vauthors=Emmot R |date=18 March 2020 |title=Russia deploying coronavirus disinformation to sow panic in West, EU document says |work=Reuters |url=https://reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-disinformation/russia-deploying-coronavirus-disinformation-to-sow-panic-in-west-eu-document-says-idUKKBN215189}}</ref>

A [[Organization:Cornell University|Cornell University]] study of 38 million articles in English-language media around the world found that US President Donald Trump was the single largest driver of the misinformation.<ref name="Stolberg">{{cite web |vauthors=Stolberg SG, Weiland N |date=22 October 2020 |title=Study Finds 'Single Largest Driver' of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-misinformation.html |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url-access=limited}}'''([https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/evanega-et-al-coronavirus-misinformation-submitted-07-23-20-1/080839ac0c22bca8/full.pdf Study])'''</ref><ref name="Economist mistrust">{{cite AV media |title=Covid-19: why vaccine mistrust is growing |publisher=The Economist |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EK4VRmG3yM |date=18 November 2020 |work=YouTube}}{{Time needed|date=August 2021}}</ref> Analysis published by National Public Radio in December 2021 found that as American counties showed higher vote shares for Trump in 2020, COVID-19 vaccination rates significantly decreased and death rates significantly increased. NPR attributed the findings to misinformation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/05/1059828993/data-vaccine-misinformation-trump-counties-covid-death-rate |title=Pro-Trump counties now have far higher COVID death rates. Misinformation is to blame |first1=Daniel |last1=Wood |first2=Geoff |last2=Brumfiel |newspaper=NPR |date=5 December 2021 }}</ref>

==Virus origin==
The consensus among [[Biology:Virology|virologists]] is that the most likely origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to be natural [[Biology:Zoonosis|crossover from animals]], having [[Biology:Spillover infection|spilled-over]] into the human population from bats, possibly through an intermediate animal host, although the exact transmission pathway has not been determined.<ref name="zoum">{{cite journal |vauthors=Zoumpourlis V, Goulielmaki M, Rizos E, Baliou S, Spandidos DA |title=[Comment] The COVID‑19 pandemic as a scientific and social challenge in the 21st century |journal=Molecular Medicine Reports |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=3035–3048 |date=October 2020 |pmid=32945405 |pmc=7453598 |doi=10.3892/mmr.2020.11393 |quote=The genomic and bioinformatic analyses of the aforementioned studies, as well as the results of previous studies, confirm that the virus originated in bats and this way put an end to all conspiracy theories regarding this issue.}}</ref><ref name="NatureDivisive" /><ref name=Hakim>{{cite journal |vauthors=Hakim MS |title=SARS-CoV-2, Covid-19, and the debunking of conspiracy theories |journal=Reviews in Medical Virology |pages=e2222 |date=February 2021 |volume=31 |issue=6 |pmid=33586302 |pmc=7995093 |doi=10.1002/rmv.2222 |s2cid=231925928 |doi-access=free |type=Review}}</ref><ref name=barh>{{cite journal |vauthors=Barh D, Silva Andrade B, Tiwari S, Giovanetti M, Góes-Neto A, Alcantara LC, Azevedo V, Ghosh P |title=Natural selection versus creation: a review on the origin of SARS-COV-2 |journal=Le Infezioni in Medicina |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=302–311 |date=September 2020 |pmid=32920565 |type=Review}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Osuchowski |first1=Marcin F |last2=Winkler |first2=Martin S |last3=Skirecki |first3=Tomasz |last4=Cajander |first4=Sara |last5=Shankar-Hari |first5=Manu |last6=Lachmann |first6=Gunnar |last7=Monneret |first7=Guillaume |last8=Venet |first8=Fabienne |last9=Bauer |first9=Michael |title=The COVID-19 puzzle: deciphering pathophysiology and phenotypes of a new disease entity |journal=The Lancet. Respiratory Medicine |date=6 May 2021 |volume=9 |issue=6 |pages=622–642 |doi=10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00218-6 |pmid=33965003 |pmc=8102044 |issn=2213-2600 |quote=The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in a health crisis not witnessed since the 1918–19 Spanish influenza pandemic. The most plausible origin of SARS-CoV-2 is natural selection of the virus in an animal host followed by zoonotic transfer.}}</ref> [[Biology:Genome|Genomic]] evidence suggests an ancestor virus of SARS-CoV-2 originated in [[Biology:Horseshoe bat|horseshoe bat]]s.<ref name="NatureDivisive" />

An alternative hypothesis under investigation, deemed unlikely by the majority of virologists given a lack of evidence, is that the virus may have accidentally escaped from the [[Organization:Wuhan Institute of Virology|Wuhan Institute of Virology]] in the course of standard research.<ref name="Hakim"/><ref name="Frutos2021"/> A poll in July 2021 found that 52% of US adults believe COVID-19 escaped from a lab.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/16/politics/biden-intel-review-covid-origins/index.html |title=Senior Biden officials finding that Covid lab leak theory as credible as natural origins explanation |vauthors=Bertrand N, Brown P, Williams KB, Cohen Z |work=CNN |date=16 July 2021 |access-date=5 August 2021}}</ref>

Unsubstantiated speculation and conspiracy theories related to this topic have gained popularity during the pandemic. Common conspiracy theories state that the virus was intentionally engineered, either as a bio-weapon or to profit from the sale of vaccines. According to the World Health Organization, genetic manipulation has been ruled out by genomic analysis.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Liu SL, Saif LJ, Weiss SR, Su L |title=No credible evidence supporting claims of the laboratory engineering of SARS-CoV-2 |journal=Emerging Microbes & Infections |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=505–507 |year=2020 |pmid=32102621 |pmc=7054935 |doi=10.1080/22221751.2020.1733440}}</ref><ref name="Hakim" /><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Van Beusekom M |date=12 May 2020 |title=Scientists: 'Exactly zero' evidence COVID-19 came from a lab |url=https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/05/scientists-exactly-zero-evidence-covid-19-came-lab |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=[[Organization:Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy|Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy]] |publisher=University of Minnesota}}</ref> Many other origin stories have also been told, ranging from claims of secret plots by political opponents to a conspiracy theory about mobile phones. In March 2020, the Pew Research Center found that a third of Americans believed COVID-19 had been created in a lab, and a quarter thought it had been engineered intentionally.<ref name=AP20210215>{{cite web |vauthors=Kinetz E |url=https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-beijing-only-on-ap-epidemics-media-122b73e134b780919cc1808f3f6f16e8 |title=Anatomy of a conspiracy: With COVID, China took leading role |date=20 April 2021 |website=AP NEWS}}</ref> The spread of these conspiracy theories is magnified through mutual distrust and animosity, as well as nationalism and the use of propaganda campaigns for political purposes.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Nie JB |title=In the Shadow of Biological Warfare: Conspiracy Theories on the Origins of COVID-19 and Enhancing Global Governance of Biosafety as a Matter of Urgency |journal=Journal of Bioethical Inquiry |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=567–574 |date=December 2020 |pmid=32840850 |pmc=7445685 |doi=10.1007/s11673-020-10025-8}}</ref>

The promotion of misinformation has been used by American far-right groups such as [[Social:QAnon|QAnon]], by rightwing outlets such as Fox News, by former US President Donald Trump and also other prominent Republicans to stoke anti-China sentiments,<ref name="Bannon" /><ref name="TrumpMuddled">{{cite magazine |vauthors=Elliott P |title=How Distrust of Donald Trump Muddled the COVID-19 'Lab Leak' Debate |url=https://time.com/6051414/donald-trump-wuhan-laboratory-leak/ |magazine=Time |access-date=7 June 2021}}</ref><ref name=AP20210215 /> and has led to increased anti-Asian activity on social media and in the real world.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Alba D |title=How Anti-Asian Activity Online Set the Stage for Real-World Violence |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/technology/how-anti-asian-activity-online-set-the-stage-for-real-world-violence.html |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=19 March 2021 |url-access=limited}}</ref> This has also resulted in the bullying of scientists and public health officials, both online and in-person,{{refn|<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Mello MM, Greene JA, Sharfstein JM |title=Attacks on Public Health Officials During COVID-19 |journal=JAMA |volume=324 |issue=8 |pages=741–742 |date=August 2020 |pmid=32777019 |doi=10.1001/jama.2020.14423 |s2cid=221099095 |doi-access=}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Izri T |title=Winnipeg epidemiologist faces online threats, as concerns about COVID-19 misinformation deepen |url=https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg-epidemiologist-faces-online-threats-as-concerns-about-covid-19-misinformation-deepen-1.5163774 |work=Winnipeg |date=27 October 2020 |quote=Experts say the hostility against public health officials is being fueled in part by online conspiracy theories.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Marcelo P |title=They were experts in viruses, and now in pitfalls of fame |url=https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-public-health-media-social-media-coronavirus-pandemic-878549db9eb8f2d26eb26a54c2d8c8b2 |access-date=16 June 2021 |website=AP News |date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Ryan J |title=How the coronavirus origin story is being rewritten by a guerrilla Twitter group |url=https://www.cnet.com/features/how-the-coronavirus-origin-story-is-being-rewritten-by-a-guerrilla-twitter-group/ |website=CNET |access-date=21 June 2021 |quote=Bostickson has dubbed him a "Chinese puppet," and others have erroneously suggested that Holmes, with researchers working at the Wuhan Institute of Virology including Shi Zhengli, conspired to keep the origins of the pandemic a secret. Holmes has blocked many Drastic members on Twitter because member's tweets have descended into personal attacks. He vehemently denies Bostickson's baseless claims.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Fay Cortez M |title=The Last–And Only–Foreign Scientist in the Wuhan Lab Speaks Out |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-06-27/did-covid-come-from-a-lab-scientist-at-wuhan-institute-speaks-out |access-date=28 June 2021 |work=www.bloomberg.com |quote=One of a dozen experts appointed to an international taskforce in November to study the origins of the virus, Anderson hasn't sought public attention, especially since being targeted by U.S. extremists in early 2020 after she exposed false information about the pandemic posted online. The vitriol that ensued prompted her to file a police report. The threats of violence many coronavirus scientists have experienced over the past 18 months have made them hesitant to speak out because of the risk that their words will be misconstrued.}}</ref><ref name="Achenbach scientists">{{cite news |last1=Achenbach |first1=Joel |title=Scientists battle over the ultimate origin story: Where did the coronavirus come from? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-lab-leak-theory/2021/06/20/30b10be2-c3d9-11eb-8c18-fd53a628b992_story.html |access-date=9 July 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=20 June 2021 |quote=Perlman, a mild-mannered, grandfatherly virologist at the University of Iowa, didn't know the author of the dyspeptic email and had nothing to do with the emergence of the coronavirus. But he had co-signed a letter to the Lancet in February 2020 saying SARS-CoV-2 was not a bioengineered virus and condemning 'conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.'{{thin space}} |url-access=limited |archive-date=22 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622181611/https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-lab-leak-theory/2021/06/20/30b10be2-c3d9-11eb-8c18-fd53a628b992_story.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>}} fueled by a highly political and oftentimes toxic debate on many issues.<ref name="NatureDivisive"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Why scientists fear the "toxic" Covid-19 debate |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/coronavirus/2020/10/why-scientists-fear-toxic-covid-19-debate |work=www.newstatesman.com}}</ref> Such spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories has the potential to negatively affect public health and diminish trust in governments and medical professionals.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Islam MS, Sarkar T, Khan SH, Mostofa Kamal AH, Hasan SM, Kabir A, Yeasmin D, Islam MA, Amin Chowdhury KI, Anwar KS, Chughtai AA, Seale H |title=COVID-19-Related Infodemic and Its Impact on Public Health: A Global Social Media Analysis |journal=The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene |volume=103 |issue=4 |pages=1621–1629 |date=October 2020 |pmid=32783794 |pmc=7543839 |doi=10.4269/ajtmh.20-0812}}</ref>

The resurgence of the lab leak and other theories was fueled in part by the publication, in May 2021, of early emails between National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director [[Biography:Anthony Fauci|Anthony Fauci]] and scientists discussing the issue. Per the emails in question, Kristian Andersen (author of one study debunking genomic manipulation theories) had heavily considered the possibility, and emailed Fauci proposing possible mechanisms, before ruling out deliberate manipulation with deeper technical analysis.<ref name="GuardianNewStudies">{{cite news |vauthors=Spinney L |title=In hunt for Covid's origin, new studies point away from lab leak theory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/18/in-hunt-for-covids-origin-new-studies-point-away-from-lab-leak-theory |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=18 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Gorman J, Zimmer C |title=Scientist Opens Up About His Early Email to Fauci on Virus Origins |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/14/science/covid-lab-leak-fauci-kristian-andersen.html |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=14 June 2021 |url-access=limited}}</ref> These emails were later misconstrued and used by critics to claim a conspiracy was occurring.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Greenberg J |title=No, emails to Fauci don't show early agreement that virus was man-made |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jun/02/facebook-posts/no-emails-fauci-dont-show-early-agreement-virus-wa/ |work=PolitiFact |date=2 June 2021 |quote=The only email that came close to matching that claim noted that while some evidence suggested the virus might be man-made, more work was needed and that opinion could change. The email presented a possibility — a starting point for more research — not a conclusion. The man who wrote that email concluded that the virus developed naturally in a scientific journal article in March 2020.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Covid: White House defends Dr Fauci over lab leak emails |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57352992 |work=BBC News |date=4 June 2021}}</ref> The ensuing controversy became known as the "Proximal Origin".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stolberg |first1=Sheryl Gay |last2=Mueller |first2=Benjamin |date=11 July 2023 |title=Scientists, Under Fire From Republicans, Defend Fauci and Covid Origins Study |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/11/us/politics/covid-lab-leak-fauci.html |access-date=12 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Jon |first=Cohen |date=11 July 2023 |title=Politicians, scientists spar over alleged NIH cover-up using COVID-19 origin paper |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/politicians-scientists-spar-over-alleged-nih-cover-up-using-covid-19-origin-paper |journal=Science |doi=10.1126/science.adj7036}}</ref> However, despite claims to the contrary in some US newspapers, no new evidence has surfaced to support any theory of a laboratory accident, and the majority of peer-reviewed research points to a natural origin. This parallels previous outbreaks of novel diseases, such as HIV, SARS and H1N1, which have also been the subject of allegations of laboratory origin.<ref name="LingForeign2021">{{cite news |vauthors=Ling J |title=The Lab Leak Theory Doesn't Hold Up |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/15/lab-leak-theory-doesnt-hold-up-covid-china/ |work=Foreign Policy}}</ref><ref name="Gorski revisit"/>

===Wuhan lab origin===

====Bio-weapon====
One early source of the bio-weapon origin theory was former Israeli secret service officer Dany Shoham, who gave an interview to ''The Washington Times'' about the biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory at the [[Organization:Wuhan Institute of Virology|Wuhan Institute of Virology]].<ref>{{cite magazine |vauthors=Polidoro M |date=July–August 2020 |title=Stop the Epidemic of Lies! Thinking about COVID-19 Misinformation |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2020/06/stop-the-epidemic-of-lies-thinking-about-covid-19-misinformation/ |magazine=[[Unsolved:Skeptical Inquirer|Skeptical Inquirer]] |location=Amherst, New York |publisher=[[Organization:Center for Inquiry|Center for Inquiry]] |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=15–16 |access-date=}}</ref><ref name="Brewster">{{cite web |vauthors=Brewster J |title=A Timeline Of The COVID-19 Wuhan Lab Origin Theory |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/05/10/a-timeline-of-the-covid-19-wuhan-lab-origin-theory/ |access-date=11 January 2021 |website=Forbes}}</ref> A scientist from Hong Kong, Li-Meng Yan, fled China and released a [[Preprint|preprint]] stating the virus was modified in a lab rather than having a natural evolution. In an ad hoc peer-review (as the paper was not submitted for traditional peer review as part of the standard scientific publishing process), her claims were labelled as misleading, unscientific, and an unethical promotion of "essentially conspiracy theories that are not founded in fact".<ref name="RRC19⁃0">{{citation |vauthors=Koyama T, Lauring A, Gallo RC, Reitz M |author-link3=Robert Gallo |title=Reviews of "Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification Rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route" |journal=Rapid Reviews Infectious Diseases |department=Biological and Chemical Sciences |series=Rapid Reviews: Covid-19 |date=24 September 2020 |publisher=MIT Press |issn=2692-4072 |url=https://rapidreviewscovid19.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/78we86rp/release/2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008172718/https://rapidreviewscovid19.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/78we86rp/release/2 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Yan's paper was funded by the Rule of Law Society and the Rule of Law Foundation, two non-profits linked to [[Biography:Steve Bannon|Steve Bannon]], a former Trump strategist, and Guo Wengui, an expatriate Chinese billionaire.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Reitz M |title=Review 4: "Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification Rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route" |journal=Rapid Reviews: COVID-19 |date=4 October 2020 |url=https://rapidreviewscovid19.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/loicw441/release/1}}</ref> This misinformation was further seized on by the American far-right, who have been known to promote distrust of China. In effect, this formed "a fast-growing [[Social:Echo chamber (media)|echo chamber]] for misinformation".<ref name="Bannon">{{cite news |vauthors=Qin A, Wang V, Hakim D |title=How Steve Bannon and a Chinese Billionaire Created a Right-Wing Coronavirus Media Sensation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/20/business/media/steve-bannon-china.html |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=20 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430175006/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/20/business/media/steve-bannon-china.html |archive-date=30 April 2021 |url-access=limited}}</ref> The idea of SARS-CoV-2 as a lab-engineered weapon is an element of the ''[[Unsolved:Plandemic|Plandemic]]'' conspiracy theory, which proposes that it was deliberately released by China.<ref name="Gorski revisit">{{cite web |vauthors=Gorski DH |website=[[Medicine:Science-Based Medicine|Science-Based Medicine]] |date=31 May 2021 |url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-origin-of-sars-cov-2-revisited/ |title=The origin of SARS-CoV-2, revisited}}</ref>

''[[Social:The Epoch Times|The Epoch Times]]'', an anti-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) newspaper affiliated with [[Unsolved:Falun Gong|Falun Gong]], has spread misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic in print and via social media including Facebook and YouTube.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Manavis |first=Sarah |title=How US conspiracy theorists are targeting local government in the UK |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2020/04/councillors-politicians-uk-trump-conspiracy-theory-outlet-epoch-times-coronavirus |website=New Statesman |date=22 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{cite web |date=17 April 2020 |title=Viral video promotes the unsupported hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 is a bioengineered virus released from a Wuhan research laboratory |url=https://healthfeedback.org/viral-video-promotes-the-unsupported-hypothesis-that-sars-cov-2-is-a-bioengineered-virus-released-from-a-wuhan-research-laboratory/ |website=Health Feedback}}</ref> It has promoted anti-CCP rhetoric and [[Social:Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic#Misinformation regarding virus origin|conspiracy theories]] around the coronavirus outbreak, for example through an 8-page special edition called "How the Chinese Communist Party Endangered the World", which was distributed unsolicited in April 2020 to mail customers in areas of the United States, Canada, and Australia.<ref name=":10">{{cite news |last1=Bellemare |first1=Andrea |last2=Ho |first2=Jason |last3=Nicholson |first3=Katie |date=29 April 2020 |title=Some Canadians who received unsolicited copy of Epoch Times upset by claim that China was behind virus |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/epoch-times-coronavirus-bioweapon-1.5548217 |access-date=13 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Anti-communist organisation descends on Wagga to spread publication |url=https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/coronavirus/anti-communist-organisation-descends-on-wagga-to-spread-publication/ar-BB12XfTY |access-date=7 May 2020 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref> In the newspaper, the [[Biology:Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2|SARS-CoV-2]] virus is known as the "{{abbr|CCP|Chinese Communist Party}} virus", and a commentary in the newspaper posed the question, "is the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan an accident occasioned by weaponizing the virus at that [Wuhan P4 virology] lab?"<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":10" /> The paper's editorial board suggested that COVID-19 patients cure themselves by "condemning the {{abbr|CCP|Chinese Communist Party}}" and "maybe a miracle will happen".<ref name="DB Kitze">{{cite news |author=Eli Clifton |date=26 May 2020 |title=This NBC executive became a conspiracy king and a pro-Trump media boss |newspaper=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/nbc-executive-chris-kitze-became-a-boss-at-epoch-times-pro-trump-outlet}}</ref>

In response to the propagation of theories in the US of a Wuhan lab origin, the Chinese government promulgated the conspiracy theory that the virus was developed by the United States army at Fort Detrick.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Davidson H |date=20 January 2021 |title=China revives conspiracy theory of US army link to Covid |newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}} |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/20/china-revives-conspiracy-theory-of-us-army-link-to-covid}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |last=Doak |first=Sam |date=14 March 2023 |title=False: COVID-19 originated at Fort Detrick, a United States army base. |url=https://www.logically.ai/factchecks/library/d9116c6d |access-date=19 March 2023 |website=Logically }}</ref> The conspiracy theory was also promoted by British MP Andrew Bridgen in March 2023.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Wheeler_Bridgen_2023March">{{cite news |last1=Wheeler |first1=Richard |title=Mordaunt: I pity Andrew Bridgen if he believes Covid conspiracy theories |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/penny-mordaunt-andrew-bridgen-world-economic-forum-tony-blair-independent-b1069514.html |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=Evening Standard |date=23 March 2023 }}</ref>

In June 2023 the 'Sunday Times Insight team' produced an article in The Times saying they had spoken to US State Department investigators and that "One of the investigator sources said the secret military-funded experiments on the mine virus, RaTG13, began in 2016." Also that "the Wuhan scientists had inserted furin cleavage sites into viruses in 2019."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Calvert |first1=Jonathan |last2=Arbuthnott |first2=George |title=What really went on inside the Wuhan lab weeks before Covid erupted |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/inside-wuhan-lab-covid-pandemic-china-america-qhjwwwvm0 |website=thetimes.co.uk |publisher=Sunday Times |date=12 August 2023}}</ref>

====Gain-of-function research====
One idea used to support a laboratory origin invokes previous [[Biology:Gain-of-function research|gain-of-function research]] on coronaviruses. Virologist Angela Rasmussen argued that this is unlikely, due to the intense scrutiny and government oversight gain-of-function research is subject to, and that it is improbable that research on hard-to-obtain coronaviruses could occur under the radar.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Rasmussen AL |title=On the origins of SARS-CoV-2 |journal=Nature Medicine |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=9 |date=January 2021 |pmid=33442004 |doi=10.1038/s41591-020-01205-5 |doi-access=free |author-link=Angela Rasmussen}}</ref> The exact meaning of "gain of function" is disputed among experts.<ref name="Robertson L">{{cite web |vauthors=Robertson L |title=The Wuhan Lab and the Gain-of-Function Disagreement |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2021/05/the-wuhan-lab-and-the-gain-of-function-disagreement/ |website=FactCheck.org |access-date=4 June 2021 |date=21 May 2021}}</ref><ref name="Bryant">{{cite news |vauthors=Bryant CC |title=How risky is 'gain of function' research? Congress scrutinizes China. |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2021/0625/How-risky-is-gain-of-function-research-Congress-scrutinizes-China |work=The Christian Science Monitor |date=25 June 2021 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

In May 2020, Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused Anthony Fauci of having "funded the creation of COVID" through gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).{{r|Robertson L}}
Citing an essay by science writer Nicholas Wade, Carlson alleged that Fauci had directed research to make bat viruses more infectious to humans.<ref name="Dapcevich GOF">{{cite web |vauthors=Dapcevich M |title=Did Fauci Fund 'Gain of Function' Research, Thereby Causing COVID-19 Pandemic? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fauci-gain-function-covid/ |website=Snopes |date=20 May 2021}}</ref>
In a hearing the next day, US senator Rand Paul alleged that the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) had been funding gain-of-function research in Wuhan, accusing researchers including epidemiologist Ralph Baric of creating "super-viruses".{{r|Robertson L|Kessler flap}}
Both Fauci and NIH Director [[Biography:Francis Collins|Francis Collins]] have denied that the US government supported such research.{{r|Robertson L|Bryant|Dapcevich GOF}}
Baric likewise rejected Paul's allegations, saying that his lab's research into the potential in bat coronaviruses for cross-species transmission was not deemed gain-of-function by NIH or the University of North Carolina, where he works.{{r|Kessler flap}}

A 2017 study of chimeric bat coronaviruses at the WIV listed NIH as a sponsor; however, NIH funding was only related to sample collection. Based on this and other evidence, ''The Washington Post'' rated the claim of an NIH connection to gain-of-function research on coronaviruses as "two pinocchios",<ref name="Kessler flap">{{cite news |vauthors=Kessler G |title=Analysis {{!}} Fact-checking the Paul-Fauci flap over Wuhan lab funding |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/18/fact-checking-senator-paul-dr-fauci-flap-over-wuhan-lab-funding/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=18 May 2021 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name="Kessler Oct 2021">{{cite news |vauthors=Kessler G |title=Analysis {{!}} The repeated claim that Fauci lied to Congress about 'gain-of-function' research |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/29/repeated-claim-that-fauci-lied-congress-about-gain-of-function-research/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=21 October 2021 |url-access=limited}}</ref> representing "significant omissions and/or exaggerations".<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Kessler G |title=About The Fact Checker |date=1 January 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/07/about-fact-checker/ |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref>

====Accidental release of collected sample====
Another theory suggests the virus arose in humans from an accidental infection of laboratory workers by a natural sample.<ref name="Frutos2021">{{cite journal |vauthors=Frutos R, Gavotte L, Devaux CA |title=Understanding the origin of COVID-19 requires to change the paradigm on zoonotic emergence from the spillover model to the viral circulation model |journal=Infection, Genetics and Evolution |pages=104812 |date=March 2021 |volume=95 |pmid=33744401 |pmc=7969828 |doi=10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104812}}</ref> Unfounded online speculation about this scenario has been widespread.<ref name="Hakim" />

In March 2021, an investigatory report released by the WHO described this scenario as "extremely unlikely" and not supported by any available evidence.<ref name=WHOJoint>{{cite web |title=WHO-convened global study of origins of SARS-CoV-2: China Part |url=https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-convened-global-study-of-origins-of-sars-cov-2-china-part |publisher=World Health Organization |access-date=21 May 2021 |quote="WHO gratefully acknowledges the work of the joint team, including Chinese and international scientists and WHO experts who worked on the technical sections of this report, and those who worked on studies to prepare data and information for the joint mission."}}</ref> The report acknowledged, however, that the possibility cannot be ruled out without further evidence.<ref name="Frutos2021"/> The investigation behind this report operated as a joint collaboration between Chinese and international scientists.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Mallapaty S |title=After the WHO report: what's next in the search for COVID's origins |journal=Nature |date=1 April 2021 |volume=592 |issue=7854 |pages=337–338 |doi=10.1038/d41586-021-00877-4|pmid=33790440 |bibcode=2021Natur.592..337M |s2cid=232481786 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Huang Y |title=What the WHO Investigation Reveals About the Origins of COVID-19 |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2021-03-31/what-who-investigation-reveals-about-origins-covid-19 |access-date=15 June 2021 |date=8 April 2021}}</ref> At the release briefing for the report, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated the report's calls for a deeper probe into all evaluated possibilities, including the laboratory origin scenario.<ref>{{cite web |title=WHO Director-General's remarks at the Member State Briefing on the report of the international team studying the origins of SARS-CoV-2 |url=https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-remarks-at-the-member-state-briefing-on-the-report-of-the-international-team-studying-the-origins-of-sars-cov-2 |publisher=World Health Organization |access-date=2 June 2021}}</ref> The study and report were criticised by heads of state from the US, the EU, and other WHO member countries for a lack of transparency and incomplete access to data.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Pezenik S |title=Criticism of WHO Wuhan report exposes limits of agency's power and influence |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/criticism-wuhan-report-exposes-limits-agencys-power-influence/story?id=76761378 |access-date=10 June 2021 |website=ABC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Gan N |title=14 countries and WHO chief accuse China of withholding data from coronavirus investigation |date=31 March 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/31/asia/who-report-criticism-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=10 June 2021 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Hernández JC, Gorman J |date=29 March 2021 |title=Virus Origins Remain Unclear in W.H.O.-China Inquiry |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/world/asia/china-virus-WHO-report.html |access-date=10 June 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Further investigations have also been requested by some scientists, including Anthony Fauci and signatories of a letter published in ''Science''.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Brumfiel G |date=28 May 2021 |title=Many Scientists Still Think The Coronavirus Came From Nature |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/05/28/1001319014/many-scientists-still-think-the-coronavirus-came-from-nature |publisher=NPR}}</ref>

Since May 2021, some media organizations softened previous language that described the laboratory leak theory as "debunked" or a "conspiracy theory".<ref name="media face hard questions">{{cite news |vauthors=Swanson I |title=The Memo: Media face hard questions on Trump, Wuhan lab |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/555394-the-memo-media-face-hard-questions-on-trump-wuhan-lab?rl=1 |access-date=2 June 2021 |work=The Hill |date=25 May 2021}}</ref> On the other hand, scientific opinion that an accidental leak is possible, but unlikely, has remained steady.<ref>See, for example, the following:
* {{cite news |vauthors=Taylor A |title=Analysis – The Wuhan lab-leak theory is getting more attention. That's because key evidence is still missing. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/27/wuhan-lab-theory-evidence/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |url-access=limited}}
* {{cite news |vauthors=Beaumont P |title=Did Covid come from a Wuhan lab? What we know so far |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/27/did-covid-come-from-a-wuhan-lab-what-we-know-so-far |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=27 May 2021}}
* {{cite news |vauthors=Rogers A |title=The Covid-19 Lab Leak Theory Is a Tale of Weaponized Uncertainty |url=https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-lab-leak-theory-weaponized-uncertainty/ |access-date=2 June 2021 |magazine=Wired}}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Graham RL, Baric RS |title=SARS-CoV-2: Combating Coronavirus Emergence |journal=Immunity |volume=52 |issue=5 |pages=734–736 |date=May 2020 |pmid=32392464 |pmc=7207110 |doi=10.1016/j.immuni.2020.04.016 |quote="the available data argue overwhelmingly against any scientific misconduct or negligence"}}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Barh D, Silva Andrade B, Tiwari S, Giovanetti M, Góes-Neto A, Alcantara LC, Azevedo V, Ghosh P |title=Natural selection versus creation: a review on the origin of SARS-COV-2 |language=italian |journal=Le Infezioni in Medicina |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=302–311 |date=September 2020 |pmid=32920565 |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32920565/ |access-date=15 June 2021 |quote="Conspiracy theories about a possible accidental leak from either of these laboratories known to be experimenting with bats and bat CoVs that has shown some structural similarity to human SARS-CoV-2 has been suggested, but largely dismissed by most authorities."}}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Adil MT, Rahman R, Whitelaw D, Jain V, Al-Taan O, Rashid F, Munasinghe A, Jambulingam P |title=SARS-CoV-2 and the pandemic of COVID-19 |journal=Postgraduate Medical Journal |volume=97 |issue=1144 |pages=110–116 |date=February 2021 |pmid=32788312 |doi=10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-138386 |pmc=10016996 |quote="the findings suggest that the laboratory incident hypothesis is extremely unlikely to explain introduction of the virus into the human population" |s2cid=221124011 |doi-access=free}}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Hakim MS |title=SARS-CoV-2, Covid-19, and the debunking of conspiracy theories |journal=Reviews in Medical Virology |pages=e2222 |date=February 2021 |volume=31 |issue=6 |pmid=33586302 |pmc=7995093 |doi=10.1002/rmv.2222 |quote="There is today no evidence that such an accident had happened with SARS-CoV-2."}}</ref><ref name="NatureDivisive">{{cite journal |vauthors=Maxmen A |title=Divisive COVID 'lab leak' debate prompts dire warnings from researchers |journal=Nature |volume=594 |issue=7861 |pages=15–16 |date=June 2021 |pmid=34045757 |doi=10.1038/d41586-021-01383-3 |bibcode=2021Natur.594...15M |s2cid=235232290|doi-access=free }}</ref> A number of journalists and scientists have said that they dismissed or avoided discussing the lab leak theory during the first year of the pandemic as a result of perceived polarization resulting from Donald Trump's embrace of the theory.<ref name="media face hard questions" /><ref name="TrumpMuddled"/><ref name="UnravelingOrigins">{{cite news |title=Nature-based or lab leak? Unraveling the debate over the origins of COVID-19 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/nature-based-man-made-unraveling-debate-origins-covid/story?id=78268577 |access-date=16 June 2021 |work=ABC News |quote="Political voices in favor of the lab-leak theory, particularly from President Donald Trump, served to polarize the issue further and largely pushed the scientific community away from a willingness to consider the lab-leak theory."}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=There's still no evidence of a Chinese lab leak. But here's what's changed, scientists say. |url=https://news.yahoo.com/science-around-lab-leak-theory-204525152.html |work=NBC News |vauthors=Chow D |date=16 June 2021 |quote="Chan said there had been trepidation among some scientists about publicly discussing the lab leak hypothesis for fear that their words could be misconstrued or used to support racist rhetoric about how the coronavirus emerged."}}</ref>

===Stolen from Canadian lab===
Some social media users have alleged that COVID-19 was stolen from a Canadian virus research lab by Chinese scientists. [[Organization:Health Canada|Health Canada]] and the [[Organization:Public Health Agency of Canada|Public Health Agency of Canada]] said that this had "no factual basis".<ref name=nofact /> The stories seem to have been derived from a July 2019 CBC news article stating that some Chinese researchers had their security access to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, a Level{{nbsp}}4 virology lab, revoked after a Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation.<ref name=escorted /><ref name="buzz_doxx">{{cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/a-pro-trump-blog-has-doxed-a-chinese-scientist-it-falsely |title=A Pro-Trump Blog Doxed A Chinese Scientist It Falsely Accused Of Creating The Coronavirus As A Bioweapon |vauthors=Broderick R |date=31 January 2020 |website=BuzzFeed News |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210034232/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/a-pro-trump-blog-has-doxed-a-chinese-scientist-it-falsely |archive-date=10 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Canadian officials described this as an administrative matter and said there was no risk to the Canadian public.<ref name=escorted>{{cite news |vauthors=Pauls K |title=Chinese researcher escorted from infectious disease lab amid RCMP investigation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/chinese-researcher-escorted-from-infectious-disease-lab-amid-rcmp-investigation-1.5211567 |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=14 July 2019 |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206011635/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/chinese-researcher-escorted-from-infectious-disease-lab-amid-rcmp-investigation-1.5211567 |archive-date=6 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Responding to the conspiracy theories, the CBC stated that its articles "never claimed the two scientists were spies, or that they brought any version of [a] coronavirus to the lab in Wuhan". While pathogen samples were transferred from the lab in Winnipeg to Beijing in March 2019, neither of the samples contained a coronavirus. The Public Health Agency of Canada has stated that the shipment conformed to all federal policies, and that the researchers in question are still under investigation, and thus it cannot be confirmed nor denied that these two were responsible for sending the shipment. The location of the researchers under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has also not been released.<ref name=nofact>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/china-coronavirus-online-chatter-conspiracy-1.5442376 |title=Online claims that Chinese scientists stole coronavirus from Winnipeg lab have 'no factual basis' |vauthors=Yates K, Pauls J |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |time=27 January 2020 |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208134329/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/china-coronavirus-online-chatter-conspiracy-1.5442376 |archive-date=8 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/中国科学家从温尼伯实验室中窃取-冠状病毒的网络传言-没有事实根据-1.5448165 |title=Chinese scientists have stolen the coronavirus from the Winnipeg laboratory and the online rumors are'unfounded' Chinese translation: 中国科学家从温尼伯实验室中窃取 冠状病毒的网络传言'没有事实根据' |vauthors=Yates K, Pauls J |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |time=27 January 2020 |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201040447/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E7%A7%91%E5%AD%A6%E5%AE%B6%E4%BB%8E%E6%B8%A9%E5%B0%BC%E4%BC%AF%E5%AE%9E%E9%AA%8C%E5%AE%A4%E4%B8%AD%E7%AA%83%E5%8F%96-%E5%86%A0%E7%8A%B6%E7%97%85%E6%AF%92%E7%9A%84%E7%BD%91%E7%BB%9C%E4%BC%A0%E8%A8%80-%E6%B2%A1%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%8B%E5%AE%9E%E6%A0%B9%E6%8D%AE-1.5448165 |archive-date=1 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="20200128factcheck">{{cite web |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/01/coronavirus-wasnt-sent-by-spy-from-canada/ |title=Coronavirus Wasn't Sent by 'Spy' From Canada |vauthors=Spencer SH |date=28 January 2020 |website=Factcheck.org |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130160015/https://www.factcheck.org/2020/01/coronavirus-wasnt-sent-by-spy-from-canada/ |archive-date=30 January 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a January 2020 press conference, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, when asked about the case, stated that he could not comment specifically on it, but expressed concerns about "increased efforts by the nations to spy on NATO allies in different ways".<ref name="Shoham">{{cite web |url=https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/china-biological-warfare/ |title=China and Viruses: The Case of Dr. Xiangguo Qiu |vauthors=Shoham D |publisher=Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies |date=29 January 2020}}</ref>

===Accusations by China===
According to ''[[Finance:The Economist|The Economist]]'', conspiracy theories exist on China's internet about COVID-19 being created by the CIA in order to "keep China down".<ref name="20200208economist">{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/china/2020/02/08/chinas-rulers-see-the-coronavirus-as-a-chance-to-tighten-their-grip |title=China's rulers see the coronavirus as a chance to tighten their grip |date=8 February 2020 |newspaper=[[Finance:The Economist|The Economist]] |access-date=29 February 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200229034330/https://www.economist.com/china/2020/02/08/chinas-rulers-see-the-coronavirus-as-a-chance-to-tighten-their-grip |archive-date=29 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to an investigation by ProPublica, such conspiracy theories and disinformation have been propagated under the direction of China News Service, the country's second largest government-owned media outlet controlled by the United Front Work Department.<ref name="20200326propublica">{{cite news |vauthors=Kao J, Li MS |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/how-china-built-a-twitter-propaganda-machine-then-let-it-loose-on-coronavirus |title=How China Built a Twitter Propaganda Machine Then Let It Loose on Coronavirus |date=26 March 2020 |work=ProPublica |access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref> ''Global Times'' and Xinhua News Agency have similarly been implicated in propagating disinformation related to COVID-19's origins.<ref name="Dodds">{{cite news |vauthors=Dodds L |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2020/04/05/china-floods-facebook-instagram-undeclared-coronavirus-propaganda/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2020/04/05/china-floods-facebook-instagram-undeclared-coronavirus-propaganda/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |title=China floods Facebook with undeclared coronavirus propaganda ads blaming Trump |date=5 April 2020 |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=5 April 2020 |issn=0307-1235 |url-access=limited}}{{cbignore}}</ref> NBC News however has noted that there have also been debunking efforts of US-related conspiracy theories posted online, with a WeChat search of "Coronavirus [disease 2019] is from the U.S." reported to mostly yield articles explaining why such claims are unreasonable.<ref name="nbcnews1151291">{{cite web |vauthors=Liu D, Shi A, Smith A |date=6 March 2020 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/coronavirus-rumors-misinformation-swirl-unchecked-china-n1151291 |title=Coronavirus rumors – and misinformation – swirl unchecked in China |publisher=NBC News |access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref>{{efn|Multiple conspiracy articles in Chinese from the SARS era resurfaced during the outbreak with altered details, claiming SARS is biological warfare. Some said [[Company:BGI Group|BGI Group]] from China sold genetic information of the Chinese people to the US, which then specifically targeted the [[Biology:Genome|genome]] of Chinese individuals.<ref name=setn677313>{{cite web |language=zh-cn |script-title=zh:中國家長指稱「武漢肺炎是美國投放病毒」 網友傻爆眼 |trans-title=Chinese parents claim that "Wuhan pneumonia is a virus delivered by the United States" netizens are stupid |url=https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=677313 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219211548/https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=677313 |archive-date=19 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2020, Chinese military enthusiast website ''Xilu'' published an article, claimed how the US artificially combined the virus to "precisely target Chinese people."<ref name=xilu1000010001>{{cite web |language=zh-cn |script-title=zh:武汉病毒4个关键蛋白被替换，可精准攻击华人 |trans-title=Four key proteins of Wuhan virus have been replaced, which can accurately attack Chinese |url=http://www.xilu.com/20200126/1000010001119697.html |access-date=7 February 2020 |work=西陆网 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211022551/http://www.xilu.com/20200126/1000010001119697.html |archive-date=11 February 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Riechmann D |title=Trump officials emphasize that coronavirus 'Made in China' |url=https://apnews.com/5866bf32d5723402d2df32baa844fff3 |work=Associated Press |date=12 March 2020}}</ref> The article was removed in early February. The article was further distorted on social media in Taiwan, which claimed "Top Chinese military website admitted novel coronavirus was Chinese-made bioweapon."<ref name="tfc_xilu">{{cite web |url=https://tfc-taiwan.org.tw/articles/2508 |title=【錯誤】網傳「代表中國解放軍最高權力機構中央軍事委員會的網站『西陸戰略』發表一篇文章，改口承認（武漢）病毒是人工合成」？ |trans-title=Misinformation alert, rumor that top PLA website Xilu admitted virus is bio-engineered |language=zh |website=Taiwan Fact Checking Organization |date=13 February 2020}}</ref> Taiwan Fact-check center debunked the original article and its divergence, suggesting the original ''Xilu'' article distorted the conclusion from a legitimate research on Chinese scientific magazine ''Science China Life Sciences'', which never mentioned the virus was engineered.<ref name="tfc_xilu" /> The fact-check center explained ''Xilu'' is a military enthusiastic [[Social:Tabloid journalism|tabloid]] established by a private company, thus it does not represent the voice of Chinese military.<ref name="tfc_xilu" />

Some articles on popular sites in China have also cast suspicion on US military athletes participating in the Wuhan 2019 Military World Games, which lasted until the end of October 2019, and have suggested they deployed the virus. They claim the inattentive attitude and disproportionately below-average results of American athletes in the games indicate they might have been there for other purposes and they might actually be bio-warfare operatives. Such posts stated that their place of residence during their stay in Wuhan was also close to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where the first known cluster of cases occurred.<ref name=szhgh221836>{{cite web |language=zh-cn |trans-title=Why does Wuhan have to rely on the PLA? |script-title=zh:为什么武汉这场瘟疫，必须得靠解放军？ |url=http://www.szhgh.com/Article/opinion/zatan/2020-01-30/221836.html |access-date=21 February 2020 |publisher=红歌会网 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221185358/http://www.szhgh.com/Article/opinion/zatan/2020-01-30/221836.html |archive-date=21 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2020, this conspiracy theory was endorsed by Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.<ref name="Taiwan News March 2020">{{cite web |vauthors=Cheng CT |title=China's foreign ministry accuses US military of bringing virus to Wuhan |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3896257 |work=Taiwan News |date=13 March 2020 |access-date=13 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=thehill487308>{{cite web |vauthors=Budryk Z |title=China, pushing conspiracy theory, accuses US Army of bringing coronavirus to Wuhan |url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/487308-china-pushing-conspiracy-theory-us-army-bringing-coronavirus-wuhan |newspaper=The Hill |access-date=13 March 2020 |date=12 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Tang D |title=China accuses US of bringing coronavirus to Wuhan |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/china-accuses-us-of-bringing-coronavirus-to-wuhan-c9rrfbrs7 |work=The Times |access-date=13 March 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/asia/china-coronavirus-us-lijian-zhao-intl-hnk/index.html |title=Chinese diplomat promotes coronavirus conspiracy theory |vauthors=Westcott B, Jiang S |date=14 March 2020 |publisher=CNN |access-date=27 April 2020}}</ref> In March 2020, the US government summoned Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai to Washington over the coronavirus conspiracy theory.<ref name=20200314alarabiyaB>{{cite news |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/03/14/US-summons-China-s-ambassador-to-Washington-over-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory.html |title=US summons China's ambassador to Washington over coronavirus conspiracy theory |date=14 March 2020 |work=Al Arabiya English |access-date=14 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316012205/http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/03/14/US-summons-China-s-ambassador-to-Washington-over-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory.html |archive-date=16 March 2020}}</ref> Over the next month, conspiracy theorists narrowed their focus to one US Army Reservist, a woman who participated in the games in Wuhan as a cyclist, claiming she is [[Medicine:Index case|"patient zero."]] According to a ''CNN'' report, these theories have been spread by George Webb, who has nearly 100,000 followers on YouTube, and have been amplified by Chinese Communist Party media,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/tech/coronavirus-conspiracy-theory/index.html |title=Exclusive: She's been falsely accused of starting the pandemic. Her life has been turned upside down |vauthors=O'Sullivan D |date=27 April 2020 |publisher=CNN |access-date=27 April 2020}}</ref> for example the CPC-owned newspaper ''Global Times''.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Vallejo J |title='It's like waking up from a bad dream': Coronavirus 'patient zero' conspiracy target breaks silence |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-patient-zero-china-conspiracy-theory-maatje-benassi-a9487041.html |access-date=11 January 2021 |work=The Independent |date=28 April 2020}}</ref>}}

In March 2020, two spokesmen for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian and Geng Shuang, alleged at a press conference that Western powers may have "bio-engineered" COVID-19. They were alluding that the US Army created and spread COVID-19, allegedly during the 2019 Military World Games in Wuhan, where numerous cases of [[Biology:Influenza-like illness|influenza-like illness]] were reported.<ref name="CNN 2020-03-18">{{cite news |date=18 March 2020 |title=Chinese diplomat promotes conspiracy theory that US military brought virus to Wuhan – CNN |newspaper=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/asia/china-coronavirus-us-lijian-zhao-intl-hnk/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318182148/https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/asia/china-coronavirus-us-lijian-zhao-intl-hnk/index.html |archive-date=18 March 2020 |access-date=24 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Houston M |date=17 May 2020 |title=More athletes claim they contracted COVID-19 at Military World Games in Wuhan |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094347/world-military-games-illness-covid-19 |access-date=21 June 2021 |website=www.insidethegames.biz}}</ref>

A member of the U.S. military athletics delegation based at Fort Belvoir, who competed in the 50mi Road Race at the Wuhan games, became the subject of online targeting by netizens accusing her of being "patient zero" of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, and was later interviewed by CNN, to clear her name from the "false accusations in starting the pandemic".<ref>{{cite web |title=Exclusive: She's been falsely accused of starting the pandemic. Her life has been turned upside down |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/tech/coronavirus-conspiracy-theory/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=21 June 2021 |website=CNN |quote=A US Army reservist and mother of two, has become the target of conspiracy theorists who falsely place her at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that she brought the disease to China. |vauthors=O'Sullivan D, Naik R, General J, Fulbright H |date=27 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427123846/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/tech/coronavirus-conspiracy-theory/index.html |archive-date=27 April 2020}}</ref>

In January 2021, Hua Chunying renewed the conspiracy theory from Zhao Lijian and Geng Shuang that the SARS-CoV-2 virus originating in the United States at the U.S. biological weapons lab Fort Detrick. This conspiracy theory quickly went trending on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, and Hua Chunying continued to cite evidence on Twitter, while asking the government of the United States to open up Fort Detrick for further investigation to determine if it is the source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Li J |title=China's gift for the Biden inauguration is a conspiracy theory about Covid-19's US origins |url=https://qz.com/1959825/china-renews-its-push-on-a-conspiracy-theory-about-covid-19/ |access-date=21 January 2021 |website=Quartz|date=20 January 2021 }}</ref><ref name="Guardian Davidson">{{cite web |vauthors=Davidson H |date=20 January 2021 |title=China revives conspiracy theory of US army link to Covid |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/20/china-revives-conspiracy-theory-of-us-army-link-to-covid |access-date=24 January 2021 |work={{wipe|The Guardian}}}}</ref> In August 2021, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman repeatedly used an official podium to elevate the Fort Detrick's origin unproven idea.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ramzy |first1=Austin |last2=Chien |first2=Amy Chang |title=Rejecting Covid Inquiry, China Peddles Conspiracy Theories Blaming the U.S. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/world/asia/china-coronavirus-covid-conspiracy-theory.html |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=25 August 2021}}</ref>

According to a report from Foreign Policy, Chinese diplomats and government officials in concert with China's propaganda apparatus and covert networks of online agitators and influencers have responded, focused on repeating Zhao Lijian's allegation relating to Fort Detrick in Maryland, and the "over 200 U.S. biolabs" around the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/09/china-fires-back-at-biden-with-conspiracy-theories-about-maryland-lab/|title=China Fires Back at Biden With Conspiracy Theories About Maryland Lab|first=Bret|last=Schafer|date=9 July 2021 }}</ref>

===Accusations by Russia===
In February 2020, US officials alleged that Russia is behind an ongoing disinformation campaign, using thousands of social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and [[Software:Instagram|Instagram]] to deliberately promote unfounded conspiracy theories, claiming the virus is a biological weapon manufactured by the CIA and the US is waging economic war on China using the virus.<ref name="guardian-rus-disinfo">{{cite news |vauthors=Glenza J |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/22/coronavirus-russia-disinformation-campaign-us-officials |title=Coronavirus: US says Russia behind disinformation campaign |date=22 February 2020 |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |access-date=25 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225051450/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/22/coronavirus-russia-disinformation-campaign-us-officials |archive-date=25 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="scmp3051939">{{cite news |date=23 February 2020 |title=Coronavirus: Russia pushing fake news about US using outbreak to 'wage economic war' on China, officials say |work=South China Morning Post |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3051939/coronavirus-russia-pushing-fake-news-about-us-using |url-status=live |access-date=27 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223223639/https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3051939/coronavirus-russia-pushing-fake-news-about-us-using |archive-date=23 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="yahoo171730161">{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/us-accuses-russia-huge-coronavirus-171730161.html |title=US accuses Russia of huge coronavirus disinformation campaign |work=The Independent |vauthors=Ng K |date=23 February 2020 |access-date=27 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224090721/https://news.yahoo.com/us-accuses-russia-huge-coronavirus-171730161.html |archive-date=24 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|The acting assistant secretary of state for Europe and [[Earth:Eurasia|Eurasia]], Philip Reeker, said "Russia's intent is to sow discord and undermine U.S. institutions and alliances from within" and "by spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Russian malign actors are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response."<ref name="guardian-rus-disinfo" /> Russia denies the allegation, saying "this is a deliberately false story."<ref name=bbc51599009>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51599009 |title=Coronavirus: Russia denies spreading US conspiracy on social media |date=23 February 2020 |publisher=BBC |access-date=25 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225053306/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51599009 |archive-date=25 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

According to US-based ''[[Social:The National Interest|The National Interest]]'' magazine, although official Russian channels had been muted on pushing the US biowarfare conspiracy theory, other Russian media elements do not share the Kremlin's restraint.<ref name="TNI-russia">{{cite news |url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/some-russia-think-coronavirus-us-biological-weapon-121731 |title=Some in Russia Think the Coronavirus Is a U.S. Biological Weapon |author-last=Episkopos |author-first=Mark |date=7 February 2020 |work=[[Social:The National Interest|The National Interest]] |access-date=27 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223172332/https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/some-russia-think-coronavirus-us-biological-weapon-121731 |archive-date=23 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Zvezda'', a news outlet funded by the Russian Defense Ministry, published an article titled "Coronavirus: American biological warfare against Russia and China", claiming that the virus is intended to damage the Chinese economy, weakening its hand in the next round of trade negotiations.<ref name="TNI-russia" /> Ultra-nationalist politician and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, claimed on a Moscow radio station that the virus was an experiment by the Pentagon and pharmaceutical companies. Politician Igor Nikulin made rounds on Russian television and news media, arguing that Wuhan was chosen for the attack because the presence of a BSL-4 virus lab provided a cover story for the Pentagon and CIA about a Chinese bio-experiment leak.<ref name="TNI-russia" /> An EU-document claims 80 attempts by Russian media to spread disinformation related to the epidemic.<ref name=reuters2020-03-18>{{cite news |title=Russia deploying coronavirus disinformation to sow panic in West, EU document says |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-disinformation-idUSKBN21518F |work=Reuters |date=18 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319222849/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-disinformation-idUSKBN21518F |archive-date=19 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

According to the East StratCom Task Force, the Russian-funded Sputnik news agency had published stories speculating that the virus could have been invented in Latvia (by a Latvian affiliate), that it was used by Chinese Communist Party to curb protests in Hong Kong, that it was introduced intentionally to reduce the number of elder people in Italy, that it was targeted against the Yellow Vests movement, and making many other speculations. Sputnik branches in countries including Armenia, Belarus, Spain, and in the Middle East came up with versions of these stories.<ref name="Russphb20200315">{{cite web |title='Russophobic': Kremlin Denies Evidence of Russian COVID-19 Disinformation Campaign |url=https://www.polygraph.info/a/kremlin-blames-russophobia-for-report-on-russian-coronavirus-disinfo/30498024.html |website=polygraph.info |access-date=31 March 2020 |date=19 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://euvsdisinfo.eu/sputnik-coronavirus-could-be-designed-to-kill-elderly-italians/ |title=Sputnik: Coronavirus Could be Designed to Kill Elderly Italians |date=25 March 2020 |website=EU vs Disinformation |access-date=29 March 2020 |archive-date=21 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421193439/https://euvsdisinfo.eu/sputnik-coronavirus-could-be-designed-to-kill-elderly-italians/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}

In March 2022, amid the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, as well as billionaire George Soros, were closely tied to Ukrainian biolabs. American right-wing media personalities, such as Tucker Carlson, highlighted the story, while Chinese Communist Party-owned tabloid ''Global Times'' further stated that the labs had been studying bat coronaviruses, which spread widely on the Chinese internet for insinuating that the United States had created SARS-CoV-19 in Ukrainian laboratories.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |last2=Yousef |first2=Odette |title=How the false Russian biolab story came to circulate among the U.S. far right |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/03/25/1087910880/biological-weapons-far-right-russia-ukraine |access-date=25 March 2022 |publisher=NPR |date=25 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325135018/https://www.npr.org/2022/03/25/1087910880/biological-weapons-far-right-russia-ukraine |archive-date=25 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Teh |first1=Cheryl |title=Social-media users in China are obsessing over a conspiracy theory claiming the COVID-19 virus was produced by US-linked laboratories in Ukraine |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-social-media-Global-Times-article-COVID-coronavirus-ukraine-laboratories-2022-3 |access-date=25 March 2022 |publisher=Business Insider |date=25 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325124922/https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-social-media-Global-Times-article-COVID-coronavirus-ukraine-laboratories-2022-3 |archive-date=25 March 2022}}</ref>

===Accusations by other countries===
<!-----Arab ------>
According to Washington, DC-based nonprofit Middle East Media Research Institute, numerous writers in the Arabic press have promoted the conspiracy theory that COVID-19, as well as SARS and the swine flu virus, were deliberately created and spread to sell vaccines against these diseases, and it is "part of an economic and psychological war waged by the U.S. against China with the aim of weakening it and presenting it as a backward country and a source of diseases".<ref name="MEMRI-arab-disinfo">{{cite news |url=https://www.memri.org/reports/arab-writers-coronavirus-part-biological-warfare-waged-us-against-china |title=Arab Writers: The Coronavirus Is Part Of Biological Warfare Waged By The U.S. Against China |date=6 February 2020 |publisher=Middle East Media Research Institute |access-date=29 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209043001/https://www.memri.org/reports/arab-writers-coronavirus-part-biological-warfare-waged-us-against-china |archive-date=9 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|Iraqi political analyst Sabah Al-Akili on Al-Etejah TV, Saudi daily ''Al-Watan'' writer Sa'ud Al-Shehry, Syrian daily ''Al-Thawra'' columnist Hussein Saqer, and Egyptian journalist Ahmad Rif'at on Egyptian news website Vetogate, were some examples given by MEMRI as propagators of the US biowarfare conspiracy theory in the Arabic world.<ref name="MEMRI-arab-disinfo" />}}

<!-- ---Turkey ---- -->
Accusations in Turkey of Americans creating the virus as a weapon have been reported,<ref>{{cite news |date=21 April 2020 |title=New Report Notes Rise In Coronavirus-Linked Anti-Semitic Hate Speech |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/21/839748857/new-report-notes-rise-in-coronavirus-linked-anti-semitic-hate-speech}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=April 2020 |title=Coronavirus: Why conspiracy theories have taken root in Turkey |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/coronavirus-turkey-why-conspiracy-theories-have-taken-root |website=Middle East Eye }}</ref> and a YouGov poll from August 2020 found that 37% of Turkish respondents believed the US government was responsible for creating and spreading the virus.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 2020 |title=Global survey shows Greeks trust government on pandemic, believe conspiracy theories |url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/258566/global-survey-shows-greeks-trust-government-on-pandemic-believe-conspiracy-theories/ |website=Kathimerini }}</ref>

<!---------- Iran----->
[[File:Reza malekzadeh.jpg|thumb|Reza Malekzadeh, Iran's deputy health minister, rejected bioterrorism theories.]]
An Iranian cleric in [[Place:Qom|Qom]] said Donald Trump targeted the city with coronavirus "to damage its culture and honor".<ref name=radiofarda30449087 /> Reza Malekzadeh, Iran's deputy health minister and former Minister of Health, rejected claims that the virus was a biological weapon, pointing out that the US would be suffering heavily from it. He said Iran was hard-hit because its close ties to China and reluctance to cut air ties introduced the virus, and because early cases had been mistaken for influenza.<ref name=20200314alarabiyaA />{{efn|According to ''Radio Farda'', Iranian cleric Seyyed Mohammad Saeedi accused US President Donald Trump of targeting [[Place:Qom|Qom]] with coronavirus "to damage its culture and honor." Saeedi claimed that Trump is fulfilling his promise to hit Iranian cultural sites, if Iranians took revenge for the airstrike that killed of Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani.<ref name=radiofarda30449087>{{cite news |url=https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-cleric-blames-trump-for-coronavirus-outbreak-in-religious-city/30449087.html |title=Iran Cleric Blames Trump For Coronavirus Outbreak in Religious City |date=22 February 2020 |work=Radio Farda |access-date=26 February 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223170405/https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-cleric-blames-trump-for-coronavirus-outbreak-in-religious-city/30449087.html |archive-date=23 February 2020}}</ref>

Iranian TV personality Ali Akbar Raefipour claimed the coronavirus was part of a "hybrid warfare" programme waged by the United States on Iran and China.<ref name=bbc51677530>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Misinformation and false medical advice spreads in Iran |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51677530 |work=BBC News |date=29 February 2020 |access-date=1 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301202336/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51677530 |archive-date=1 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali, head of Iranian Civil Defense Organization, claimed the coronavirus is likely a biological attack on China and Iran with economic goals.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13981213000410 |title=Civil Defense Chief: Coronavirus Likely Biological Attack against China, Iran |date=3 March 2020 |agency=Fars News Agency |access-date=4 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304231742/http://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13981213000410 |archive-date=4 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=toi-civildefense>{{cite news |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/virus-is-biological-attack-on-china-and-iran-iranian-civil-defense-chief-claims/ |title=Virus is biological attack on China and Iran, Iranian civil defense chief claims |date=4 March 2020 |work=The Times of Israel |access-date=4 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305173532/https://www.timesofisrael.com/virus-is-biological-attack-on-china-and-iran-iranian-civil-defense-chief-claims/ |archive-date=5 March 2020}}</ref>

Hossein Salami, the head of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran may be due to a US "biological attack."<ref name=20200305alarabiya>{{cite news |vauthors=Fazeli Y |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/03/05/Coronavirus-may-be-US-biological-attack-IRGC-head.html |title=Coronavirus may be US 'biological attack': IRGC head Hossein Salami |date=5 March 2020 |work=Al Arabiya English |access-date=6 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306204737/https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/03/05/Coronavirus-may-be-US-biological-attack-IRGC-head.html |archive-date=6 March 2020}}</ref> Several Iranian politicians, including Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Rasoul Falahati, Alireza Panahian, Abolfazl Hasanbeigi and Gholamali Jafarzadeh Imanabadi, also made similar remarks.<ref name=20200316iranwire>{{cite news |vauthors=Ghanatir H |url=https://iranwire.com/en/features/6815 |title=The Lie that Triggered Khamenei's 'Biological Attack' Conspiracy Theory |date=16 March 2020 |work=IranWire}}</ref> Iranian [[Social:Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]], the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made similar suggestions.<ref name=20200314alarabiyaA/>

Former Iranian president [[Biography:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] sent a letter to the United Nations in March 2020, claiming that "it is clear to the world that the mutated coronavirus was produced in lab" and that COVID-19 is "a new weapon for establishing and/or maintaining political and economic upper hand in the global arena."<ref name=20200309washingtonexaminer>{{cite news |vauthors=Halaschak Z |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biologic-war-former-iranian-president-says-coronavirus-was-produced-in-laboratories |title='Biologic war': Former Iranian president says coronavirus was 'produced in laboratories' |date=9 March 2020 |agency=Washington Examiner |access-date=11 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311071331/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biologic-war-former-iranian-president-says-coronavirus-was-produced-in-laboratories |archive-date=11 March 2020}}</ref>

The late<ref>{{cite news |title=Prophet's perfume and flower oil: how Islamic medicine has made Iran's Covid-19 outbreak worse |url=https://observers.france24.com/en/20200330-iran-coronavirus-islamic-medicine-covid-19-worse |work=The France 24 Observers}}</ref> Ayatollah Hashem Bathaie Golpayegani claimed that "America is the source of coronavirus, because America went head to head with China and realised it cannot keep up with it economically or militarily."<ref name=20200319alarabiya>{{cite news |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/03/19/Video-Senior-Iranian-cleric-who-died-from-coronavirus-blamed-US-for-outbreak |title=Senior Iranian cleric who died from coronavirus blamed US for outbreak |format=video |date=19 March 2020 |work=Al Arabiya English |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>

Reza Malekzadeh, Iran's deputy health minister and former Minister of Health, rejected claims that the virus was a biological weapon, pointing out that the US would be suffering heavily from it. He said Iran was hard-hit because its close ties to China and reluctance to cut air ties introduced the virus, and because early cases had been mistaken for influenza.<ref name=20200314alarabiyaA>{{cite news |vauthors=Fazeli Y |title=Coronavirus: Iran's deputy health minister rejects biological warfare theory |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/03/14/Coronavirus-Iran-s-deputy-health-minister-rejects-biological-warfare-theory.html |work=Al Arabiya English |date=14 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317205520/https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/03/14/Coronavirus-Iran-s-deputy-health-minister-rejects-biological-warfare-theory.html |archive-date=17 March 2020}}</ref>}}<!-- ---Iraq ---- -->

In Iraq, pro-Iranian social media users waged a Twitter campaign during Trump's Presidency to end U.S. presence in the country by blaming it for the virus. The campaign centered around hashtags such as #Bases_of_the_American_pandemic and #Coronavirus_is_Trump's_weapon. A March 2020 survey by USCENTCOM found that 67% of Iraqi respondents believed a foreign force was behind COVID-19, with 72% of them naming the USA as that force.<ref>{{cite web |last=Andrew Whiskeyman, Michael Berger |date=25 February 2021 |title=Axis of Disinformation: Propaganda from Iran, Russia, and China on COVID-19 |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/axis-disinformation-propaganda-iran-russia-and-china-covid-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605005738/https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/axis-disinformation-propaganda-iran-russia-and-china-covid-19 |archive-date=5 June 2021 |website=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy }}</ref>

<!------Other countries ------->
Theories blaming the USA have also circulated in the Philippines,{{efn|A Filipino Senator, Tito Sotto, played a bioweapon conspiracy video in a February 2020 Senate hearing, suggesting the coronavirus is biowarfare waged against China.<ref name="nypost-rubio">{{cite news |vauthors=Rubio M |url=https://nypost.com/2020/03/03/russia-china-and-iran-are-waging-disinformation-war-over-coronavirus-outbreak/ |title=Marco Rubio: Russia, China and Iran are waging disinformation war over coronavirus |date=3 March 2020 |work=New York Post |access-date=4 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304233343/https://nypost.com/2020/03/03/russia-china-and-iran-are-waging-disinformation-war-over-coronavirus-outbreak/ |archive-date=4 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=philstar1990332>{{cite news |vauthors=San Juan R |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/02/04/1990332/bioweapon-conspiracy-video-creeps-senate-coronavirus-hearing |title=Bioweapon conspiracy video creeps into Senate coronavirus hearing |date=4 February 2020 |work=The Philippine Star |access-date=4 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310163521/https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/02/04/1990332/bioweapon-conspiracy-video-creeps-senate-coronavirus-hearing |archive-date=10 March 2020}}</ref>}} Venezuela{{efn|Venezuela Constituent Assembly member Elvis Méndez declared that the coronavirus was a "bacteriological sickness created in '89, in '90 and historically" and that it was a sickness "inoculated by the ''gringos''." Méndez theorized that the virus was a weapon against Latin America and China and that its purpose was "to demoralize the person, to weaken to install their system."<ref name=20200307somostuvoz>{{cite web |url=http://www.somostuvoz.net/destacado/constituyente-elvis-mendez-el-coronavirus-lo-inocularon-los-gringos/ |title=Constituyente Elvis Méndez: "El coronavirus lo inocularon los gringos" |trans-title=Constituent Elvis Méndez: "The coronavirus was inoculated by the gringos" |date=7 March 2020 |website=Somos Tu Voz |language=es |access-date=14 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318065112/http://www.somostuvoz.net/destacado/constituyente-elvis-mendez-el-coronavirus-lo-inocularon-los-gringos/ |archive-date=18 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> President Nicolás Maduro made similar claims, claiming that the epidemic was a biological weapon targeted at China.<ref name="Fisher">{{cite news |vauthors=Fisher M |date=8 April 2020 |title=Why Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Flourish. And Why It Matters. |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/world/europe/coronavirus-conspiracy-theories.html |access-date=31 May 2020 |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=limited}}</ref>}} and Pakistan.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Ali |first=Inayat |date=9 September 2020 |title=Impacts of Rumors and Conspiracy Theories Surrounding COVID-19 on Preparedness Programs |journal=Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness |volume=16 |issue=1 |publication-place=[[Organization:University of Vienna|University of Vienna]] |pages=310–315 |doi=10.1017/dmp.2020.325 |issn=1935-7893 |pmc=7596562 |pmid=32900413}}</ref> An October 2020 Globsec poll of [[Place:Eastern Europe|Eastern Europe]]an countries found that 38% of respondents in Montenegro and Serbia, 37% of those in North Macedonia, and 33% in Bulgaria believed the USA deliberately created COVID-19.<ref>{{cite web |title=GLOBSEC Trends 2020 |url=https://www.globsec.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/GLOBSEC-Trends-2020_read-version.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204203041/https://www.globsec.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/GLOBSEC-Trends-2020_read-version.pdf |archive-date=4 February 2021 |website=Globsec |page=18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=14 April 2021 |title=Diminishing Trust and Vaccination: Conspiracies and Lies |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2021/04/14/diminishing-trust-and-vaccination-conspiracies-and-lies/ |website=Balkan Insight }}</ref>

===Jewish origin===

====In the Muslim world====
Iran's Press TV asserted that "Zionist elements developed a deadlier strain of coronavirus against Iran."<ref name="ptv">{{cite journal |vauthors=Frantzman S |date=8 March 2020 |title=Iran's regime pushes antisemitic conspiracies about coronavirus |url=https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Irans-regime-pushes-antisemitic-conspiracies-about-coronavirus-620212 |url-status=live |journal=The Jerusalem Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310213820/https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Irans-regime-pushes-antisemitic-conspiracies-about-coronavirus-620212 |archive-date=10 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020}}</ref> Similarly, some Arab media outlets accused Israel and the United States of creating and spreading COVID-19, avian flu, and [[Medicine:SARS|SARS]].<ref name=jpost617021>{{cite journal |title=Arab media accuse US, Israel of coronavirus conspiracy against China |journal=The Jerusalem Post |date=9 February 2020 |url=https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Arab-media-accuse-US-Israel-of-coronavirus-conspiracy-against-China-617021 |access-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301063057/https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Arab-media-accuse-US-Israel-of-coronavirus-conspiracy-against-China-617021 |archive-date=1 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Users on social media offered other theories, including the allegation that Jews had manufactured COVID-19 to precipitate a global stock market collapse and thereby profit via [[Insider trading|insider trading]],<ref name=forward441421>{{cite journal |vauthors=Connelly I |title=Online anti-Semitism thrives around coronavirus, even on mainstream platforms |journal=The Forward |date=12 March 2020 |url=https://forward.com/news/441421/anti-semitic-coronavirus-response-thrives-online-even-on-mainstream/}}</ref> while a guest on Turkish television posited a more ambitious scenario in which Jews and Zionists had created COVID-19, avian flu, and [[Medicine:Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever|Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever]] to "design the world, seize countries, [and] neuter the world's population".<ref name=20200314timesofisrael>{{cite journal |vauthors=Cortellessa E |title=Conspiracy theory that Jews created virus spreads on social media, ADL says |journal=The Times of Israel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/conspiracy-theory-that-jews-created-virus-spreads-on-social-media-adl-says/ |date=14 March 2020 |access-date=14 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314133541/https://www.timesofisrael.com/conspiracy-theory-that-jews-created-virus-spreads-on-social-media-adl-says/ |archive-date=14 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Turkish politician Fatih Erbakan reportedly said in a speech: "Though we do not have certain evidence, this virus serves Zionism's goals of decreasing the number of people and preventing it from increasing, and important research expresses this."<ref>{{cite web |date=18 March 2020 |title=Coronavirus is a Zionist plot, say Turkish politicians, media, public |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/coronavirus-is-a-zionist-plot-say-turkish-politicians-media-public-621393 |website=The Jerusalem Post }}</ref>

Israeli attempts to develop a [[Medicine:COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccine]] prompted negative reactions in Iran. Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi denied initial reports that he had ruled that a Zionist-made vaccine would be [[Religion:Halal|halal]],<ref name=jpost621230>{{cite news |vauthors=Joffre T |title=Iranian cleric denies approving use of coronavirus vaccine from Israel |work=The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iranian-cleric-denies-approving-use-of-coronavirus-vaccine-from-Israel-621230 |date=16 March 2020}}</ref> and one Press TV journalist tweeted that "I'd rather take my chances with the virus than consume an Israeli vaccine."<ref name=jpost620900>{{cite news |title=Would a Zionist coronavirus cure be Halal? Iranian cleric says yes |work=The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Is-Zionist-coronavirus-cure-Halal-Iranian-cleric-says-yes-620900 |date=15 March 2020}}</ref> A columnist for the Turkish ''Yeni Akit'' asserted that such a vaccine could be a ruse to carry out [[Social:Compulsory sterilization|mass sterilization]].<ref name=jpost621393>{{cite news |vauthors=Edmunds DR |title=Coronavirus is a Zionist plot, say Turkish politicians, media, public |work=The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Antisemitism/Coronavirus-is-a-Zionist-plot-say-Turkish-politicians-media-public-621393 |date=18 March 2020}}</ref>

====In the United States====
An alert by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding the possible threat of far-right extremists intentionally spreading COVID-19 mentioned blame being assigned to Jews and Jewish leaders for causing the pandemic and several statewide shutdowns.<ref name=go69737522>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/white-supremacists-encouraging-members-spread-coronavirus-cops-jews/story?id=69737522 |title=White supremacists encouraging their members to spread coronavirus to cops, Jews, FBI says |vauthors=Margolin J |website=ABC News |date=23 March 2020 |access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref>

====In Germany====
Flyers have been found on German tram cars, falsely blaming Jews for the pandemic.<ref>Baur, Joe. "Anti-Semetic Flyer in German Tram Blames Jews for COVID Pandemic." ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'': Jewish Journal section. 17 February 2021. [https://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/fl-jj-anti-semitic-flyer-german-tram-blames-jews-covid-20210217-47ur3k3ta5b5tbvussyg7imag4-story.html Link to article].</ref>

In April 2022, two members of the Reichsbürger movement (later implicated in the 2022 German coup d'état plot) were charged with conspiring to kidnap the German health minister Karl Lauterbach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61106241|title=Germany kidnap plot: Gang planned to overthrow democracy|date=14 April 2022|website=BBC News Online}}</ref>

====In Britain====
According to a study carried out by the [[Organization:University of Oxford|University of Oxford]] in early 2020, nearly one-fifth of respondents in England believed to some extent that Jews were responsible for creating or spreading the virus with the motive of financial gain.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mahmood |first=Basit |title=One Fifth of English People in Study Blame Jews or Muslims for COVID-19 |url=https://www.newsweek.com/covid-19-conspiracy-theories-england-1505899 |website=Newsweek |date=22 May 2020 |access-date=1 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tercatin |first1=Rosella |last2=Edmunds |first2=Donna Rachel |title=One in five English people believe COVID is a Jewish conspiracy – survey |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/one-in-five-english-people-believe-covid-is-a-jewish-conspiracy-survey-629187 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=1 February 2022}}</ref>

===Muslims spreading virus===
In India, Muslims have been blamed for spreading infection following the emergence of cases linked to a Tablighi Jamaat religious gathering.<ref name=newsweek1496011>{{cite journal |vauthors=Da Silva C |date=3 April 2020 |title=India's Coronavirus Outbreak Stokes Islamophobia as Muslims blamed for spreading infection |journal=Newsweek |url=https://www.newsweek.com/indias-coronavirus-outbreak-stokes-islamophobia-muslims-blamed-spreading-infection-1496011 |access-date=6 April 2020}}</ref> There are reports of vilification of Muslims on social media and attacks on individuals in India.<ref name=firstpost8231371>{{cite journal |vauthors=Datta PP |title=Coronavirus outbreak sparks racist attacks on people from North East, stokes Islamophobia on social media |journal=Firstpost |date=6 April 2020 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/health/coronavirus-outbreak-sparks-racist-attacks-on-people-from-north-east-stokes-islamophobia-on-social-media-8231371.html}}</ref> Claims have been made that Muslims are selling food contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 and that a mosque in Patna was sheltering people from Italy and Iran.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Jha N |title=A Cluster Of Coronavirus Cases Can Be Traced Back to a Single Mosque And Now 200 Million Muslims Are Being Vilified |journal=BuzzFeed News |date=3 April 2020 |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nishitajha/coronavirus-india-muslims-tablighi-jamaat}}</ref> These claims were shown to be false.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Jha P |title=No, foreign nationals from Italy, Iran weren't hiding in Patna mosque to avoid coronavirus testing |journal=Firstpost |date=28 March 2020 |url=https://www.altnews.in/were-50-foreigners-from-itlay-iran-and-china-hiding-in-mosque-due-to-corona-virus-detained-in-bihar-kurji/}}</ref> In the UK, there are reports of far-right groups blaming Muslims for the pandemic and falsely claiming that mosques remained open after the national ban on large gatherings.<ref name=20200405theguardian>{{cite news |vauthors=Parveen N |title=Police investigate UK far-right groups over anti-Muslim coronavirus claims |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=5 April 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/police-investigate-uk-far-right-groups-over-anti-muslim-coronavirus-claims/}}</ref>

===Population-control scheme===
According to the BBC, Jordan Sather, a [[Social:YouTuber|YouTuber]] supporting the [[Social:QAnon|QAnon]] conspiracy theory and the [[Unsolved:Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] movement, has falsely claimed that the outbreak was a population-control scheme created by the [[Organization:Pirbright Institute|Pirbright Institute]] in England and by former [[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]] CEO [[Biography:Bill Gates|Bill Gates]].<ref name="bbc_misinfo" /><ref name="20200123buzzfeednews">{{cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/qanon-supporters-and-anti-vaxxers-are-spreading-a-hoax-that |title=QAnon Supporters And Anti-Vaxxers Are Spreading A Hoax That Bill Gates Created The Coronavirus |vauthors=Broderick R |date=23 January 2020 |website=BuzzFeed News |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130075624/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/qanon-supporters-and-anti-vaxxers-are-spreading-a-hoax-that |archive-date=30 January 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Goodman J |date=19 June 2020 |title=Bill Gates and the lab targeted by conspiracy theorists-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/53061563 |access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref>

Piers Corbyn was described as "dangerous" by physician and broadcaster Hilary Jones during their joint interview on ''Good Morning Britain'' in early September 2020. Corbyn described COVID-19 as a "psychological operation to close down the economy in the interests of mega-corporations" and stated "vaccines cause death".<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Gregory A |title=You are dangerous': Piers Corbyn confronted on air by Dr Hilary after £10,000 fine for anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/piers-corbyn-gmb-dr-hilary-covid-hoax-fine-anti-lockdown-a9698441.html |work=The Independent |date=1 September 2020 |access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref>

===<span class="anchor" id="5G"></span><span class="anchor" id="5G mobile-phone networks"></span> 5G mobile networks===
[[File:BT Openreach Engineer Up Pole 2012 May 09.JPG|thumb|Openreach engineers appealed on anti-5G Facebook groups, saying they are not involved in mobile networks, and workplace abuse is making it difficult for them to maintain phonelines and broadband.]]
[[File:2019-07-21 - Vodafone 5G Standort Hattstedt - 5G Sektor0.jpg|thumb|5G towers have been burned by people falsely blaming them for COVID-19.]]
The first conspiracy theories purporting a link between COVID-19 and [[5G|5G]] mobile networks had already appeared by the end of January 2020. Such claims spread rapidly on social media networks, leading to the spread of misinformation in what has been likened to a "digital wildfire".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Langguth |first1=Johannes |last2=Filkuková |first2=Petra |last3=Brenner |first3=Stefan |last4=Schroeder |first4=Daniel Thilo |last5=Pogorelov |first5=Konstantin |title=COVID-19 and 5G conspiracy theories: long term observation of a digital wildfire |journal=International Journal of Data Science and Analytics |date=27 May 2022 |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=329–346 |doi=10.1007/s41060-022-00322-3 |pmid=35669096 |pmc=9137448 }}</ref>

In March 2020, Thomas Cowan, a [[Medicine:Alternative medicine|holistic medical practitioner]] who trained as a physician and operates on probation with the Medical Board of California, alleged that COVID-19 is caused by 5G. He based this on the claims that African countries had not been affected significantly by the pandemic and Africa was not a 5G region.<ref name="newsweek-5g" /><ref name="cbc-5g">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/fact-check-viral-video-coronavirus-1.5506595 |title=Viral video claiming 5G caused pandemic easily debunked |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=23 March 2020 |vauthors=Nicholson K, Ho J, Yates J |access-date=26 March 2020 |archive-date=26 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326125553/https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/fact-check-viral-video-coronavirus-1.5506595}}</ref> Cowan also falsely alleged that the viruses were waste from [[Biology:Cell|cells]] that were poisoned by electromagnetic fields, and that historical viral pandemics coincided with major developments in radio technology.<ref name="cbc-5g" />

The video of Cowan's claims went viral and was recirculated by celebrities, including Woody Harrelson, [[Biography:John Cusack|John Cusack]], and singer Keri Hilson.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Satariano A, Alba D |title=Burning Cell Towers, Out of Baseless Fear They Spread the Virus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/technology/coronavirus-5g-uk.html |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=10 April 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref> The claims may also have been recirculated by an alleged "coordinated disinformation campaign", similar to campaigns used by the [[Organization:Internet Research Agency|Internet Research Agency]] in Saint Petersburg, Russia.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Gallagher R |title=5G Virus Conspiracy Theory Fueled by Coordinated Effort |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-09/covid-19-link-to-5g-technology-fueled-by-coordinated-effort |access-date=12 April 2020 |work={{wipe|Bloomberg News}} |date=9 April 2020}}</ref> The claims were criticized on social media and debunked by {{wipe|Reuters}},<ref name="reuters-5g">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-coronavirus-5g/false-claim-5g-networks-are-making-people-sick-not-coronavirus-idUSKBN2133TI |title=False claim: 5G networks are making people sick, not Coronavirus |work={{wipe|Reuters}} |date=17 March 2020 |access-date=20 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320023007/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-coronavirus-5g/false-claim-5g-networks-are-making-people-sick-not-coronavirus-idUSKBN2133TI |archive-date=20 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Software:USA Today|USA Today]]'',<ref name="usatoday2873731001">{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2020/03/21/did-5-g-cause-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/2873731001/ |title=Here's why 5G and coronavirus are not connected |vauthors=O'Donnell B |date=21 March 2020 |work=[[Software:USA Today|USA Today]] |access-date=22 March 2020 |archive-date=21 March 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321213438/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2020/03/21/did-5-g-cause-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/2873731001/}}</ref> Full Fact<ref name="20200313fullfact">{{cite web |url=https://fullfact.org/online/coronavirus-5G/ |title=These claims about the new coronavirus and 5G are unfounded |vauthors=Krishna R |date=13 March 2020 |work=Full Fact |access-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320160841/https://fullfact.org/online/coronavirus-5G/ |archive-date=20 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Organization:American Public Health Association|American Public Health Association]] executive director Georges C. Benjamin.<ref name="newsweek-5g">{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/youtube-video-suggests-5g-internet-causes-coronavirus-people-are-falling-it-1493321 |title=Youtube Video Suggests 5G Internet Causes Coronavirus and People Are Falling For It |work=Newsweek |date=19 March 2020 |access-date=20 March 2020 |vauthors=Wynne K}}</ref><ref name="huffington-5g">{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/keri-hilson-5g-did-not-cause-coronavirus_n_5e6f8ba7c5b6dda30fce0348 |title=No, Keri Hilson, 5G Did Not Cause Coronavirus |work=HuffPost |date=16 March 2020 |access-date=20 March 2020 |vauthors=Finley T |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319232700/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/keri-hilson-5g-did-not-cause-coronavirus_n_5e6f8ba7c5b6dda30fce0348 |archive-date=19 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Cowan's claims were repeated by Mark Steele, a conspiracy theorist who claimed to have first-hand knowledge that 5G was in fact a weapon system capable of causing symptoms identical to those produced by the virus.<ref name="VICE 2020 my dad">{{cite news |title=My Dad Got Hoaxed By the Anti-5G Conspiracy Movement |newspaper=VICE |vauthors=Large ML |date=8 April 2020 |url=https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/wxeb45/my-dad-got-hoaxed-by-the-anti-5g-conspiracy-movement |access-date=9 September 2020}}</ref> Kate Shemirani, a former nurse who had been struck off the UK nursing registry and had become a promoter of conspiracy theories, repeatedly claimed that these symptoms were identical to those produced by exposure to electromagnetic fields.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/suspended-nurse-kate-shemirani-becomes-new-face-of-anti-vax-movement-3dr27ftcw |title=Kate Shemirani: antivax leader is banned nurse who fears 5G network |newspaper=The Times |date=12 September 2020 |vauthors=Ellis R, Kennedy D |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Hoffman N |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/anti-vaxx-nurse-who-called-nhs-the-new-auschwitz-is-struck-off-1.517301 |title=Anti-vaxx nurse who called NHS 'the new Auschwitz' is struck off |work=The Jewish Chronicle |date=2 June 2021 |access-date=2 June 2021}}</ref>

Steve Powis, national medical director of NHS England, described theories linking 5G mobile-phone networks to COVID-19 as the "worst kind of fake news".<ref name="ie-mast-fires-surge-in-the-uk-over-easter-weekend-amid-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories">{{cite news |date=14 April 2020 |title=Mast fires surge in the UK over Easter weekend amid 5G-coronavirus conspiracy theories |newspaper=Irish Examiner |agency=Press Association |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/mast-fires-surge-in-the-uk-over-easter-weekend-amid-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories-994035.html}}</ref> Viruses cannot be transmitted by [[Radio wave|radio wave]]s, and COVID-19 has spread and continues to spread in many countries that do not have 5G networks.<ref name=WHO_myths />

There were 20 suspected arson attacks on phone masts in the UK over the 2020 Easter weekend.<ref name="ie-mast-fires-surge-in-the-uk-over-easter-weekend-amid-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories" /> These included an incident in Dagenham where three men were arrested on suspicion of arson, a fire in Huddersfield that affected a mast used by emergency services, and a fire in a mast that provides mobile connectivity to the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham.<ref name="ie-mast-fires-surge-in-the-uk-over-easter-weekend-amid-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories" /> Some telecom engineers reported threats of violence, including threats to stab and murder them, by individuals who believe them to be working on 5G networks.<ref name="bbc-murder-threats-to-telecoms-engineers">{{cite news |date=23 April 2020 |title=Coronavirus: 'Murder threats' to telecoms engineers over 5G |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-52395771 |access-date=23 April 2020}}</ref> In April 2020, Gardaí and fire services were called to fires at 5G masts in County Donegal, Ireland.<ref name="tj-5g-masts-set-on-fire-donegal">{{cite news |vauthors=Maguire S |date=13 April 2020 |title=Gardaí suspect fires at 5G masts were deliberate after coal found |work=TheJournal.ie |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/5g-masts-set-on-fire-donegal-5073466-Apr2020/ |access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref> The Gardaí were treating the fires as arson.<ref name="tj-5g-masts-set-on-fire-donegal" /> After the arson attacks, British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the theory that COVID-19 virus may be spread by 5G wireless communication is "just nonsense, dangerous nonsense as well".<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Faulconbridge G, Holton K |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-5g/5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-is-dangerous-fake-nonsense-uk-says-idUSKBN21M0MS |title=5G coronavirus conspiracy theory is dangerous fake nonsense, UK says |work=Reuters Technology New |date=4 April 2020}}</ref> Telecommunications provider Vodafone announced that two Vodafone masts and two it shares with O2, another provider, had been targeted.<ref name=guardian-youtube-to-suppress-content-spreading-coronavirus-5g-conspiracy-theory /><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Seal T |date=6 April 2020 |url=https://fortune.com/2020/04/06/5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-telecom-tower-fires/ |title=5G-coronavirus conspiracy theory spurs rash of telecom tower arson fires |website=Fortune}}</ref>

By April 2020, at least 20 mobile-phone masts in the UK had been vandalised.<ref name=guardian-at-least-20-uk-phone-masts-vandalised-over-false-5g-coronavirus-claims>{{cite news |title=At least 20 UK phone masts vandalised over false 5G coronavirus claims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/apr/06/at-least-20-uk-phone-masts-vandalised-over-false-5g-coronavirus-claims |vauthors=Waterson J, Hern A |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=11 April 2020 |newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}}}}</ref> Because of the slow rollout of 5G in the UK, many of the damaged masts had only 3G and 4G equipment.<ref name=guardian-at-least-20-uk-phone-masts-vandalised-over-false-5g-coronavirus-claims /> Mobile-phone and home broadband operators estimated there were at least 30 incidents where engineers maintaining equipment were confronted in the week up to 6 April.<ref name=guardian-at-least-20-uk-phone-masts-vandalised-over-false-5g-coronavirus-claims /> As of 30 May, there had been 29 incidents of attempted arson at mobile-phone masts in the Netherlands, including one case where "Fuck 5G" was written.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 April 2020 |title=Brand bij vier zendmasten: 'Heel sterk vermoeden van brandstichting' |language=nl |trans-title=Fire at four transmission towers: 'Very strong suspicion of arson' |work=Nederlandse Omroep Stichting |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2330065-brand-bij-vier-zendmasten-heel-sterk-vermoeden-van-brandstichting.html |access-date=11 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=29 May 2020 |title=Extra beveiliging bij zendmasten na brandstichting |language=nl |trans-title=Extra security at cell towers after arson |work=Nederlandse Omroep Stichting |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2335521-extra-beveiliging-bij-zendmasten-na-brandstichting.html |access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> There have also been incidents in Ireland and Cyprus.<!--FT article not paywalled--><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Fildes N, Di Stefano M, Murphy H |url=https://www.ft.com/content/1eeedb71-d9dc-4b13-9b45-fcb7898ae9e1 |title=How a 5G coronavirus conspiracy spread across Europe |work=Financial Times |date=16 April 2020 |access-date=16 April 2020}}</ref> Facebook has deleted messages encouraging attacks on 5G equipment.<ref name=guardian-at-least-20-uk-phone-masts-vandalised-over-false-5g-coronavirus-claims />

Engineers working for Openreach, a division of British Telecom, posted pleas on anti-5G Facebook groups asking to be spared abuse as they are not involved with maintaining mobile networks.<ref name=guardian-broadband-engineers-threatened-due-to-5g-coronavirus-conspiracies>{{cite news |title=Broadband engineers threatened due to 5G coronavirus conspiracies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/apr/03/broadband-engineers-threatened-due-to-5g-coronavirus-conspiracies |vauthors=Waterson J |date=3 April 2020 |access-date=5 April 2020 |newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}}}}</ref> Industry lobby group Mobile UK said the incidents were affecting the maintenance of networks that support home working and provide critical connections to vulnerable customers, emergency services, and hospitals.<ref name=guardian-broadband-engineers-threatened-due-to-5g-coronavirus-conspiracies /> A widely circulated video showed a woman accusing employees of broadband company Community Fibre of installing 5G as part of a plan to kill the population.<ref name=guardian-broadband-engineers-threatened-due-to-5g-coronavirus-conspiracies />

Of those who believed that 5G networks caused COVID-19 symptoms, 60% stated that much of their knowledge about the virus came from YouTube.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Allington D, Duffy B, Wessely S, Dhavan N, Rubin J |title=Health-protective behaviour, social media usage and conspiracy belief during the COVID-19 public health emergency |journal=Psychological Medicine |pages=1763–1769 |date=June 2020 |volume=51 |issue=10 |pmid=32513320 |pmc=7298098 |doi=10.1017/S003329172000224X |s2cid=219550692}}</ref> In April 2020, YouTube announced that it would reduce the amount of content claiming links between 5G and COVID-19.<ref name=guardian-youtube-to-suppress-content-spreading-coronavirus-5g-conspiracy-theory>{{cite news |title=YouTube moves to limit spread of false coronavirus 5G theory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/youtube-to-suppress-content-spreading-coronavirus-5g-conspiracy-theory |vauthors=Hern A |date=5 April 2020 |access-date=5 April 2020 |newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}}}}</ref> Videos that are conspiratorial about 5G that do not mention COVID-19 would not be removed, though they might be considered "borderline content" and therefore removed from search recommendations, losing advertising revenue.<ref name=guardian-youtube-to-suppress-content-spreading-coronavirus-5g-conspiracy-theory /> The discredited claims had been circulated by British conspiracy theorist [[Biography:David Icke|David Icke]] in videos (subsequently removed) on YouTube and [[Company:Vimeo|Vimeo]], and an interview by London Live TV network, prompting calls for action by Ofcom.<ref name=bbc52198946>{{cite news |vauthors=Kelion L |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52198946 |title=Coronavirus: YouTube tightens rules after David Icke 5G interview |work=BBC News |date=7 April 2020 |access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref><ref name=extremetech308888>{{cite news |url=https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/308888-youtube-says-it-will-remove-5g-misinformation-as-frightened-people-burn-cell-towers |title=YouTube Says It Will Remove 5G Misinformation After People Burn Cell Towers |newspaper=Extremetech|date=6 April 2020 |last1=Hruska |first1=Joel }}</ref> It took YouTube on average 41 days to remove Covid-related videos containing false information in the first half of 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Covid-related misinformation on YouTube: The spread of misinformation videos on social media and the effectiveness of platform policies |url=https://comprop.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/posts/youtube-platform-policies/ |website=Computational Propaganda Project |access-date=1 November 2020}}</ref>

Ofcom issued guidance to ITV following comments by Eamonn Holmes about 5G and COVID-19 on ''This Morning''.<ref name=bbc-ofcom-rules-on-eamonn-holmes-and-david-icke-comments>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ofcom rules on Eamonn Holmes and David Icke comments |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52358920 |date=20 April 2020 |access-date=20 April 2020 |work=BBC News}}</ref> Ofcom said the comments were "ambiguous" and "ill-judged" and they "risked undermining viewers' trust in advice from public authorities and scientific evidence".<ref name=bbc-ofcom-rules-on-eamonn-holmes-and-david-icke-comments/> Ofcom also found local channel London Live in breach of standards for an interview it had with David Icke. It said that he had "expressed views which had the potential to cause significant harm to viewers in London during the pandemic".<ref name=bbc-ofcom-rules-on-eamonn-holmes-and-david-icke-comments/>

In April 2020, ''{{wipe|The Guardian}}'' revealed that Jonathan Jones, an evangelical pastor from Luton, had provided the male voice on a recording blaming 5G for deaths caused by COVID-19.<ref name=guardian-vodafone-exec-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-video-revealed-pastor-luton-jonathon-james>{{cite news |title=Revealed: former Vodafone executive in 5G conspiracy video is UK pastor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/vodafone-exec-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-video-revealed-pastor-luton-jonathon-james |vauthors=Waterson J |date=24 April 2020 |access-date=24 April 2020 |work={{wipe|The Guardian}}}}</ref> He claimed to have formerly headed the largest business unit at Vodafone, but insiders at the company said that he was hired for a sales position in 2014 when 5G was not a priority for the company and that 5G would not have been part of his job.<ref name=guardian-vodafone-exec-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-video-revealed-pastor-luton-jonathon-james/> He had left Vodafone after less than a year.<ref name=guardian-vodafone-exec-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-video-revealed-pastor-luton-jonathon-james/>

A tweet started an internet meme that Bank of England £20 banknotes contained a picture of a 5G mast and the [[Biology:SARS-CoV-2|SARS-CoV-2]] virus. Facebook and YouTube removed items pushing this story, and [[Philosophy:Fact checking|fact checking]] organisations established that the picture is of Margate Lighthouse and the "virus" is the staircase at the Tate Britain.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fullfact.org/online/5g-coronavirus-20-note/ |title=£20 notes don't have a secret message about 5G and coronavirus |vauthors=Rahman G |website=Full Fact |date=6 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/polymer-20-pound-note |title=The new £20 note |work=The Bank of England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://turnercontemporary.org/support-us/what-can-i-do-with-my-old-20-note/ |title=New £20 note to feature Margate's Turner Contemporary |work=Turner Contemporary |access-date=10 April 2020 |archive-date=27 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227083711/https://turnercontemporary.org/support-us/what-can-i-do-with-my-old-20-note/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===American scientist selling virus to China===
In April 2020, rumors circulated on Facebook, alleging that the US Government had "just discovered and arrested" Charles Lieber, chair of the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department at [[Organization:Harvard University|Harvard University]] for "manufacturing and selling" the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to China. According to a report from ''{{wipe|Reuters}}'', posts spreading the rumor were shared in multiple languages over 79,000 times on Facebook.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-harvard-doctor-arrested-cor-idUSKBN21P292 |title=False headline claim: Harvard Professor arrested for creating and selling the new coronavirus to China |date=7 April 2020 |website={{wipe|Reuters}}}}</ref> Lieber was arrested in January 2020, and later charged with two federal counts of making an allegedly false statement about his links to a Chinese university, unrelated to the virus. The rumor of Lieber, a chemist in an area entirely unrelated to the virus research, developing COVID-19 and selling it to China has been discredited.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/international/fact-check-did-us-researcher-make-and-sell-covid-19-to-china-872046.html |title=Fact-check: Did US researcher make and sell Covid-19 to China? |date=11 August 2020 |website=Deccan Herald}}</ref>

===Meteor origin===
In 2020, a group of researchers that included Edward J. Steele and [[Biography:Chandra Wickramasinghe|Chandra Wickramasinghe]], the foremost living proponent of [[Biology:Panspermia|panspermia]], speculated in ten research papers that COVID-19 originated from a [[Astronomy:Meteorite|meteor]] spotted as a bright fireball over the city of Songyuan in Northeast China in October 2019 and that a fragment of the meteor landed in the Wuhan area, which started the first COVID-19 outbreaks. However, the group of researchers did not provide any direct evidence proving this conjecture.<ref name="Wild theory">{{cite news |date=31 August 2020 |title=Wild theory suggests COVID-19 came to Earth aboard a space rock |work=Astronomy.com |url=https://astronomy.com/news/2020/08/wild-theory-suggests-covid-19-came-to-earth-aboard-a-space-rock |access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref>

In an August 2020 article, Astronomy.com called the meteor origin conjecture "so remarkable that it makes the others look boring by comparison".<ref name="Wild theory" />

===NCMI intelligence report===
In April 2020, ABC News reported that, in November 2019, "U.S. intelligence officials were warning that a contagion was sweeping through China's Wuhan region, changing the patterns of life and business and posing a threat to the population". The article stated that the National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI), had produced an intelligence report in November 2019 which raised concerns about the situation. The director of the NCMI, Col. R. Shane Day said "media reporting about the existence/release of a National Center for Medical Intelligence Coronavirus-related product/assessment in November 2019 is not correct. No such NCMI product exists".<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Margolin J, Meek JG |title=Intelligence report warned of coronavirus crisis as early as November: Sources |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/intelligence-report-warned-coronavirus-crisis-early-november-sources/story?id=70031273 |access-date=29 June 2021 |work=ABC News |date=9 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Casiano L, Griffin J |title=Defense official says media reports about November coronavirus intel assessment are false |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/defense-november-coronavirus-intelligence-assessment-reports-false |access-date=29 June 2021 |work=Fox News |date=8 April 2020}}</ref>

==<span class="anchor" id="Polymerase chain reaction testing"></span> PCR testing==
Social media posts have falsely claimed that [[Biography:Kary Mullis|Kary Mullis]], the inventor of [[Biology:Polymerase chain reaction|polymerase chain reaction]] (PCR), said that PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 does not work.<!--Introductory sentence; specific citations follow--> Mullis, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the invention of PCR, died in August 2019 before the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and never made these statements.{{r|Reuters inventor|AAP inventor|Full Fact inventor}} Several posts claim Mullis said "PCR tests cannot detect free infectious viruses at all",<ref name="Reuters inventor">{{cite news |title=Fact check: Inventor of method used to test for COVID-19 didn't say it can't be used in virus detection |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-pcr/fact-check-inventor-of-method-used-to-test-for-covid-19-didnt-say-it-cant-be-used-in-virus-detection-idUSKBN24420X |work=Reuters |date=13 November 2020}}</ref> that PCR testing was designed to detect any non-human DNA<ref name="AAP inventor">{{cite news |title=PCR inventor – who died in 2019 – did not say his test won't work for COVID-19 infections |url=https://www.aap.com.au/pcr-inventor-who-died-in-2019-did-not-say-his-test-wont-work-for-covid-19-infections/ |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=22 July 2020}}</ref> or the DNA and RNA of the person being tested,<ref name="Full Fact inventor">{{cite web |title=The inventor of PCR never said it wasn't designed to detect infectious diseases |url=https://fullfact.org/online/pcr-test-mullis/ |website=Full Fact |date=23 October 2020}}</ref> or that the process of DNA amplification used in PCR will lead to contamination of the samples.{{r|AAP inventor}} A video of a 1997 interview with Mullis has also been widely circulated, in which Mullis says PCR will find "anything"; the video description asserts that this means PCR cannot be used to reliably detect SARS-CoV-2.<ref name="Poynter PCR">{{cite web |title=FALSE: A video that claims that PCR tests find 'anything' and are not used to detect the new coronavirus |url=https://www.poynter.org/?ifcn_misinformation=a-video-that-claims-that-pcr-tests-find-anything-and-are-not-used-to-detect-the-new-coronavirus |publisher=Poynter Institute |date=9 July 2021}}</ref>

In reality, the [[Biology:Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction|reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction]] (RT-PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2 is highly sensitive to the virus, and testing laboratories have controls in place to prevent and detect contamination.{{r|Reuters inventor|AAP inventor}} However, the tests only reveal the presence of the virus and not whether it remains infectious.{{r|Reuters inventor}}

A claim attributed to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health that PCR testing is fraudulent became popular in the Philippines and remains a widespread belief. According to a report from AFP, research associate Joshua Miguel Danac of the University of the Philippines' [[Organization:National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology|National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology]] debunked the claim, calling PCR tests "the gold standard for diagnosis".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/hoax-circulates-online-switzerland-has-officially-confirmed-coronavirus-tests-are-fake |title=Hoax circulates online that Switzerland has 'officially confirmed' coronavirus tests are 'fake' |date=8 September 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> Fake testing and perception of fake testing remains a problem in the Philippines.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/04/12/21/philippine-airlines-pal-fake-covid-19-swab-test-rt-pcr-antigen |title=Passengers who use fake COVID-19 test results could face P50k fine, jail: PAL |date=12 April 2021 |website=ABS-CBN News}}</ref>

==Symptoms and severity==
In early 2020, there were a number of viral photos and videos that were mischaracterized as showing an extreme severity to COVID-19 exposure. In January and February 2020, a number of videos from China were circulated on social media that purported to show people infected with COVID-19 either suddenly collapsing, or having already collapsed, on the street.<ref name="are people collapsing">{{cite web |title=Are People Collapsing in the Street from Coronavirus? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/people-collapsing-coronavirus/ |work=Snopes |first=Dan |last=Evon |date=3 January 2020}}</ref> Some of these videos were republished or referenced by some tabloid newspapers, including the ''Daily Mail'' and ''[[Social:The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]''.<ref name="are people collapsing" /> However, the people in these videos are generally believed to have been suffering from something other than COVID-19, such as one who was drunk.<ref>{{cite web |title=Photos and videos allegedly showing the coronavirus are now challenging fact-checkers |url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2020/photos-and-videos-allegedly-showing-the-coronavirus-are-now-challenging-fact-checkers/ |work=Poynter |first=Cristina |last=Tardáguila |date=30 January 2020}}</ref>

A video from February 2020 purported to be of dead COVID-19 victims in China was actually a video from Shenzhen of people sleeping on the street.<ref>{{cite web |title=Video falsely claims to show bodies of virus victims in China |url=https://apnews.com/article/archive-fact-checking-8509320385 |first=Arijeta |last=Lajka |website=Associated Press |date=21 February 2020}}</ref> Similarly, a photo that circulated in March 2020 of dozens of people lying down in the street, purported to be of COVID-19 victims in either China or Italy, was in fact a photo of living people from a 2014 art project in Germany.<ref>{{cite web |title=False claim: Picture shows people dying of coronavirus in the streets |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-coronavirus-art-performance-idUSKBN21F05U |work=Reuters |date=27 March 2020}}</ref>

==Incidence and mortality==
Correctly reporting the number of people who were sick or who had died was difficult, especially during the earliest days of the pandemic.<ref name="FAX machines">{{cite web |vauthors=Kliff S |date=13 July 2020 |title=Bottleneck for U.S. Coronavirus Response: The Fax Machine Before public health officials can manage the pandemic, they must deal with a broken data system that sends incomplete results in formats they can't easily use. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/13/upshot/coronavirus-response-fax-machines.html |access-date=29 October 2020 |website={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url-access=limited}}</ref>

===In China===
====Chinese under-reporting during early 2020====
Leaked documents show that China's public reporting of cases gave an incomplete picture during the early stages of the pandemic. For example, in February 2020, China publicly reported 2,478 new confirmed cases. However, confidential internal documents that later leaked to CNN showed 5,918 new cases in February. {{Clarify | text = These were broken down as 2,345 confirmed cases | date = February 2021 | reason = This is in the same ballpark as the official report of 'confirmed' cases, it's unclear that this is really 'underreporting'. This kind of underreporting probably can be said about most of the places throughout the world because not even the 'clicnically diagnosed' cases get confirmed especially when there is little capacity to test. Should provide more information why it is 'willful' misreporting.}}, 1,772 clinically diagnosed cases and 1,796 suspected cases.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/asia/wuhan-china-covid-intl/index.html |title=The Wuhan Files |vauthors=Walsh NP |publisher=CNN |access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |title=Leak exposes how Beijing ordered under‑reporting of Wuhan coronavirus cases |date=6 December 2020 |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/leak-exposes-how-beijing-ordered-under-reporting-of-wuhan-coronavirus-cases-q8rc2hhkd |vauthors=Sherwell P |url-access=limited}}</ref>

====Nurse whistleblower====
In January 2020, a video circulated online appearing to be of a nurse named Jin Hui<ref name="theinitium20200130">{{cite web |url=https://theinitium.com/article/20200130-repost-pansci-2019ncov-misinformation/ |title=泛科學：關於新冠肺炎的20個傳言，哪些是真哪些是假？ |trans-title=Pan Science: 20 rumors about new coronary pneumonia, which are true and which are false? |website=Theinitium.com |date=30 January 2020 |language=zh |vauthors=Luo P, Liao Y |access-date=27 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202120919/https://theinitium.com/article/20200130-repost-pansci-2019ncov-misinformation/ |archive-date=2 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> in Hubei, describing a far more dire situation in Wuhan than reported by Chinese officials. However, the BBC said that, contrary to its English subtitles in one of the video's existing versions, the woman does not claim to be either a nurse or a doctor in the video and that her suit and mask do not match the ones worn by medical staff in Hubei.<ref name="bbc_misinfo" />

The video claimed that more than 90,000 people had been infected with the virus in China, that the virus could spread from one person to 14 people ({{math|1=R<sub>0</sub> = 14}}) and that the virus was starting a second mutation.<ref name=":Ghaffary">{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/31/21115589/coronavirus-wuhan-china-myths-hoaxes-facebook-social-media-tiktok-twitter-wechat |title=Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube struggle with coronavirus hoaxes |vauthors=Ghaffary S |date=31 January 2020 |website=Vox |access-date=7 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208004124/https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/31/21115589/coronavirus-wuhan-china-myths-hoaxes-facebook-social-media-tiktok-twitter-wechat |archive-date=8 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> The video attracted millions of views on various social media platforms and was mentioned in numerous online reports. The claimed {{math|1=R<sub>0</sub>}} of 14 in the video was noted by the BBC to be inconsistent with the expert estimation of 1.4 to 2.5 at that time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-51293515 |title=武汉肺炎：随疫情扩散全球的五大假新闻 |trans-title=The misinformation that gone viral with the virus |language=zh |website=BBC China |date=29 January 2020}}</ref> The video's claim of 90,000 infected cases was noted to be 'unsubstantiated'.<ref name="bbc_misinfo" /><ref name=":Ghaffary" />

====Alleged leak of death toll by Tencent====
In February 2020, ''Taiwan News'' published an article claiming that [[Company:Tencent|Tencent]] may have accidentally leaked the real numbers of death and infection in China. ''Taiwan News'' suggested that the Tencent Epidemic Situation Tracker had briefly showed infected cases and death tolls many times higher of the official figure, citing a Facebook post by a 38-year-old Taiwanese beverage store owner and an anonymous Taiwanese [[Netizen|netizen]].<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Schelden P |title=Are These the 'Real' Wuhan Coronavirus Statistics? – MedicineNet Health News |url=https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=228004 |access-date=15 June 2021 |work=[[Company:MedicineNet|MedicineNet]] |date=6 February 2020}}</ref> The article, referenced by other news outlets such as the ''Daily Mail'' and widely circulated on Twitter, Facebook and 4chan, sparked a wide range of conspiracy theories that the screenshot indicates the real death toll instead of the ones published by health officials.<ref name=bloommag />

The author of the original news article defended the authenticity and newsworthiness of the leak on a WION program.<ref name="bloommag">{{cite web |url=https://newbloommag.net/2020/02/12/coronavirus-taiwan-news/ |title=Taiwan News Publishes COVID-19 Misinformation as Epidemic Spreads |vauthors=Hioe B, Wooster L |website=New Bloom Magazine |date=12 February 2020 |access-date=29 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229191408/https://newbloommag.net/2020/02/12/coronavirus-taiwan-news/ |archive-date=29 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Mass cremation in Wuhan====
In February 2020, a report emerged on Twitter claiming that data showed a massive increase in sulfur emissions over Wuhan, China. The Twitter thread then claimed the reason was due to the mass cremation those who died from COVID-19. The story was shared on multiple media outlets, including ''Daily Express'', ''Daily Mail'', and ''Taiwan News''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fullfact.org/health/satellites-wuhan-sulphur-dioxide-coronavirus/ |title=These aren't satellite images and they don't show evidence of mass cremations in Wuhan |website=FullFact |date=13 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="bloommag" /> ''[[Philosophy:Snopes|Snopes]]'' debunked the misinformation, pointing out that the maps used by the claims were not real-time observations of [[Chemistry:Sulfur dioxide|sulfur dioxide]] (SO<sub>2</sub>) concentrations above Wuhan. Instead, the data was a computer-generated model based on historical information and forecast on SO<sub>2</sub> emissions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sulfur-coronavirus-cremations/ |title=Do Sulfur Emissions from Wuhan, China, Point to Mass Cremation of Coronavirus Victims? |website=Snopes |date=24 February 2020 |vauthors=Kasprak A}}</ref>

A story in ''[[Social:The Epoch Times|The Epoch Times]]'' in February 2020 shared a map from the Internet that falsely alleged massive sulfur dioxide releases from crematoriums during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, speculating that 14,000 bodies may have been burned.<ref name="AFP map">{{cite web |date=20 February 2020 |title=This map is a forecast based on past data, not real-time satellite readings |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/map-forecast-based-past-data-not-real-time-satellite-readings |access-date=23 February 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check}}</ref> A fact check by AFP reported that the map was a NASA forecast taken out of context.<ref name="AFP map" />

====Decline in cellphone subscriptions====
There was a decrease of nearly 21 million cellphone subscriptions among the three largest cellphone carriers in China, which led to misinformation that this is evidence for millions of deaths due to COVID-19 in China.<ref name=laj-dicu /> The drop is attributed to cancellations of phone services due to a downturn in the social and economic life during the outbreak.<ref name=laj-dicu>{{cite web |vauthors=Lajka A |title=Drop in cellphone users in China wrongly attributed to coronavirus deaths |url=https://apnews.com/afs:Content:8717250566 |work=Associated Press |date=30 March 2020}}</ref>

===In the US===
Accusations have been made of under-reporting, over-reporting, and other problems. Necessary data was corrupted in some places, for example, on the state level in the United States.<ref name="Data corrupted on the state level">{{cite web |vauthors=Tahir D |date=28 May 2020 |title=Bad state data hides coronavirus threat as Trump pushes reopening |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/bad-state-data-hides-coronavirus-threat-as-trump-pushes-reopening/ar-BB14GGZj |publisher=MSN}}</ref>

The public health handling of the pandemic has been hampered by the use of archaic technology (including [[Engineering:Fax|fax]] machines and incompatible formats),<ref name="FAX machines" /> poor data flow and management (or even no access to data), and general lack of standardization and leadership.<ref name="Bad data or no access to data">{{cite web |vauthors=Vestal C |date=4 August 2020 |title=Bad data is bogging down the COVID-19 fight; US 'needs to change,' experts say |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/08/04/us-coronavirus-data-needs-improvement-across-states-experts-say/5580765002/ |access-date=29 October 2020 |website=USA Today}}</ref> Privacy laws hampered [[Medicine:Contact tracing|contact tracing]] and case finding efforts, which resulted in under-diagnosis and under-reporting.<ref name="Privacy law flaws & the Law of unintended consequences">{{cite web |vauthors=Piller C |date=16 July 2020 |title=Data secrecy is crippling attempts to slow COVID-19's spread in U.S., epidemiologists warn |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/us-epidemiologists-say-data-secrecy-covid-19-cases-cripples-intervention-strategies |website=Science Magazine}}</ref>

====Allegations of inflated death counts====
In August 2020, President Donald Trump retweeted a [[Unsolved:Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theory]] alleging that COVID-19 deaths are systematically overcounted, and that only 6% of the reported deaths in the United States were actually from the disease.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Appleby J, Knight V |title=How COVID Death Counts Become the Stuff of Conspiracy Theories |url=https://khn.org/news/how-covid-death-counts-become-the-stuff-of-conspiracy-theories/ |access-date=18 June 2021 |work=Kaiser Health News |date=2 November 2020}}</ref> This 6% number is based on only counting death certificates where COVID-19 is the sole condition listed. The lead mortality statistician at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics said that those death certificates likely did not include all the steps that led to the death and thus were incomplete. The CDC collects data based on case surveillance, vital records, and [[Medicine:Mortality displacement|excess deaths]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/debunking-the-false-claim-that-covid-death-counts-are-inflated/ |title=Debunking the False Claim That COVID Death Counts Are Inflated |vauthors=Aschwanden C |date=20 October 2020 |work=Scientific American |access-date=31 October 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028214836/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/debunking-the-false-claim-that-covid-death-counts-are-inflated/ |archive-date=28 October 2020}}</ref> A FactCheck.org article on the issue reported that while 6% of the death certificates included COVID-19 exclusively as the cause of death and 94% had additional conditions that contributed to it, COVID-19 was listed as the underlying cause of death in 92% of them, as it may directly cause other severe conditions such as pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Spencer SH |date=1 September 2020 |title=CDC Did Not 'Admit Only 6%' of Recorded Deaths from COVID-19 |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/09/cdc-did-not-admit-only-6-of-recorded-deaths-from-covid-19/ |access-date=23 November 2020 |website=FactCheck.org}}</ref>

The U.S. experienced 882,000 "excess deaths" (i.e., deaths above the baseline expected from normal mortality in previous years) between February 2020 and January 2022, which is somewhat higher than the officially recorded mortality from COVID-19 during that period (835,000 deaths). Analysis of weekly data from each U.S. state shows that the calculated excess deaths are strongly correlated with COVID-19 infections, undercutting the notion that the deaths were primarily caused by some factor other than the disease.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/10/yes-hundreds-thousands-people-have-died-covid-19/ |title=Yes, hundreds of thousands of people have died of covid-19 |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |date=10 January 2022 |access-date=30 January 2022}}</ref>

====Misleading ''Johns Hopkins News-Letter'' article====
In November 2020, an article by Genevieve Briand (assistant director for the Master's program in Applied Economics at JHU)<ref name="GB_Profile">{{cite web |title=Genevieve Briand |url=https://advanced.jhu.edu/directory/genevieve-briand/ |website=Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic Programs |access-date=30 January 2022 |archive-date=10 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110010036/https://advanced.jhu.edu/directory/genevieve-briand/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> was published in the student-run ''Johns Hopkins News-Letter'' claiming to have found "no evidence that COVID-19 create[d] any excess deaths".<ref name="JHUNewsLetterResponse"/> The article was later retracted after it was used to promote conspiracy theories on right-wing social media accounts and misinformation websites,<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Dowd K |date=4 December 2020 |title=Major problems with viral story about Johns Hopkins 'study' on COVID-19 deaths |url=https://www.sfgate.com/coronavirus/article/johns-hopkins-covid-mortality-study-briand-15764249.php |access-date=1 July 2021 |website=SFGATE}}</ref> but the presentation was not removed from YouTube, where it had been viewed more than 58,000 times as of 3 December 2020.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Fichera A |date=3 December 2020 |title=Flawed Analysis Leads to False Claim of 'No Excess Deaths' in 2020 |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/12/flawed-analysis-leads-to-false-claim-of-no-excess-deaths-in-2020/ |access-date=1 July 2021 |website=FactCheck.org}}</ref>

Briand compared data from spring 2020 and January 2018, ignoring expected seasonal variations in mortality and unusual peaks in the spring and summer of 2020 compared to previous spring and summer months.<ref name="JHUNewsLetterResponse"/> Briand's article failed to account for the total excess mortality from all causes reported during the pandemic,<ref name="HealthFeedbackJHUNewsLetter" /> with 300,000 deaths associated with the virus per CDC data in 2020.<ref name="HealthFeedbackJHUNewsLetter" /> Deaths per age group were also shown as a proportion percentage rather than as raw numbers, obscuring the effects of the pandemic when the number of deaths increases but the proportions are maintained.<ref name="HealthFeedbackJHUNewsLetter">{{cite news |last1=Teoh|first1=Flora|title=More deaths occurred in 2020 than in previous years; Johns Hopkins student article compared proportion of deaths per age group, which can obscure changes in raw numbers |url=https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/cdc-data-shows-higher-number-of-deaths-in-2020-compared-to-previous-years-johns-hopkins-student-article-compared-percentages-not-raw-numbers/ |access-date=30 January 2022 |work=Health Feedback |date=30 November 2020}}</ref> The article also suggested that deaths attributed to cardiac and respiratory diseases in infected persons were incorrectly categorized as deaths due to COVID-19. This view fails to recognize that those with such conditions are more vulnerable to the virus and therefore more likely to die from it.<ref name="JHUNewsLetterResponse">{{cite web |title=A closer look at U.S. deaths due to COVID-19 |url=https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2020/11/a-closer-look-at-u-s-deaths-due-to-covid-19 |access-date=30 November 2020 |website=The Johns Hopkins News-Letter}}</ref> The retraction of Briand's article went viral on social media under false claims of censorship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Did Johns Hopkins Student Newspaper Retract Article Claiming COVID-19 Deaths 'Not Above Normal'? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/johns-hopkins-covid-deaths/ |access-date=1 July 2021 |website=Snopes.com|date=2 December 2020 }}</ref>

===Misinformation targeting Taiwan===
<!-- If you change the title of this section, update section transclusions, eg at COVID-19 misinformation by China. -->{{further|Cross-Strait relations}}
In February 2020, the Taiwanese Central News Agency reported that large amounts of misinformation had appeared on Facebook claiming the pandemic in Taiwan was out of control, the Taiwanese government had covered up the total number of cases, and that President Tsai Ing-wen had been infected. The Taiwan fact-checking organization had suggested the misinformation on Facebook shared similarities with mainland China due to its use of simplified Chinese characters and mainland China vocabulary. The organization warned that the purpose of the misinformation is to attack the government.<ref name=cna2020022604>{{cite news |url=https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202002260428.aspx |script-title=zh:武漢肺炎疫情謠言多 事實查核中心指3大共同點 |trans-title=There are many rumors about the Wuhan pneumonia epidemic, the fact-checking center points to 3 common points |date=26 February 2020 |agency=Central News Agency |language=zh-tw}}</ref><ref name="taipeitimes2003731764">{{cite news |date=28 February 2020 |title=Virus Outbreak: Chinese trolls decried for fake news |work=Taipei Times |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/02/28/2003731764 |url-status=live |access-date=12 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301114540/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/02/28/2003731764 |archive-date=1 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=20200229reuters>{{cite news |title=Taiwan accuses China of waging cyber 'war' to disrupt virus fight |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-taiwan/taiwan-reports-five-new-coronavirus-cases-total-at-39-idUSKBN20N09C |work=Reuters |date=29 February 2020 |access-date=12 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301160250/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-taiwan/taiwan-reports-five-new-coronavirus-cases-total-at-39-idUSKBN20N09C |archive-date=1 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2020, Taiwan's Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau warned that China was trying to undermine trust in factual news by portraying the Taiwanese government reports as fake news. Taiwanese authorities have been ordered to use all possible means to track whether the messages were linked to instructions given by the Chinese Communist Party. The PRC's Taiwan Affairs Office denied the claims, calling them lies, and said that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party was "inciting hatred" between the two sides. They then claimed that the "DPP continues to politically manipulate the virus".<ref name=20200303reuters>{{cite news |vauthors=Lee Y, Blanchard B |title='Provocative' China pressures Taiwan with fighters, fake news amid virus outbreak |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-taiwan-china/provocative-china-pressures-taiwan-with-fighters-fake-news-amid-virus-outbreak-idUSKBN20Q08M |work=Reuters |access-date=5 March 2020 |quote='We have been told to track if the origins are linked to instructions given by the Communist Party, using all possible means,' the official said, adding that authorities had increased scrutiny on online platforms, including chat rooms. |date=3 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305160849/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-taiwan-china/provocative-china-pressures-taiwan-with-fighters-fake-news-amid-virus-outbreak-idUSKBN20Q08M |archive-date=5 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to ''{{wipe|The Washington Post}}'', China has used organized disinformation campaigns against Taiwan for decades.<ref name=washingtonpost3400200>{{cite news |vauthors=Fifield A |title=Russia's disinformation campaign in the U.S. has nothing on China's efforts in Taiwan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/russias-disinformation-campaign-in-the-us-has-nothing-on-chinas-efforts-in-taiwan/2020/01/08/3400200a-231a-11ea-b034-de7dc2b5199b_story.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20230301/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/russias-disinformation-campaign-in-the-us-has-nothing-on-chinas-efforts-in-taiwan/2020/01/08/3400200a-231a-11ea-b034-de7dc2b5199b_story.html |archive-date=1 March 2023 |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |access-date=1 March 2023 |url-access=limited}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Nick Monaco, the research director of the Digital Intelligence Lab at [[Organization:Institute for the Future|Institute for the Future]], analyzed the posts and concluded that the majority appear to have come from ordinary users in China, not the state. However, he criticized the Chinese government's decision to allow the information to spread beyond China's [[Software:Great Firewall|Great Firewall]], which he described as "malicious".<ref name="npr814709530">{{cite news |date=13 March 2020 |title=With Odds Against It, Taiwan Keeps Coronavirus Corralled |newspaper=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/13/814709530/with-odds-against-it-taiwan-keeps-coronavirus-corralled |access-date=28 March 2020}}</ref> According to ''Taiwan News'', nearly one in four cases of misinformation are believed to be connected to China.<ref name=taiwannews3904042>{{cite web |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3904042 |title=One-fourth of coronavirus misinformation in Taiwan comes from Chinese trolls: CIB |website=Taiwan News |date=25 March 2020 |access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref>

In March 2020, the American Institute in Taiwan announced that it was partnering with the Taiwan FactCheck Center to help combat misinformation about the COVID-19 outbreak.<ref>{{cite web |title=AIT partners with local group to combat COVID-19 disinformation |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202003270016 |access-date=28 March 2020 |website=Focus Taiwan |vauthors=Yun-yu C, Mazzetta M|date=27 March 2020 }}</ref>

===Misrepresented World Population Project map===
In early February 2020, a decade-old map illustrating a hypothetical viral outbreak published by the World Population Project (part of the [[Organization:University of Southampton|University of Southampton]]) was misappropriated by a number of Australian media news outlets (and British tabloids ''The Sun'', ''Daily Mail'' and ''Metro'')<ref name="Misleading map" /> which claimed the map represented the COVID-19 pandemic. This misinformation was then spread via the social media accounts of the same media outlets, and while some outlets later removed the map, the BBC reported, in February, that a number of news sites had yet to retract the map.<ref name="Misleading map">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff author(s), no byline--> |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51504512 |title=Coronavirus: How a misleading map went global |date=19 February 2020 |work=BBC News |access-date=19 February 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219013538/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51504512 |archive-date=19 February 2020}}</ref>

==="Casedemic"===
[[Unsolved:COVID-19 denial|COVID-19 deniers]] use the word ''casedemic'' as a shorthand for a conspiracy theory holding that COVID-19 is harmless and that the reported disease figures are merely a result of increased testing. The concept is particularly attractive to anti-vaccination activists, who use it to argue that public health measures, and particularly vaccines, are not needed to counter what they say is a fake epidemic.<ref name="Gorski casedemic"/><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Douthat R |date=20 October 2020 |title=Opinion {{!}} Trump Is Giving Up |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/opinion/trump-campaign-.html |access-date=21 October 2020 |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=FBD changes wording of business insurance policies amid fight over virus payouts |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/fbd-changes-wording-of-business-insurance-policies-amid-fight-over-virus-payouts-1.4365691 |access-date=11 October 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Gurney M |date=30 September 2020 |title=Ontario has drawn its COVID-19 red line. What now? |url=https://www.tvo.org/article/ontario-has-drawn-its-covid-19-red-line-what-now |access-date=11 October 2020 |website=TVO.org}}</ref>

[[Biography:David Gorski|David Gorski]] writes that the word ''casedemic'' was seemingly coined by Ivor Cummins—an engineer whose views are popular among COVID-19 deniers—in August 2020.<ref name="Gorski casedemic"/>

The term has been adopted by alternative medicine advocate Joseph Mercola, who has exaggerated the effect of false positives in [[Biology:Polymerase chain reaction|polymerase chain reaction]] (PCR) tests to construct a false narrative that testing is invalid because it is not perfectly accurate {{See above|also {{section link||PCR testing}}, above}}. In reality, the problems with PCR testing are well-known and accounted for by public health authorities. Such claims also disregard the possibility of asymptomatic spread, the number of potentially-undetected cases during the initial phases of the pandemic in comparison to the present due to increased testing and knowledge since, and other variables that can influence PCR tests.<ref name="Gorski casedemic">{{cite web |website=Science-Based Medicine |vauthors=Gorski DH |title=There is no COVID-19 'casedemic.' The pandemic is real and deadly. |url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/no-covid-19-casedemic/ |date=23 November 2020}}</ref>

==Disease spread==
<!--This article is becoming longer by the day. Please try to add new content in the :List of unproven methods against COVID-19" page instead of doing so here-->
Early in the pandemic, little information was known about how the virus spreads, when the first people became sick, or who was most vulnerable to infection, serious complications, or death. During 2020, it became clear that the main route of spread was through exposure to the virus-laden respiratory droplets produced by an infected person.<ref>{{cite web |date=28 October 2020 |title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Transmission |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html |access-date=19 January 2021 |website=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) }}</ref> There were also some early questions about whether the disease might have been present earlier than reported; however, subsequent research disproved this idea.<ref name="20200410slate" /><ref name="Rana" />

===California herd immunity in 2019===
In March 2020, Victor Davis Hanson publicized a theory that COVID-19 may have been in California in the fall of 2019 resulting in a level of herd immunity to at least partially explain differences in infection rates in cities such as New York City vs Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Hanson VC |title=Coronavirus: The California Herd |date=31 March 2020 |work=National Review |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-california-herd-immunity/ |access-date=30 July 2020}}</ref> Jeff Smith of Santa Clara County stated that evidence indicated the virus may have been in California since December 2019.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=St John P |title=New signs suggest coronavirus was in California far earlier than anyone knew |date=11 April 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-11/bay-area-coronavirus-deaths-signs-of-earlier-spread-california |access-date=30 July 2020}}</ref> Early genetic and antibody analyses refute the idea that the virus was in the United States prior to January 2020.<ref name=20200410slate>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/technology/2020/04/coronavirus-circulating-california-2019-bunk.html |title=No, You Did Not Get COVID-19 in the Fall of 2019 |vauthors=Hu JC |date=10 April 2020 |website=Slate}}</ref><ref name="Rana">{{cite news |vauthors=Rana P |date=25 April 2020 |title=Has Coronavirus Been in California Since the Fall? Researchers Investigate |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/has-coronavirus-been-in-california-since-the-fall-researchers-investigate-11587816001 |access-date=22 June 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Thomas L |title=California COVID-19 herd immunity theory debunked |url=https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200414/California-COVID-19-herd-immunity-theory-debunked.aspx |access-date=22 June 2020 |publisher=News Medical |date=14 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Moench M |title=Unlikely that California has 'herd immunity' to the coronavirus |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/Unlikely-that-California-has-herd-immunity-15193666.php |access-date=22 June 2020 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=11 April 2020}}</ref>{{Update inline|reason=Blood donations from Washington residents in mid December 2019 show COVID antibodies, see https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-likely-in-u-s-in-mid-december-2019-cdc-scientists-report-11606782449|date=January 2021}}

===Patient Zero===
In March 2020, conspiracy theorists started the false rumor that Maatje Benassi, a US army reservist, was "[[Medicine:Index case|Patient Zero]]" of the pandemic, the first person to be infected with COVID-19.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Vallejo J |title='It's like waking up from a bad dream': Coronavirus 'patient zero' conspiracy target breaks silence |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-patient-zero-china-conspiracy-theory-maatje-benassi-a9487041.html |access-date=8 June 2020 |work=The Independent |date=27 April 2020}}<!-- publishing date is from the page's HTML source --></ref> Benassi was targeted because of her participation in the 2019 Military World Games at Wuhan before the pandemic started, even though she never tested positive for the virus. Conspiracy theorists even connected her family to the DJ Benny Benassi as a Benassi virus plot, even though they are not related and Benny had also not had the virus.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=O'Sullivan D |title=Exclusive: She's been falsely accused of starting the pandemic. Her life has been turned upside down |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/tech/coronavirus-conspiracy-theory/index.html |access-date=20 May 2020 |publisher=CNN Business |date=27 April 2020}}</ref>

===Airborne===
Before mid-2021 the [[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]] (WHO) denied that COVID readily spread through the air;<ref name=CR2023>{{cite news |last1=Lauer |first1=Emilie |title=Meet the QUT professor who figured out Covid-19 was airborne |url=https://www.campusreview.com.au/2023/05/meet-the-qut-professor-who-figured-out-covid-19-was-airborne/ |access-date=29 October 2023 |work=Campus Review |language=en-AU}}</ref> although, they acknowledged such spread could occur during certain medical procedures as of July 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: implications for infection prevention precautions |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/transmission-of-sars-cov-2-implications-for-infection-prevention-precautions |website=www.who.int |access-date=29 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref> In February of 2020 the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, initially stated COVID was airborne during a press conference, only to retract this statement a few minutes later.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grover |first1=Natalie |title=Two years of COVID: The battle to accept airborne transmission |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/3/11/two-years-of-covid-the-battle-to-accept-airborne-transmission |access-date=30 October 2023 |work=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> In March of 2020 WHO tweeted "FACT: #COVID19 is NOT airborne."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Molteni |first1=Megan |title=The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill |url=https://www.wired.com/story/the-teeny-tiny-scientific-screwup-that-helped-covid-kill/ |access-date=29 October 2023 |magazine=Wired |date=21 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1243972193169616898 |url=https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1243972193169616898 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |access-date=29 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref> 

The air quality researcher Lidia Morawska viewed their initial position as "spreading misinformation".<ref name=CR2023/> Hundreds of scientists, by mid 2020, viewed airborne spread as occurring and called on the WHO to change their position.<ref name=NYT2020>{{cite news |last1=Mandavilli |first1=Apoorva |title=239 Experts With One Big Claim: The Coronavirus Is Airborne |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/health/239-experts-with-one-big-claim-the-coronavirus-is-airborne.html |work=The New York Times |date=4 July 2020}}</ref> Concerns were raised that "conservative voices" within the WHO committee tasked with these guidelines were preventing new evidence from being incorporated.<ref name=NYT2020/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ahmed |first1=Nafeez |title='World Health Organisation Doomed the World by Concealing Evidence of Airborne COVID Transmission' |url=https://bylinetimes.com/2021/07/23/world-health-organisation-doomed-the-world-by-concealing-evidence-of-airborne-covid-transmission/ |access-date=29 October 2023 |work=Byline Times |date=23 July 2021}}</ref>

===Surfaces===
Early in the pandemic it was claimed that COVID-19 could be spread by contact with contaminated surfaces or [[Medicine:Fomite|fomite]]s—even though this is an uncommon transmission route for other respiratory viruses. This led to recommendations that high-contact surfaces (like playground equipment or school desks) be frequently deep-cleaned and that certain items (like groceries or mailed packages) be disinfected.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Thompson D |date=13 April 2021 |title=Deep Cleaning Isn't a Victimless Crime |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/04/end-hygiene-theater/618576 |work=The Atlantic |access-date=18 April 2021}}</ref> Ultimately, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that the likelihood of transmission under these scenarios was less than 1 in 10,000.<ref name="CDC">{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-transmission.html |title=SARS-CoV-2 and Surface (Fomite) Transmission for Indoor Community Environments |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=5 April 2021 |publisher=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=18 April 2021}}</ref> They further concluded that handwashing reduced the risk of exposure to COVID-19, but surface disinfection did not.<ref name="CDC"/>

===Susceptibility based on ethnicity===
There have been claims that specific ethnicities are more or less vulnerable to COVID-19. COVID-19 is a new zoonotic disease, so no population has yet had the time to develop population immunity.{{medical citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Beginning in February 2020, reports quickly spread via Facebook, implied that a Cameroonian student in China had been completely cured of the virus due to his African genetics. While a student was successfully treated, other media sources have indicated that no evidence implies Africans are more resistant to the virus and labeled such claims as false information.<ref name=20200212afp>{{cite web |vauthors=Faivre Le Cadre AS |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/black-people-arent-more-resistant-novel-coronavirus |title=Black people aren't more resistant to novel coronavirus |date=12 February 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check |access-date=16 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216141447/https://factcheck.afp.com/black-people-arent-more-resistant-novel-coronavirus |archive-date=16 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Kenyan Secretary of Health Mutahi Kagwe explicitly refuted rumors that "those with black skin cannot get coronavirus [disease 2019]", while announcing Kenya's first case in March.<ref name=20200313cnn>{{cite news |title=Minister rejects false rumors that 'those with black skin cannot get coronavirus' as Kenya records first case |vauthors=Alberti M, Feleke B |publisher=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-13-20-intl-hnk/h_daa3fbd19db18fdbb4be569a9613fe96 |date=13 March 2020 |access-date=15 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319003805/https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-13-20-intl-hnk/h_daa3fbd19db18fdbb4be569a9613fe96 |archive-date=19 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> This false claim was cited as a contributing factor in the disproportionately high rates of infection and death observed among African Americans.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Poston B, Barboza T, Jennings A |title=L.A. releases first racial breakdown of coronavirus fatalities; blacks have higher death rate |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=7 April 2020 |access-date=10 April 2020 |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-07/l-a-releases-first-racial-breakdown-of-coronavirus-fatalities-african-americans-have-higher-death-rate}}</ref><ref name=usatoday2961323001>{{cite news |vauthors=Berry DB |title=Black people dying from coronavirus at much higher rates in cities across the USA |newspaper=USA Today |date=7 April 2020 |access-date=10 April 2020 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/07/who-dying-coronavirus-more-black-people-die-major-cities/2961323001/}}</ref>

There have been claims of "Indian immunity": that the people of India have more immunity to the COVID-19 virus due to living conditions in India. This idea was deemed "absolute drivel" by Anand Krishnan, professor at the Centre for Community Medicine of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He said there was no population immunity to the COVID-19 virus yet, as it is new, and it is not even clear whether people who have recovered from COVID-19 will have lasting immunity, as this happens with some viruses but not with others.<ref name = "Ghosh _2020">{{cite news |vauthors=Ghosh A |title=Vegetarian food, Indian immunity won't prevent Covid-19, says Anand Krishnan |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/coronavirus-cases-cure-symptoms-precautions-aiims-6314643/ |work=The Indian Express |date=15 March 2020}}</ref>

Iran's [[Social:Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]] Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed the virus was genetically targeted at Iranians by the US, giving this explanation for the pandemic having seriously affected Iran. He did not offer any evidence.<ref name="independent-corona">{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Iran's leader suggests US cooked up 'special version' of virus to target country |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-coronavirus-us-target-country-special-version-covid19-a9417206.html |work=The Independent |date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="france2420200322">{{cite news |date=22 March 2020 |title=Iran's Khamanei refuses US help to fight coronavirus, citing conspiracy theory |publisher=France 24 |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200322-iran-s-supreme-leader-khamanei-refuses-us-help-to-fight-coronavirus-citing-conspiracy-theory}}</ref>

A group of Jordanian researchers published a report claiming that Arabs are less vulnerable to COVID-19 due to a genetic variation specific to those of Middle East heritage. This paper had not been debunked by November 2020.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jordanian scientists claim Arabs less likely to contract coronavirus |url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/jordanian-scientists-claim-arabs-less-likely-to-contract-coronavirus-625959 |access-date=29 November 2020 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post }}</ref>

====Xenophobic blaming by ethnicity and religion====
<!--not sure if this doesn't belong with some of the nationally-based blaming above-->
[[File:IOM - Fighting Stigma and Discrimination against Migrants during COVID-19.webm|thumb|thumbtime=0:02|UN video warns that misinformation against groups may lower testing rates and increase transmission.]]
COVID-19-related xenophobic attacks have been made against individuals with the attacker blaming the victim for COVID-19 on the basis of the victim's ethnicity. People who are considered to look Chinese have been subjected to COVID-19-related verbal and physical attacks in many other countries, often by people accusing them of transmitting the virus.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Zhou N |title=Survey of Covid-19 racism against Asian Australians records 178 incidents in two weeks |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/survey-of-covid-19-racism-against-asian-australians-records-178-incidents-in-two-weeks |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=17 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="NYT Racism">{{cite news |vauthors=Tavernise S, Oppel Jr RA |title=Spit On, Yelled At, Attacked: Chinese-Americans Fear for Their Safety |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/chinese-coronavirus-racist-attacks.html |access-date=23 March 2020 |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=23 March 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Fear of coronavirus fuels racist sentiment targeting Asians |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-03/fear-panic-around-the-coronavirus-fuels-racist-sentiment |access-date=25 March 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=3 February 2020}}</ref> Within China, there has been discrimination (such as evictions and refusal of service in shops) against people from anywhere closer to Wuhan (where the pandemic started) and against anyone perceived as being non-Chinese (especially those considered African), as the Chinese government has blamed continuing cases on re-introductions of the virus from abroad (90% of reintroduced cases were by Chinese passport-holders). Neighbouring countries have also discriminated against people seen as Westerners.<ref>{{cite web |title=China's Racism Is Wrecking Its Success in Africa |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/15/chinas-racism-is-wrecking-its-success-in-africa/ |url-status=live |website=Foreign Policy |vauthors=Sui C |date=15 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416081444/https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/15/chinas-racism-is-wrecking-its-success-in-africa/ |archive-date=16 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="guardian29032020">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/29/china-coronavirus-anti-foreigner-feeling-imported-cases |title='They see my blue eyes then jump back' – China sees a new wave of xenophobia |vauthors=Kuo L, Davidson H |date=29 March 2020 |work={{wipe|The Guardian}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Anthony I |url=https://thenews-chronicle.com/africans-evicted-from-chinese-hotels-over-covid-19-fears/ |title=Africans evicted from Chinese hotels over COVID-19 fears |date=9 April 2020 |work=The News-Chronicle |access-date=12 April 2020}}</ref>

People have also simply blamed other local groups along the lines of pre-existing social tensions and divisions, sometimes citing reporting of COVID-19 cases within that group. For instance, Muslims have been widely blamed, shunned, and discriminated against in India (including some violent attacks), amid unfounded claims that Muslims are deliberately spreading COVID-19, and a Muslim event at which the disease did spread has received far more public attention than many similar events run by other groups and the government.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Hannah Ellis-Petersen H, Rahman SA |title=Coronavirus conspiracy theories targeting Muslims spread in India |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/coronavirus-conspiracy-theories-targeting-muslims-spread-in-india |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=13 April 2020}}</ref> White supremacist groups have blamed COVID-19 on non-whites and advocated deliberately infecting minorities they dislike, such as Jews.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Colborne M |date=26 March 2020 |title=As world struggles to stop deaths, far right celebrates COVID-19 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/3/26/as-world-struggles-to-stop-deaths-far-right-celebrates-covid-19 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref>
<!--On the basis of historical examples, there have been warnings about discriminating by immunity.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Olivarius K |title=The Dangerous History of Immunoprivilege |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/12/opinion/coronavirus-immunity-passports.html |website={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=12 April 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref>-->

===Bat soup===
Some media outlets, including ''Daily Mail'' and RT, as well as individuals, disseminated a video showing a Chinese woman eating a bat, falsely suggesting it was filmed in Wuhan and connecting it to the outbreak.<ref name="20200127foreignpolicy">{{cite news |vauthors=Palmer J |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/27/dont-blame-bat-soup-for-the-wuhan-virus/ |title=Don't Blame Bat Soup for the Wuhan Virus |date=27 January 2020 |work=Foreign Policy |access-date=3 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203090706/https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/27/dont-blame-bat-soup-for-the-wuhan-virus/ |archive-date=3 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=20200130theguardianB /> However, the widely circulated video contains unrelated footage of a Chinese travel vlogger, Wang Mengyun, eating bat soup in the island country of Palau in 2016.<ref name=20200127foreignpolicy /><ref name="20200130theguardianB">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/31/bat-soup-dodgy-cures-and-diseasology-the-spread-of-coronavirus-bunkum |title=Bat soup, dodgy cures and 'diseasology': the spread of coronavirus misinformation |vauthors=Taylor J |date=30 January 2020 |website={{wipe|The Guardian}} |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208030512/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/31/bat-soup-dodgy-cures-and-diseasology-the-spread-of-coronavirus-bunkum |archive-date=8 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="20200129news">{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/food-warnings/chinese-influencer-wang-mengyun-aka-bat-soup-girl-breaks-silence/news-story/63ef0cec5b6d448d1843e2e1bcadb14d |title=Chinese influencer Wang Mengyun, aka 'Bat soup girl' breaks silence |vauthors=O'Neill M |date=29 January 2020 |website=news.au |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208145637/https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/food-warnings/chinese-influencer-wang-mengyun-aka-bat-soup-girl-breaks-silence/news-story/63ef0cec5b6d448d1843e2e1bcadb14d |archive-date=8 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="fx-bso">{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/coronavirus-chinese-blogger-eats-bat-soup |title=Coronavirus: Outrage over Chinese blogger eating 'bat soup' sparks apology |vauthors=Gaynor GK |date=28 January 2020 |publisher=Fox News |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204201417/https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/coronavirus-chinese-blogger-eats-bat-soup |archive-date=4 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Wang posted an apology on [[Social:Microblogging in China|Weibo]],<ref name=20200129news /><ref name=fx-bso /> in which she said she had been abused and threatened,<ref name=20200129news /> and that she had only wanted to showcase Palauan cuisine.<ref name=20200129news /><ref name=fx-bso /> The spread of misinformation about bat consumption has been characterized by xenophobic and racist sentiment toward Asians.<ref name=al-watsm >{{cite web |vauthors=Sharma G |date=5 March 2020 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/conspiracy-theories-coronavirus-200303170729373.html |title=Why are there so many conspiracy theories around the coronavirus? |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=20200301washingtonpost>{{cite news |vauthors=Romm T |title=Millions of tweets peddled conspiracy theories about coronavirus in other countries, an unpublished U.S. report says |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/02/29/twitter-coronavirus-misinformation-state-department/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=1 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309040454/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/02/29/twitter-coronavirus-misinformation-state-department/ |archive-date=9 March 2020 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name=20200203latimes>{{cite web |vauthors=Hussain S |title=Fear of coronavirus fuels racist sentiment targeting Asians |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-03/fear-panic-around-the-coronavirus-fuels-racist-sentiment |website=Los Angeles Times |date=3 February 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205072802/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-03/fear-panic-around-the-coronavirus-fuels-racist-sentiment |archive-date=5 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast, scientists suggest the virus originated in bats and migrated into an intermediary host animal before infecting people.<ref name=al-watsm /><ref name=bru-14bc>{{cite web |vauthors=Brueck H |access-date=7 March 2020 |title=14 bogus claims about the coronavirus, including a fake coconut-oil cure and a false link to imported packages |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-myths-red-meat-bleach-antibiotics-and-sesame-oil-2020-2 |website=Business Insider |date=27 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206102658/https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-myths-red-meat-bleach-antibiotics-and-sesame-oil-2020-2/ |archive-date=6 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Large gatherings===
South Korean "conservative populist" Jun Kwang-hun told his followers there was no risk to mass public gatherings as the virus was impossible to contract outdoors. Many of his followers are elderly.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Khatouki C |title=Clandestine Cults and Cynical Politics: How South Korea Became the New Coronavirus Epicenter |url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/03/clandestine-cults-and-cynical-politics-how-south-korea-became-the-new-coronavirus-epicenter/ |website=thediplomat.com |publisher=The Diplomat |access-date=12 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313065620/https://thediplomat.com/2020/03/clandestine-cults-and-cynical-politics-how-south-korea-became-the-new-coronavirus-epicenter/ |archive-date=13 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Lifetime of the virus===
Misinformation has spread that the lifetime of SARS-CoV-2 is only 12 hours and that staying home for 14 hours during the Janata curfew would break the chain of transmission.<ref name=indiatoday1>{{cite news |author=Ratna |title=Fact Check: Social media users give misleading twist to PM Modi's concept of 'Janta curfew' |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fact-check/story/social-media-users-give-misleading-twist-pm-modi-janta-curfew-1658195-2020-03-21 |access-date=22 March 2020 |work=India Today}}</ref> Another message claimed that observing the Janata curfew would result in the reduction of COVID-19 cases by 40%.<ref name=indiatoday1 />

===Mosquitoes===
It has been claimed that [[Biology:Mosquito|mosquito]]es transmit COVID-19. There is no evidence that this is true.<ref name=WHO_myths />

===Contaminated objects===
A fake Costco product recall notice circulated on social media purporting that Kirkland-brand bath tissue had been contaminated with COVID-19 (meaning SARS-CoV-2) due to the item being made in China. No evidence supports that SARS-CoV-2 can survive on surfaces for prolonged periods of time (as might happen during shipping), and Costco has not issued such a recall.<ref name=20200313afp>{{cite web |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/costco-not-recalling-bath-tissue-due-novel-coronavirus-contamination |title=Costco is not recalling bath tissue due to novel coronavirus contamination |date=13 March 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check |access-date=29 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html |title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) |date=11 February 2020 |website=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=29 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Achenbach infectious">{{cite news |vauthors=Achenbach J |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-can-stay-infectious-for-days-on-surfaces/2020/03/12/9b54a99e-6472-11ea-845d-e35b0234b136_story.html |title=Coronavirus can stay infectious for days on surfaces. But it's still okay to check your mail. |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=13 March 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

A warning claiming to be from the Australia Department of Health said COVID-19 spreads through petrol pumps and that everyone should wear gloves when filling up petrol in their cars.<ref name=20200325afpA>{{cite news |title=Australia's Department of Health did not issue a warning that 'using petrol pumps can spread COVID-19' |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/australias-department-health-did-not-issue-warning-using-petrol-pumps-can-spread-covid-19 |access-date=3 April 2020 |work=AFP Fact Check |date=25 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331182810/https://factcheck.afp.com/australias-department-health-did-not-issue-warning-using-petrol-pumps-can-spread-covid-19 |archive-date=31 March 2020}}</ref>

There were claims that wearing shoes in one's home was the reason behind the spread of COVID-19 in Italy.<ref name=20200409afp>{{cite web |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/health-experts-refute-misleading-claim-wearing-shoes-indoors-main-reason-hike-covid-19-infections |title=Hoax circulates online that people wearing shoes indoors triggered hike in COVID-19 cases in Italy |date=9 April 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check}}</ref>

===Cruise ships as safe havens===
[[File:COVID-19 Outbreak World Map per Capita.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|Claims by cruise-ship operators notwithstanding, there are many cases of coronaviruses in hot climates; some countries in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the Persian Gulf are severely affected.]]
In March 2020, the ''Miami New Times'' reported that managers at [[Company:Norwegian Cruise Line|Norwegian Cruise Line]] had prepared a set of responses intended to convince wary customers to book cruises, including "blatantly false" claims that COVID-19 "can only survive in cold temperatures, so the Caribbean is a fantastic choice for your next cruise", that "Scientists and medical professionals have confirmed that the warm weather of the spring will be the end of the Coronavirus {{sic}}", and that the virus "cannot live in the amazingly warm and tropical temperatures that your cruise will be sailing to".<ref name="nmt-cardona">{{cite web |url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/coronavirus-norwegian-cruise-line-leaked-emails-show-booking-strategy-11590056 |title=Leaked Emails: Norwegian Pressures Sales Team to Mislead Potential Customers About Coronavirus |vauthors=Cardona AC |date=11 March 2020 |work=Miami New Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312003229/https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/coronavirus-norwegian-cruise-line-leaked-emails-show-booking-strategy-11590056 |archive-date=12 March 2020 |access-date=12 March 2020}}</ref>

Flu is seasonal (becoming less frequent in the summer) in some countries, but not in others. While it is possible that COVID-19 will also show some seasonality, this has not yet been determined.<ref name="newsweek-02-11-2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/could-coronavirus-really-killed-hot-weather-scientists-weigh-1486709 |title=Could Coronavirus Really Be Killed by Hot Weather? Scientists Weigh In |vauthors=Gander K |date=11 February 2020 |magazine=Newsweek |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310145434/https://www.newsweek.com/could-coronavirus-really-killed-hot-weather-scientists-weigh-1486709 |archive-date=10 March 2020 |access-date=12 March 2020 |quote=Ravinder Kanda, senior lecturer in evolutionary genomics at Oxford Brookes University, U.K., told Newsweek: 'Little is known about the seasonal dynamics of this particular virus—we cannot take it for granted that the warmer weather will simply drive the virus out of existence.'}}</ref><ref name="time-gunia">{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5790880/coronavirus-warm-weather-summer/ |title=Will Warmer Weather Stop the Spread of the Coronavirus? Don't Count on It, Say Experts |vauthors=Gunia A |date=28 February 2020 |magazine=Time |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309112416/https://time.com/5790880/coronavirus-warm-weather-summer/ |archive-date=9 March 2020 |access-date=12 March 2020 |quote=Nancy Messionnier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned against assuming the number of cases will slow as the weather warms. 'I think it's premature to assume that,' she said during a call with reporters on February 12. 'We haven't been through even a single year with this pathogen.'}}</ref><ref name="fox-farber">{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/health/coronavirus-die-out-warm-weather-trump |title=Will the coronavirus die out as the weather warms? |vauthors=Farber M |date=20 February 2020 |publisher=Fox News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305173144/https://www.foxnews.com/health/coronavirus-die-out-warm-weather-trump |archive-date=5 March 2020 |access-date=12 March 2020 |quote='We hope that the gradual spring will help this virus recede, but our crystal ball is not very clear. The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus, and we know respiratory viruses are often seasonal, but not always. For example, influenza (flu) tends to be seasonal in the US, but in other parts of the world, it exists year-round. Scientists don't fully understand why even though we have been studying [the] flu for many years,' William Schaffner, the medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told Fox News in an email.}}</ref>{{medical citation needed|date=April 2020}} When COVID-19 spread along international air travel routes, it did not bypass tropical locations.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Venkatesh S, Memish ZA |title=SARS: the new challenge to international health and travel medicine |journal=Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal |volume=10 |issue=4–5 |pages=655–62 |date=25 January 2004 |doi=10.26719/2004.10.4-5.655 |pmid=16335659 |s2cid=20070843 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Outbreaks on cruise ships, where an older population lives in close quarters, frequently touching surfaces which others have touched, were common.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Browne A, Ahmad SS, Beck CR, Nguyen-Van-Tam JS |title=The roles of transportation and transportation hubs in the propagation of influenza and coronaviruses: a systematic review |journal=Journal of Travel Medicine |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=tav002 |date=January 2016 |pmid=26782122 |pmc=7539332 |doi=10.1093/jtm/tav002 |s2cid=23224351}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Mallapaty S |title=What the cruise-ship outbreaks reveal about COVID-19 |journal=Nature |volume=580 |issue=7801 |pages=18 |date=April 2020 |pmid=32218546 |doi=10.1038/d41586-020-00885-w |bibcode=2020Natur.580...18M |s2cid=214680372 |doi-access=}}</ref>

It seems that COVID-19 can be transmitted in all climates.<ref name=WHO_myths>{{cite web |title=Myth busters |url=https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters |publisher=World Health Organization}}</ref> It has seriously affected many warm-climate countries. For instance, Dubai, with a year-round average daily high of 28.0 Celsius (82.3&nbsp;°F) and the airport said to have the world's most international traffic, has had thousands of cases.{{medical citation needed|date=February 2021}}

===Breastfeeding===
While commercial companies that make breastmilk substitutes promote their products during the pandemic, the WHO and UNICEF advise that women should continue to breastfeed during the COVID-19 pandemic even if they have confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Evidence {{as of|2020|5|lc=y}} indicates that it is unlikely that COVID-19 can be transmitted through breast milk.<ref>{{cite web |title=Agencies encourage women to continue to breastfeed during the COVID-19 pandemic |url=https://www.who.int/news/item/27-05-2020-countries-failing-to-stop-harmful-marketing-of-breast-milk-substitutes-warn-who-and-unicef |website=World Health Organization |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref>

===Sexual transmission and infertility===
COVID-19 can persist in men's [[Biology:Semen|semen]] even after they have begun to recover, although the virus cannot replicate in the [[Biology:Human reproductive system|reproductive system]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Maggie Fox|title=Coronavirus found in men's semen|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/health/coronavirus-semen-china-health/index.html|access-date=16 February 2022|website=CNN|date=8 May 2020}}</ref>

Chinese researchers who found the virus in the semen of men infected with COVID-19, claimed that this opened up a small chance the disease could be sexually transmitted, though this claim has been questioned by other academics since this has been shown with many other viruses such as [[Biology:Ebolavirus|Ebola]] and [[Medicine:Zika virus|Zika]].<ref name="Reuters">{{cite web|agency={{wipe|Reuters}}|date=7 May 2020|title=Covid-19 found in semen of infected men, say Chinese doctors|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/07/covid-19-found-in-semen-of-infected-men-say-chinese-doctors|access-date=16 February 2022|website={{wipe|The Guardian}} }}</ref>

A team of Italian scholars found that 11 of 43 men who recovered from infections, or one-quarter of the test subjects, had either azoospermia (no sperm in semen) or oligospermia (low sperm count). Mechanisms through which infectious diseases affect sperm is roughly divided into two categories. One involves viruses entering the testes, where they attack [[Biology:Spermatogonium|spermatogonia]]. The other involves high fever exposing the testes to heat and thereby killing sperm.<ref name="Reuters"/>

==Prevention==
{{See also|List of unproven methods against COVID-19}}People tried many different things to prevent infection. Sometimes the misinformation was false claims of efficacy, such as claims that the virus could not spread during religious ceremonies, and at other times the misinformation was false claims of inefficacy, such as claiming that alcohol-based hand sanitizer did not work. In other cases, especially with regard to public health advice about wearing face masks, additional scientific evidence resulted in different advice over time.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Howard J, Huang A, Li Z, Tufekci Z, Zdimal V, van der Westhuizen HM, von Delft A, Price A, Fridman L, Tang LH, Tang V, Watson GL, Bax CE, Shaikh R, Questier F, Hernandez D, Chu LF, Ramirez CM, Rimoin AW |title=An evidence review of face masks against COVID-19 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=118 |issue=4 |pages=e2014564118 |date=January 2021 |pmid=33431650 |pmc=7848583 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2014564118|bibcode=2021PNAS..11814564H |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Hand sanitizer, antibacterial soaps===
[[File:Soap in blue dish.JPG|thumb|Washing in soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the best way to clean hands. The second-best is a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.<ref name=soap/>]]
Claims that [[Chemistry:Hand sanitizer|hand sanitizer]] is merely "antibacterial not antiviral", and therefore ineffective against COVID-19, have spread widely on Twitter and other social networks. While the effectiveness of sanitiser depends on the specific ingredients, most hand sanitiser sold commercially inactivates SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pedestrian.tv/health/does-hand-sanitiser-sanitizer-kill-coronavirus-antiviral-antibacterial-viral-tweet/ |title=Those Viral Posts Claiming Hand Sanitiser Doesn't Kill Coronavirus Are Wrong & Here's Why |vauthors=Crellin Z |date=4 March 2020 |website=Pedestrian.TV |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305012603/https://www.pedestrian.tv/health/does-hand-sanitiser-sanitizer-kill-coronavirus-antiviral-antibacterial-viral-tweet/ |archive-date=5 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Kingsland J |date=2 July 2020 |title=COVID-19: Hand sanitizers inactivate novel coronavirus, study finds |url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-hand-sanitizers-inactivate-novel-coronavirus-study-finds |website=[[Company:Medical News Today|Medical News Today]] |access-date=27 April 2020}}</ref> Hand sanitizer is recommended against COVID-19,<ref name=WHO_myths /> though unlike soap, it is not effective against all types of germs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Show Me the Science – When & How to Use Hand Sanitizer in Community Settings |author=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |url=https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html |publisher=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |date=3 March 2020}}</ref> Washing in soap and water for at least 20 seconds is recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the best way to clean hands in most situations. However, if soap and water are not available, a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol can be used instead, unless hands are visibly dirty or greasy.<ref name=soap>{{cite web |title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/disinfecting-your-home.html |website=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |date=11 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=When and How to Wash Your Hands |author=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |url=https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html |publisher=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |date=2 April 2020}}</ref> The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration both recommend plain soap; there is no evidence that [[Biology:Antibacterial soap|antibacterial soap]]s are any better, and limited evidence that they might be worse long-term.<ref>{{cite web |title=Q&A for Consumers: Hand Sanitizers and COVID-19 |url=https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/qa-consumers-hand-sanitizers-and-covid-19 |website=U.S. [[Organization:Food and Drug Administration|Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) |date=13 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Antibacterial Soap? You Can Skip It, Use Plain Soap and Water |url=https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/antibacterial-soap-you-can-skip-it-use-plain-soap-and-water |website=U.S. [[Organization:Food and Drug Administration|Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) |date=16 May 2019}}</ref>

===Public use of face masks===
Authorities, especially in Asia, recommended wearing face masks in public early in the pandemic. In other parts of the world, authorities made conflicting (or contradictory) statements.<ref name=cnn-amhb>{{cite web |vauthors=Griffiths J |title=Asia may have been right about coronavirus and face masks, and the rest of the world is coming around |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/01/asia/coronavirus-mask-messaging-intl-hnk/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=2 April 2020}}</ref> Several governments and institutions, such as in the United States, initially dismissed the use of face masks by the general population, often with misleading or incomplete information about their effectiveness.<ref name="thenational.scot">{{cite web |vauthors=Watterson A |title=Through all the misinformation, what is the truth of wearing face masks? |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/18385472.misinformation-truth-wearing-face-masks/ |website=The National |date=17 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="vanityfair.com">{{cite magazine |vauthors=Frank TA |title="I Was Looking at Them in the Wrong Way": Mask Misinformation and the Failure of the Elites |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/mask-misinformation-and-the-failure-of-the-elites |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=8 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=npr-wta>{{cite web |vauthors=Huo J |title=Why There Are So Many Different Guidelines For Face Masks For The Public |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/10/829890635/why-there-so-many-different-guidelines-for-face-masks-for-the-public |publisher=NPR |date=10 April 2020}}</ref> Commentators have attributed the anti-mask messaging to attempts at managing mask shortages caused by initial inaction, remarking that the claims went beyond the science, or were simply lies.<ref name=npr-wta/><ref>{{cite web |title=Coronavirus: Abrupt reversals on face mask policy raise new questions |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200405-coronavirus-abrupt-reversal-on-mask-policy-in-france-and-the-us-raises-new-questions |publisher=France 24 |date=5 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Walther M |title=The noble lie about masks and coronavirus should never have been told |url=https://theweek.com/articles/906647/noble-lie-about-masks-coronavirus-should-never-have-been-told |website=The Week |date=4 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="Tufekci">{{cite web |vauthors=Tufekci Z |title=Why Telling People They Don't Need Masks Backfired |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opinion/coronavirus-face-masks.html |website={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=17 March 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

[[File:White House Coronavirus Update Briefing (49810101702).jpg|thumb|The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams urged people to wear face masks and acknowledged that it is difficult to correct earlier messaging that masks do not work for the general public.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Quinn M |title=Surgeon general says administration "trying to correct" earlier guidance against wearing masks |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-surgeon-general-jerome-adams-wearing-masks-face-the-nation/ |publisher=CBS News |date=12 July 2020}}</ref>]]
In February 2020, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted "Seriously people—STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus [disease 2019]"; he later reversed his position with increasing evidence that masks can limit the spread of COVID-19.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Allassan F |title="When we learn better, we do better": Surgeon general defends reversal on face mask policy |url=https://www.axios.com/surgeon-general-reversal-face-mask-d385e2d5-42b7-433e-89a6-3584f3e61bf3.html |website=Axios |date=12 July 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731011403/https://www.axios.com/surgeon-general-reversal-face-mask-d385e2d5-42b7-433e-89a6-3584f3e61bf3.html |archive-date=31 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Madhani A |title=What to wear: Feds' mixed messages on masks sow confusion |url=https://apnews.com/26f0cb8ed836a76f0e019357cbea7f58 |work=Associated Press |date=27 June 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830154402/https://apnews.com/26f0cb8ed836a76f0e019357cbea7f58 |archive-date=30 August 2020}}</ref> In June 2020, [[Biography:Anthony Fauci|Anthony Fauci]] (a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force) confirmed that the American public were told not to wear masks from the beginning, due to a shortage of masks, and then explained that masks do actually work.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Jankowicz M |title=Fauci said US government held off promoting face masks because it knew shortages were so bad that even doctors couldn't get enough |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-mask-advice-was-because-doctors-shortages-from-the-start-2020-6 |website=Business Insider |date=15 June 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916113134/https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-mask-advice-was-because-doctors-shortages-from-the-start-2020-6 |archive-date=16 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Ross K |title=Dr. Fauci Explains Why Public Wasn't Told to Wear Masks When COVID-19 Pandemic Began |url=https://www.thestreet.com/video/dr-fauci-masks-changing-directive-coronavirus |website=TheStreet |date=12 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Kelley A |title=Fauci: why the public wasn't told to wear masks when the coronavirus pandemic began |url=https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/502890-fauci-why-the-public-wasnt-told-to-wear-masks |website=The Hill |date=16 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=McArdle M |title=Fauci Confirms Public-Health Experts Downplayed Efficacy of Masks to Ensure They Would Be Available to Health-care Workers |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/news/fauci-confirms-public-health-experts-downplayed-efficacy-of-masks-to-ensure-they-would-be-available-to-healthcare-workers/ |website=National Review |date=16 June 2020}}</ref>

Some media outlets claimed that neck gaiters were worse than not wearing masks at all in the COVID-19 pandemic, misinterpreting a study which was intended to demonstrate a method for evaluating masks (and not actually to determine the effectiveness of different types of masks).<ref name=lam-4>{{cite web |vauthors=Lambert J |title=4 reasons you shouldn't trash your neck gaiter based on the new mask study |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid19-neck-gaiters-masks-droplets-study |website=Science News |date=12 August 2020}}</ref><ref name="ls-syd"/><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Parker-Pope T |title=Save the Gaiters! |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/well/live/coronavirus-gaiters-masks.html |website={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=17 August 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref> The study also only looked at one wearer wearing the one neck gaiter made from a polyester/[[Chemistry:Spandex|spandex]] blend, which is not sufficient evidence to support the claim about gaiters made in the media.<ref name="ls-syd">{{cite web |vauthors=Saplakoglu Y |title=Should you ditch your gaiter as a face mask? Not so fast, scientists say. |url=https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-neck-gaiters.html |website=Live Science |date=13 August 2020}}</ref> The study found that the neck gaiter, which was made from a thin and stretchy material, appeared to be ineffective at limiting airborne droplets expelled from the wearer; Isaac Henrion, one of the co-authors, suggests that the result was likely due to the material rather than the style, stating that "Any mask made from that fabric would probably have the same result, no matter the design."<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Krubsack R |title=Gaiters getting a bad rap for COVID-19 protection? |url=https://www.jjkeller.com/learn/news/082020/Gaiters-getting-a-bad-rap-for-COVID-19-protection |date=14 August 2020 |website=J. J. Keller}}</ref> Warren S. Warren, a co-author, said that they tried to be careful with their language in interviews, but added that the press coverage has "careened out of control" for a study testing a measuring technique.<ref name=lam-4/>

There are false claims spread that the usage of masks causes adverse health-related issues such as [[Medicine:Hypoxemia|low blood oxygen levels]],<ref name=cbc-ox>{{cite web |vauthors=Bessonov A |title=Do masks reduce your oxygen levels? Your COVID-19 questions answered |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/masks-oxygen-covid-questions-answered-1.5653404 |publisher=CBC News |date=18 July 2020}}</ref> [[Medicine:Hypercapnia|high blood carbon dioxide levels]],<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Shepherd M |title=This Myth About Carbon Dioxide And Masks Is Similar To A Debunked Claim About Climate Change |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2020/07/01/debunking-2-myths-toxic-coronavirus-masks-and-breathing-warms-the-climate/ |website=Forbes |date=1 July 2020}}</ref> and a weakened immune system.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Forster V |title=Wearing A Mask To Protect Against Covid-19 Coronavirus Will Not Weaken Your Immune System |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/05/17/no-wearing-a-mask-to-protect-against-covid-19-coronavirus-will-not-weaken-your-immune-system/ |website=Forbes |date=17 May 2020}}</ref> Some also falsely claimed that masks cause antibiotic-resistant [[Medicine:Pneumonia|pneumonia]] by preventing pathogenic organisms to be exhaled away from the body.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fact check: People have not been developing antibiotic-resistant pneumonia from wearing face masks |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-pneumonia/fact-check-people-have-not-been-developing-antibiotic-resistant-pneumonia-from-wearing-face-masks-idUSKCN26E2NA |work=Reuters |date=23 September 2020}}</ref>

Individuals have speciously claimed legal or medical exemptions to avoid complying with mask mandates.<ref name=dwyer>{{cite web |vauthors=Dwyer D |title=Few medical reasons for not wearing a face mask |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/medical-reasons-wearing-face-mask/story?id=72020929 |website=ABC News |date=30 July 2020}}</ref> Individuals have, for instance, claimed that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA; designed to prohibit discrimination based on disabilities) allows exemption from mask requirements. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) responded that the Act "does not provide a blanket exemption to people with disabilities from complying with legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operations".<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Brown M |title=Fact check: ADA does not provide blanket exemption from face mask requirements |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/07/15/fact-check-ada-disability-rights-and-face-mask-requirements/5391830002/ |website=USA Today |date=16 July 2020}}</ref> The DOJ also issued a warning about cards (sometimes featuring DOJ logos or ADA notices) that claim to "exempt" their holders from wearing masks, stating that these cards are fraudulent and not issued by any government agency.<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Hanrahan M |title=Group behind fraudulent 'face mask exempt' cards pledges to keep distributing them, despite website takedown |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/face-mask-exempt-cards-circulating-online-fraudulent-doj/story?id=71507910 |website=ABC News |date=29 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdnc/pr/covid-19-alert-fraudulent-facemask-flyers |title=COVID-19 ALERT: Fraudulent Facemask Flyers – USAO-MDNC – Department of Justice |date=25 June 2020 |website=justice.gov |publisher=United States Department of Justice |access-date=21 September 2020 |location=Greensboro, NC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828153747/https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdnc/pr/covid-19-alert-fraudulent-facemask-flyers |archive-date=28 August 2020 |quote=U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina today urged the public to be aware regarding fraudulent postings, cards, or flyers on the internet regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of which include the United States Department of Justice's seal. "Do not be fooled by the chicanery and misappropriation of the DOJ eagle," said U.S. Attorney Martin. "These cards do not carry the force of law. The 'Freedom to Breathe Agency,' or 'FTBA,' is not a government agency."}}</ref>

===Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs===
Contrary to some reports, drinking alcohol does not protect against COVID-19, and can increase short term and long term health risks.<ref name=WHO_myths /> Drinking alcohol is made with pure [[Chemistry:Ethanol|ethanol]]. Other substances such as [[Chemistry:Hand sanitizer|hand sanitizer]], wood alcohol, and [[Chemistry:Ethanol#Denatured alcohol|denatured alcohol]] contain other alcohols, such as isopropanol or [[Chemistry:Methanol|methanol]]. These other alcohols are [[Medicine:Methanol toxicity|poisonous]], and may cause gastric ulcers, blindness, liver failure, or death. Such chemicals are commonly present in improperly fermented or distilled alcoholic beverages.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Beauchamp GA, Valento M |title=Toxic Alcohol Ingestion: Prompt Recognition And Management In The Emergency Department |journal=Emergency Medicine Practice |volume=18 |issue=9 |pages=1–20 |date=September 2016 |pmid=27538060}}</ref>

Several countries, including Iran<ref name="independent-methanol" /> and Turkey<ref name=20200325cnnturk>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnnturk.com/video/turkiye/9-kisi-daha-saf-alkolden-oldu |title=9 kişi daha saf alkolden öldü |trans-title=9 more died from pure alcohol |date=25 March 2020 |website=CNN Türk |access-date=28 March 2020 |language=tr}}</ref><ref name=hurriyet41473161>{{cite web |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/katil-sahte-alkol-41473161 |title=Katil: Sahte alkol |trans-title=The killer: fake alcohol |date=20 March 2020 |website=Hürriyet Daily News |vauthors=Aydın C |access-date=28 March 2020 |language=tr}}</ref> have reported incidents of methanol poisoning, caused by the false belief that drinking alcohol would cure or protect against COVID-19.<ref name="independent-methanol">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-coronavirus-methanol-drink-cure-deaths-fake-a9429956.html |title=Coronavirus: Hundreds dead in Iran from drinking methanol amid fake reports it cures disease |vauthors=Trew B |work=The Independent |date=27 March 2020 |access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="slate-methanol">{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/hundreds-die-iran-drinking-bootleg-alcohol-methanol-coronavirus-cure-social-media.html |title=Hundreds Die in Iran From Bootleg Alcohol Being Peddled Online as Fake Coronavirus Remedy |vauthors=Hannon E |work=Slate |date=27 March 2020 |access-date=28 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="ap-nytimes-methanol">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/03/27/world/middleeast/ap-ml-virus-outbreak-iran-a-deadly-drink.html |title=In Iran, False Belief a Poison Fights Virus Kills Hundreds |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=27 March 2020 |access-date=28 March 2020 |archive-date=28 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328174609/https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/03/27/world/middleeast/ap-ml-virus-outbreak-iran-a-deadly-drink.html |url-access=limited}}</ref> alcohol is banned in Iran, and bootleg alcohol may contain methanol.<ref name="slate-methanol" /> According to the Associated Press in March 2020, 480 people had died and 2,850 become ill due to methanol poisoning.<ref name="ap-nytimes-methanol" /> That figure reached 700 by April.<ref name="time methanol">{{cite news |vauthors= |title=Over 700 Iranians Dead From Methanol Poisoning Over False Belief the Chemical Cures COVID-19 |url=https://time.com/5828047/methanol-poisoning-iran/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501124341/https://time.com/5828047/methanol-poisoning-iran/ |archive-date=1 May 2020 |agency=Associated Press |magazine=Time |url-status=dead |date=27 April 2020}}</ref>

In Kenya, in April 2020, the Governor of Nairobi Mike Sonko came under scrutiny for including small bottles of the cognac Hennessy in care packages, falsely claiming that alcohol serves as "throat sanitizer".<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Feleke B |title=Kenya governor under fire after putting Hennessy bottles in coronavirus care packages |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/17/africa/kenya-governor-alcohol-and-coronavirus/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=22 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Lange J |title=The governor of Nairobi is putting Hennessy in residents' coronavirus care packages |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/909393/governor-nairobi-putting-hennessy-residents-coronavirus-care-packages |website=The Week |date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

In 2020, [[Chemistry:Tobacco smoking|tobacco smoking]] spread on social media as a false remedy to COVID-19 after a few small observational studies were published in which [[Chemistry:Tobacco smoking|tobacco smoking]] was shown to be preventative against SARS-CoV-2. In April 2020, researchers at a Paris hospital noted an inverse relationship between smoking and COVID-19 infections, which led to an increase in tobacco sales in France. These results were at first so astonishing that the French government initiated a clinical trial with [[Medicine:Transdermal|transdermal]] [[Chemistry:Nicotine|nicotine]] patches. More recent clinical evidence based on larger studies clearly demonstrates that smokers have an increased chance of COVID-19 infection and experience more severe respiratory symptoms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/science-and-technology/20200423-french-researchers-suggest-nicotine-could-protect-against-covid-19 |title=French researchers suggest nicotine could protect against coronavirus |work=Radio France Internationale.com. |date=23 April 2020 |access-date=28 May 2021}}</ref><ref name="pmid32464099">{{cite journal |vauthors=van Zyl-Smit RN, Richards G, Leone FT |title=Tobacco smoking and COVID-19 infection |journal=The Lancet. Respiratory Medicine |volume=8 |issue=7 |pages=664–665 |date=July 2020 |pmid=32464099 |pmc=7247798 |doi=10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30239-3}}</ref>

In early 2020, several viral tweets spread around Europe and Africa, suggesting that snorting cocaine would sterilize one's nostrils of SARS-CoV-2. In response, the French Ministry of Health released a public service announcement debunking this claim, saying "No, cocaine does NOT protect against COVID-19. It is an addictive drug that causes serious side effects and is harmful to people's health." The [[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]] also debunked the claim.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/french-government-cocaine-coke-coronavirus-hoax/ |title=Sorry to the French People Who Thought Cocaine Would Protect Them From Coronavirus |vauthors=Crellin Z |website=Pedestrian.TV |access-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311082415/https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/french-government-cocaine-coke-coronavirus-hoax/ |archive-date=11 March 2020 |url-status=live |date=9 March 2020}}</ref>

===Warm or hot drinks===
There were several claims that drinking warm drinks at a temperature of around {{convert|30|C|F}} protects one from COVID-19, most notably by Alberto Fernández, the president of Argentina said "The WHO recommends that one drink many hot drinks because heat kills the virus." Scientists commented that the WHO had made no such recommendation, and that drinking hot water can damage the oral mucosa.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Lucía M |date=12 March 2020 |title=Alberto Fernández: "La OMS recomienda que uno tome muchas bebidas calientes porque el calor mata al virus" |language=Spanish |trans-title=Alberto Fernández: "The WHO recommends that one drink many hot drinks because heat kills the virus" |work=Chequeado |url=https://chequeado.com/ultimas-noticias/alberto-fernandez-la-organizacion-mundial-de-la-salud-entre-las-cosas-que-recomienda-es-que-uno-tome-muchas-bebidas-calientes-porque-el-calor-mata-el-virus/ |access-date=10 July 2020}}</ref>

===Religious protection===
A number of religious groups have claimed protection due to their faith. Some refused to stop practices, such as gatherings of large groups, that promoted the transmission of the virus.

In Israel, some Ultra-Orthodox Jews initially refused to close synagogues and religious seminaries and disregarded government restrictions because "The Torah protects and saves",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/calls-to-seal-off-ultra-orthodox-areas-adds-tension-to-israels-virus-response |title=Calls to seal off ultra-Orthodox areas add to Israel's virus tensions |vauthors=Holmes O, Kierszenbaum |date=6 April 2020 |work={{wipe|The Guardian}}}}</ref> which resulted in an eight-fold faster rate of infection among some groups.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/world/middleeast/coronavirus-israel-cases-orthodox.html |title=Virus soars among ultra-orthodox Jews as many flout Israel's rules |vauthors=Halbfinger DM |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=30 March 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

In South Korea the River of Grace Community Church in Gyeonggi Province spread the virus after spraying salt water into their members' mouths in the belief that it would kill the virus,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/coronavirus-salt-water-cure-spray-south-korea-church-covid-19-a9404856.html |title=Coronavirus: Nearly 50 church goers infected in South Korea after spraying salt water 'cure' |vauthors=Duncan C |date=16 March 2020 |work=The Independent}}</ref> while the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu where a church leader claimed that no Shincheonji worshipers had caught the virus in February while hundreds died in Wuhan, later caused the biggest spread of the virus in the country.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/world/asia/south-korea-coronavirus-shincheonji.html |vauthors=Sang-Hun C |title='Proselytizing Robots': Inside South Korean Church at Outbreak's Center |date=10 March 2020 |work={{wipe|The New York Times}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-51695649 |title=Coronavirus: South Korea sect leader to face probe over deaths |date=2 March 2020 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> In Tanzania, President John Magufuli, instead of banning congregations, urged the faithfuls to go to pray in churches and mosques in the belief that it will protect them. He said that COVID-19 is a devil, therefore "cannot survive in the body of Jesus Christ; it will burn" (the "[[Religion:Body of Christ|body of Jesus Christ]]" refers to the Christian church).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/tanzanias-leader-urges-people-to-worship-in-throngs-against-coronavirus-11586347200 |title=Tanzania's Leader Urges People to Worship in Throngs Against Coronavirus |vauthors=Bariyo N, Parkinson J |date=8 April 2020 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-52010868 |title=Coronavirus: Why Ghana has gone into mourning after mass funeral ban |date=26 March 2020 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2020, the Church of Greece announced that Holy Communion, in which churchgoers eat pieces of bread soaked in wine from the same chalice, would continue as a practice.<ref name="Reuters 9 March">{{cite news |vauthors=Kambas M, Georgiopoulos G |title=In era of coronavirus, Greek church says Holy Communion will carry on |work=Reuters |date=9 March 2020 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-greece-church-idUSKBN20W2N1 |access-date=10 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312174830/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-greece-church-idUSKBN20W2N1 |archive-date=12 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Holy Synod said Holy Communion "cannot be the cause of the spread of illness", with Metropolitan Seraphim saying the wine was without blemish because it represented the blood and body of Christ, and that "whoever attends Holy Communion is approaching God, who has the power to heal".<ref name="Reuters 9 March" /> The Church refused to restrict Christians from taking Holy Communion,<ref name=dw52742226>{{cite web |publisher=Deutsche Welle |title=Inside Europe: Greek Orthodox Church weighs in on coronavirus |date=13 March 2020 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/inside-europe-greek-orthodox-church-weighs-in-on-coronavirus/av-52742226 |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318181239/https://www.dw.com/en/inside-europe-greek-orthodox-church-weighs-in-on-coronavirus/av-52742226 |archive-date=18 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> which was supported by several clerics,<ref name="Brzozowski Michalopoulos 2020">{{cite web |vauthors=Brzozowski A, Michalopoulos S |title=Catholics take measures against coronavirus while Greek Orthodox Church 'prays' |website=euractiv.com |date=9 March 2020 |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/catholics-take-measures-against-coronavirus-while-greek-orthodox-church-prays/ |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318181234/https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/catholics-take-measures-against-coronavirus-while-greek-orthodox-church-prays/ |archive-date=18 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> some politicians, and health professionals.<ref name="Brzozowski Michalopoulos 2020" /><ref name="ref 1">{{cite web |url=https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Corona-Panik-nur-fuer-Unglaeubige-4678649.html |title=Corona-Panik nur für Ungläubige? |trans-title=Corona panic only for unbelievers? |vauthors=Aswestopoulos W |website=heise online |date=9 March 2020 |language=de |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310205222/https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Corona-Panik-nur-fuer-Unglaeubige-4678649.html |archive-date=10 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Greek Association of Hospital Doctors criticized these professionals for putting their religious beliefs before science.<ref name="Brzozowski Michalopoulos 2020" /> A review of the medical publications on the subject, published by a Greek physician, claims that the transmission of any infectious disease through the Holy Communion has never been documented. This controversy divided the Greek society, the politics and medical experts.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Anyfantakis D |title=Holy Communion and Infection Transmission: A Literature Review. |journal=Cureus |date=2020 |volume=12 |issue=6 |pages=e8741 |doi=10.7759/cureus.8741 |doi-access=free |pmid=32714679 |pmc=7377019}}</ref>

The Islamic missionary movement Tablighi Jamaat organised Ijtema mass gatherings in Malaysia, India, and Pakistan whose participants believed that God will protect them, causing the biggest rise in COVID-19 cases in these and other countries.<ref name="NYT mosque">{{cite news |date=17 March 2020 |title=How Mass Pilgrimage at Malaysian Mosque Became Coronavirus Hotspot |work=Reuters |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-malaysia-mosque/how-mass-pilgrimage-at-malaysian-mosque-became-coronavirus-hotspot-idUKKBN2142V5 |url-status=live |access-date=2 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404204957/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-malaysia-mosque/how-mass-pilgrimage-at-malaysian-mosque-became-coronavirus-hotspot-idUKKBN2142V5 |archive-date=4 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="pakistan tablighi">{{cite news |date=26 March 2020 |title='God Will Protect Us': Coronavirus Spreads Through an Already Struggling Pakistan |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/world/asia/pakistan-coronavirus-tablighi-jamaat.html |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512040010/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/world/asia/pakistan-coronavirus-tablighi-jamaat.html |archive-date=12 May 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=1445 out of 4067 Covid-19 cases linked to Tablighi Jamaat: Health Ministry |work=Hindustan Times |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/1-445-out-of-4-067-covid-19-cases-linked-to-tablighi-jamaat-health-ministry/story-eK8oimpTN6qCZcnUAYlrDN.html}}</ref> In Iran, the head of Fatima Masumeh Shrine encouraged pilgrims to visit the shrine despite calls to close the shrine, saying that they "consider this holy shrine to be a place of healing".<ref>{{cite news |date=27 February 2020 |title=Iran cleric encourages visitors to Qom religious sites, despite coronavirus fears |work=Middle East Monitor |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200227-iran-cleric-encourages-visitors-to-qom-religious-sites-despite-coronavirus-fears/ |url-status=live |access-date=3 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303165907/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200227-iran-cleric-encourages-visitors-to-qom-religious-sites-despite-coronavirus-fears/ |archive-date=3 March 2020}}</ref> In Somalia, false claims have spread [[Religion:Muslims|Muslims]] are immune to the virus.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 April 2020 |title=Ramadan in Somalia: fears coronavirus cases will climb as gatherings continue |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/apr/22/ramadan-in-somalia-fears-coronavirus-cases-will-climb-as-gatherings-continue |access-date=23 April 2020 |vauthors=Hujale M}}</ref>

===Helicopter spraying===
In Sri Lanka, the {{wipe|Philippines}} and {{wipe|India}}, it has been claimed that one should stay at home on particular days when helicopters spray "COVID-19 disinfectant" over homes. No such spraying has taken place, nor is it planned, nor, as of July 2020, is there any such agent that could be sprayed.<ref name=20200326afpA>{{cite news |title=False claim circulates online that certain countries in Asia are using helicopters to spray 'COVID-19 disinfectant' |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/false-claim-circulates-online-certain-countries-asia-are-using-helicopters-spray-covid-19 |access-date=3 April 2020 |work=AFP Fact Check |date=26 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330085147/https://factcheck.afp.com/false-claim-circulates-online-certain-countries-asia-are-using-helicopters-spray-covid-19 |archive-date=30 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=20200320afp>{{cite news |title=Indian authorities refute 'fake' advisory which claimed disinfectant would be sprayed across India to tackle COVID-19 |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/indian-authorities-refute-fake-advisory-which-claimed-disinfectant-would-be-sprayed-across-india |access-date=3 April 2020 |work=AFP Fact Check |date=20 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408121452/https://factcheck.afp.com/indian-authorities-refute-fake-advisory-which-claimed-disinfectant-would-be-sprayed-across-india |archive-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>

===Food===
{{anchor|vegetarianism|Vegetarian immunity}}
In India, fake news circulated that the [[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]] warned against eating cabbage to prevent COVID-19 infection.<ref name=20200331afp>{{cite news |title=WHO did not warn against eating cabbage during the COVID-19 pandemic |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/who-did-not-warn-against-eating-cabbage-during-covid-19-pandemic |access-date=3 April 2020 |work=AFP Fact Check |date=31 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402070033/https://factcheck.afp.com/who-did-not-warn-against-eating-cabbage-during-covid-19-pandemic |archive-date=2 April 2020}}</ref> Claims that the poisonous fruit of the ''[[Biology:Datura|Datura]]'' plant is a preventive measure for COVID-19 resulted in eleven people being hospitalized in India. They ate the fruit, following the instructions from a [[Software:TikTok|TikTok]] video that propagated misinformation regarding the prevention of COVID-19.<ref name=thenewsminute122136>{{cite news |title=11 in AP hospitalised after following TikTok poisonous 'remedy' for COVID-19 |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/11-ap-hospitalised-after-following-tiktok-poisonous-remedy-covid-19-122136 |access-date=9 April 2020 |work=thenewsminute.com}}</ref><ref name="Twelve taken ill">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff author(s),no byline--> |title=Twelve taken ill after consuming 'coronavirus shaped' datura seeds |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/twelve-taken-ill-after-consuming-coronavirus-shaped-datura-seeds/article31282688.ece |access-date=9 April 2020 |work=The Hindu |date=7 April 2020}}</ref>

Claims that vegetarians are immune to COVID-19 spread online in India, causing "#NoMeat_NoCoronaVirus" to trend on Twitter.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=3 March 2020 |title='No Meat, No Coronavirus' Makes No Sense |url=https://thewire.in/health/meat-eating-2019-novel-coronavirus-wuhan-bats-proteins-cattle-climate-cow-vigilantism |website=The Wire |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303034133/https://thewire.in/health/meat-eating-2019-novel-coronavirus-wuhan-bats-proteins-cattle-climate-cow-vigilantism |archive-date=3 March 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Such claims are false.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Snopes |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/vegetarians-safe-from-covid19/ |title=Are Vegetarians Safe from COVID-19? |author=Nur Ibrahim |date=14 May 2020}}</ref>

===Vitamin D===
In February 2020, claims that [[Chemistry:Vitamin D|Vitamin D]] pills could help prevent COVID-19 circulated on social media in Thailand.<ref name="20200227afp">{{cite web |date=27 February 2020 |title=Health experts say there is no evidence vitamin D is effective in preventing novel coronavirus infection |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/health-experts-say-there-no-evidence-vitamin-d-effective-preventing-novel-coronavirus-infection |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016132833/https://factcheck.afp.com/health-experts-say-there-no-evidence-vitamin-d-effective-preventing-novel-coronavirus-infection |archive-date=16 October 2020 |access-date=9 April 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check}}</ref> Some conspiracy theorists have claimed that vitamin D was being intentionally suppressed as a preventative option by governments.<ref>{{cite news |date=5 April 2021 |title=Vitamin D: The truth about an alleged Covid 'cover-up' |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56180921 |vauthors=Schraer R}}</ref>

One meta-analysis found weak evidence that increased vitamin D levels may reduce the likelihood of intensive care admission for people with COVID 19; but found no effect of mortality.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Tentolouris N, Samakidou G, Eleftheriadou I, Tentolouris A, Jude EB |title=The effect of vitamin D supplementation on mortality and intensive care unit admission of COVID-19 patients. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression |journal=Diabetes Metab Res Rev |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=e3517 |date=May 2022 |pmid=34965318 |pmc=9015406 |doi=10.1002/dmrr.3517 |type=Systematic review}}</ref>

A preprint of a journal article from Indonesia purporting to show a beneficial effect of vitamin D for COVID-19 went viral across social media, and was cited several times in mainstream academic literature, including in a recommendation from [[Organization:National Institute for Health and Care Excellence|NICE]]. Tabloid newspapers such as the ''Daily Mail'' and ''The Sun'' likewise promoted the story. Subsequent investigation, however, found none of the authors seemed to be known of at the hospitals listed as their affiliations, suggesting the paper was entirely fraudulent.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Henrina J, Lim MA, Pranata R |date=February 2021 |title=COVID-19 and misinformation: how an infodemic fuelled the prominence of vitamin D |journal=The British Journal of Nutrition |type=Letter |volume=125 |issue=3 |pages=359–360 |doi=10.1017/S0007114520002950 |pmc=7443564 |pmid=32713358}}</ref>

A study of YouTube content concerning vitamin D and COVID-19 in 2020 found that over three quarters of the 77 videos analysed as part of the study contained false and misleading information. Most alarmingly according to the study's authors, the majority of the purveyors of misinformation in these videos were medical professionals. The study concluded that much of the advice given by these YouTube videos may result in adverse health outcomes such as increases in rates of skin cancer if viewers followed it.<ref name="Infodemiology">{{cite journal |last1=Quinn |first1=Emma K. |last2=Fenton |first2=Shelby |last3=Ford-Sahibzada |first3=Chelsea A. |last4=Harper |first4=Andrew |last5=Marcon |first5=Alessandro R. |last6=Caulfield |first6=Timothy |last7=Fazel |first7=Sajjad S. |last8=Peters |first8=Cheryl E. |date=14 March 2022 |title=COVID-19 and Vitamin D Misinformation on YouTube: Content Analysis |journal=JMIR Infodemiology |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=e32452 |doi=10.2196/32452 |pmc=8924908 |pmid=35310014 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Vaccines==
{{Excerpt|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|hat=no}}

==Hospital conditions==
Some conservative figures in the United States, such as Richard Epstein,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/epstein-trump-coronavirus-crackpot/ |title=All the President's Crackpots |vauthors=Heer J |date=30 March 2020 |magazine=The Nation}}</ref> downplayed the scale of the pandemic, saying it has been exaggerated as part of an effort to hurt President Trump. Some people pointed to empty hospital parking lots as evidence that the virus has been exaggerated. Despite the empty parking lots, many hospitals in New York City and other places experienced thousands of COVID-19-related hospitalizations.<ref name=20200401nationalobserver>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/04/01/analysis/right-wing-conspiracy-theories-go-mainstream-amid-mounting-covid-19-death-toll |title=Right-wing conspiracy theories go mainstream amid mounting COVID-19 death toll |vauthors=Orr C |date=1 April 2020 |website=National Observer |access-date=2 April 2020}}</ref>

In the course of 2020, conspiracy theorists used the #FilmYourHospital [[Hashtag|hashtag]] to encourage people to record videos in seemingly empty, or sparsely populated hospitals, in order to prove that the pandemic was a "hoax".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/film-your-hospital-the-anatomy-of-a-covid-19-conspiracy-theory-147948 |title='Film Your Hospital' – the anatomy of a COVID-19 conspiracy theory |first=Wasim |last=Ahmed |date=15 October 2020 |website=The Conversation |access-date=11 February 2022}}</ref>

==Treatment==
{{Main|Unsolved:List of unproven methods against COVID-19}}
Widely circulated posts on social media have made many unfounded claims of treatment methods of COVID-19. Some of these claims are scams, and some promoted methods are dangerous and unhealthy.<ref name=WHO_myths /><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Taylor A |title=Social media awash with fake treatments for coronavirus |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/social-media-awash-with-fake-treatments-for-coronavirus-20200326-p54e9q.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=28 March 2020}}</ref>

===Herbal treatments===
Various national and party-held Chinese media heavily advertised an "overnight research" report by Wuhan Institute of Virology and Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, on how {{lang|zh-Latn|shuanghuanglian}}, an herb mixture from [[Medicine:Traditional Chinese medicine|traditional Chinese medicine]] (TCM), can effectively inhibit COVID-19. The report led to a purchase craze of {{lang|zh-Latn|shuanghuanglian}}.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Wee SL |title=In Coronavirus, China Weighs Benefits of Buffalo Horn and Other Remedies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/world/asia/coronavirus-traditional-chinese-medicine.html |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=5 February 2020 |access-date=15 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206125038/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/world/asia/coronavirus-traditional-chinese-medicine.html |archive-date=6 February 2020 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Leng |first1=Yan |last2=Zhai |first2=Yujia |last3=Sun |first3=Shaojing |last4=Wu |first4=Yifei |last5=Selzer |first5=Jordan |last6=Strover |first6=Sharon |last7=Zhang |first7=Hezhao |last8=Chen |first8=Anfan |last9=Ding |first9=Ying |date=1 March 2021 |title=Misinformation During the COVID-19 Outbreak in China: Cultural, Social and Political Entanglements |journal=IEEE Transactions on Big Data |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=69–80 |doi=10.1109/TBDATA.2021.3055758 |pmid=37974653 |pmc=8769030 |s2cid=263892508 |issn=2332-7790|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The president of {{wipe|Madagascar}} Andry Rajoelina launched and promoted in April 2020 a herbal drink based on an [[Biology:Artemisia (genus)|artemisia plant]] as a miracle cure that can treat and prevent COVID-19 despite a lack of medical evidence. The drink has been exported to other African countries.<ref name="madagascar">{{cite news |date=5 May 2020 |title=Covid-19 in Madagascar: The president's controversial 'miracle cure' |publisher=France 24 |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200505-covid-19-in-madagascar-the-president-s-controversial-miracle-cure}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-52374250 |title=Coronavirus: Caution urged over Madagascar's 'herbal cure' |date=22 April 2020 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

Based on ''in-vitro'' studies, extracts of ''[[Biology:Echinacea|E. purpurea]]'' (Echinaforce) showed virucidal activity against [[Biology:Coronavirus|coronavirus]]es, including [[Biology:SARS-CoV-2|SARS-CoV-2]]. Because the data was experimental and solely derived from [[Biology:Cell culture|cell culture]]s, antiviral effects in humans have not been elucidated. As a result, regulatory agencies have not recommended the use of ''Echinacea'' preparations for the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.swissmedic.ch/swissmedic/de/home/news/coronavirus-covid-19/echinacea_mittel_coronavirus.html |title=Echinacea als vermeintliches Mittel gegen das neue Coronavirus |language=German |work=swissmedic.ch |access-date=18 September 2020}}</ref>

===Vitamin C===
During the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, [[Biology:Vitamin C|vitamin C]] was the subject of more FDA warning letters than any other [[Philosophy:Quackery|quack treatment]] for COVID-19.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Bramstedt KA |title=Unicorn Poo and Blessed Waters: COVID-19 Quackery and FDA Warning Letters |journal=Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=239–244 |date=January 2021 |pmid=33001378 |pmc=7528445 |doi=10.1007/s43441-020-00224-1 |issn=2168-4790}}</ref> In April 2021, the US [[Organization:National Institutes of Health|National Institutes of Health]] (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines stated that "there are insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of vitamin{{nbsp}}C for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19."<ref>{{cite web |title=Vitamin C |url=https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/supplements/vitamin-c/ |website=COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines |date=April 21, 2021 |access-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120131306/https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/supplements/vitamin-c/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In an update posted December 2022, the NIH position was unchanged:
*There is insufficient evidence for the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) to recommend either for or against the use of vitamin C for the treatment of COVID-19 in nonhospitalized patients. 
*There is insufficient evidence for the Panel to recommend either for or against the use of vitamin C for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/supplements/vitamin-c/ |title=COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines |date=26 December 2022 |website=U.S. National Institutes of Health |access-date=18 December 2023}}</ref>

===Common cold and flu treatments===
In March 2020, a photo circulated online showing a 30-year-old Indian textbook that lists [[Chemistry:Aspirin|aspirin]], antihistamines, and nasal spray as treatments for coronavirus diseases. False claims spread asserting that the book was evidence that COVID-19 started much earlier than reported and that common cold treatments could be a cure for COVID-19. The textbook actually talks about [[Biology:Coronavirus|coronavirus]]es in general, as a family of viruses.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/hoax-circulates-online-old-indian-textbook-lists-treatments-covid-19 |title=Hoax circulates online that an old Indian textbook lists treatments for COVID-19 |date=9 April 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check}}</ref>

A rumor circulated on social media posts on Weibo, Facebook and Twitter claiming that Chinese experts said saline solutions could kill COVID-19. There is no evidence for this.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/saline-solution-kills-china-coronavirus-experts-refute-online-rumour |title=Saline solution kills China coronavirus? Experts refute online rumour |date=24 January 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check |access-date=9 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401153714/https://factcheck.afp.com/saline-solution-kills-china-coronavirus-experts-refute-online-rumour |archive-date=1 April 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

A tweet from French health minister Olivier Véran, a bulletin from the French health ministry, and a small speculative study in ''The Lancet Respiratory Medicine'' raised concerns about [[Chemistry:Ibuprofen|ibuprofen]] worsening COVID-19, which spread extensively on social media. The [[Organization:European Medicines Agency|European Medicines Agency]]<ref name=emanpr>{{cite web |vauthors=Godoy M |date=18 March 2020 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/18/818026613/advice-from-france-to-avoid-ibuprofen-for-covid-19-leaves-experts-baffled |title=Concerned About Taking Ibuprofen For Coronavirus Symptoms? Here's What Experts Say |publisher=NPR}}</ref> and the World Health Organization recommended COVID-19 patients keep taking ibuprofen as directed, citing lack of convincing evidence of any danger.<ref name=msnff>{{cite web |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/fact-finders-do-ibuprofen-and-other-common-medications-make-covid-19-symptoms-worse/ar-BB12O16s |title=Fact Finders: Do ibuprofen and other common medications make COVID-19 symptoms worse? |publisher=MSN}}</ref>

===Cow dung and urine===
Indian political activist Swami Chakrapani and Member of the Legislative Assembly Suman Haripriya claimed that drinking cow urine and applying cow dung on the body can cure COVID-19.<ref name=indiatimes73952691>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/coronavirus-in-india-can-cow-dung-and-urine-help-cure-the-novel-coronavirus/articleshow/73952691.cms |title=Coronavirus: Can cow dung and urine help cure the novel coronavirus? |website=The Times of India |access-date=5 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206035509/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/coronavirus-in-india-can-cow-dung-and-urine-help-cure-the-novel-coronavirus/articleshow/73952691.cms |archive-date=6 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=firstpost8111021>{{cite web |url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/novel-coronavirus-can-be-cured-with-gaumutra-gobar-claims-assam-bjp-mla-suman-haripriya-8111021.html |title=Novel coronavirus can be cured with gaumutra, gobar claims Assam BJP MLA Suman Haripriya |website=Firstpost |date=3 March 2020 |access-date=5 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304051130/https://www.firstpost.com/india/novel-coronavirus-can-be-cured-with-gaumutra-gobar-claims-assam-bjp-mla-suman-haripriya-8111021.html |archive-date=4 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> In Manipur, two people were arrested under the National Security Act for social media posts which said cow urine and dung did not cure the virus. (They were arrested under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc. and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony).<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Parashar U |title=2 booked under NSA in Manipur for FB posts that cow dung won't cure Covid-19 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/2-booked-under-nsa-in-manipur-for-fb-posts-that-cow-dung-won-t-cure-covid19-101621339453858.html |access-date=20 May 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=18 May 2021}}</ref>

WHO's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan criticised politicians incautiously spreading such misinformation without evidence.<ref name=20200303ndtv>{{cite web |vauthors=Upadhyay A, Som V |veditors=Bhaskar S |url=https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/novel-coronavirus-outbreak-indias-response-and-surveillance-has-been-quite-robust-says-whos-chief-scientist-42015 |title=Novel Coronavirus Outbreak: "India's Response And Surveillance Has Been Quite Robust," Says WHO's Chief Scientist |publisher=NDTV |access-date=5 March 2020 |date=3 March 2020 |quote=Q: In a situation like this when we need scientific solution to a medical crisis, when you get in our country for examples, political leaders saying things like cow dung or cow urine can be beneficial in fixing something like coronavirus, do we end up taking a step back after such statements, as we need to deal with the issue in a modern scientific manner. <br />A: I completely agree, I think all the public figures including politicians need to be extra careful when it comes to making such statements, because they have such a huge following. It's really important for them to say things that are based on some scientific evidence{{nbsp}}... when it comes to the claims of cures of this infection we should be extremely careful about our statements and it should be made by the people who know what they're talking about. And has to be backed by evidence.}}</ref>

===2-Deoxy-D-glucose===
A drug based on [[Chemistry:2-Deoxy-D-glucose|2-deoxy-D-glucose]] (2-DG) was approved by the [[Medicine:Drugs Controller General of India|Drugs Controller General of India]] for emergency use as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/pharmaceuticals/what-is-2-deoxy-d-glucose-2-dg-and-is-it-effective-against-covid/articleshow/82567938.cms?from=mdr |title=What is 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) and is it effective against Covid? |work=The Economic Times |date=17 May 2021}}</ref><ref name=dscgi>{{cite web |date=8 May 2021 |title=DCGI approves anti-COVID drug developed by DRDO for emergency use |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1717007 |access-date=9 May 2021 |website=Press Information Bureau, Government of India-IN}}</ref>

The drug was launched at a press conference with a false claim that it was approved by the [[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=National Herald |title=Which Ayurvedic college did Ramdev go to? IMA and politicians also responsible for his rise |date=28 May 2021 |vauthors=Ahmad F |url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/which-ayurvedic-college-did-ramdev-go-to-ima-and-politicians-also-responsible-for-his-rise}}</ref> It was developed by the DRDO along with [[Organization:Dr. Reddy's Laboratories|Dr. Reddy's Laboratories]], who stated in a press release, that the drug "helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence".<ref name=dscgi/><ref name=borona>{{cite web |vauthors=Borana R |date=12 May 2021 |title=India's Drug Regulator Has Approved DRDO's New COVID Drug on Missing Evidence |url=https://science.thewire.in/the-sciences/dcgi-drdo-2-dg-covid-19-treatment-phase-2-3-trials-shoddy-evidence/ |access-date=18 May 2021 |website=The Wire Science-GB}}</ref><ref name=shoddy>{{cite news |vauthors=Koshy J |date=11 May 2021 |title=Questions remain on DRDO's COVID drug-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/questions-remain-on-drdos-covid-drug/article34537596.ece |access-date=18 May 2021 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The Wire as well as The Hindu noted that the approval was based on poor evidence; no journal publication (or [[Preprint|preprint]]) concerning efficacy and safety are yet available.<ref name=borona/><ref name=shoddy/>

===Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescriptions===
Since its third version, the COVID management guidelines from the Chinese National Health Commission recommends using [[Medicine:Traditional Chinese medicine|Traditional Chinese medicine]]s to treat the disease.<ref name=bbc51485559>{{cite news |script-title=zh:新冠肺炎治疗：讲究实证的西医和自我定位的中药 |url=https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/science-51485559 |newspaper=BBC News 中文 |date=14 February 2020 |language=zh-Hans |trans-title=Treating the novel coronavirus: the empirical Western medicine and the self-positioning Chinese medicine}}</ref> In Wuhan, China Central Television reported that local authorities have pushed for a set of TCM prescriptions to be used for every case since early February.<ref name=cctv200125>{{cite web |language=zh-cn |script-title=zh:中医来了！8个防治"协定方" 辅助治疗新型冠状病毒感染肺炎 |url=http://news.cctv.com/2020/01/25/ARTIce5OB5W3sORPe90dPEJh200125.shtml |website=CCTV News |access-date=15 February 2020 |trans-title=Here comes Chinese medicine! 8 "agreed-on prescriptions" help prevent and treat the new coronavirus pneumonia}}</ref> One formula was promoted at the national level by mid-February.<ref name=sina2164147>{{cite news |url=http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2020-02-17/doc-iimxxstf2164147.shtml |script-title=zh:中国发布 {{!}} 国家中医药管理局：清肺排毒汤对治疗新冠肺炎有疗效 |work=Chinanet |date=17 February 2020 |publisher=Sina News |access-date=17 February 2020 |language=zh-Hans |trans-title=National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine: The "lung-clearing detoxing decoction" is effective against COVID-19}}</ref> The local field hospitals were explicitly TCM-oriented. According to state media, as of 16 March 2020, 91.91% of all Hubei patients have used TCM, with the rate reaching 99% in field hospitals and 94% in bulk quarantine areas.<ref name=xinhuanet1125720410>{{cite news |script-title=zh:ICU内外的中西医合作 – 专家谈中医药在抗击新冠肺炎中的重要作用 |language=zh-Hans |trans-title=Co-operation between Chinese and Western medicine inside and outside of the ICU – experts talk about the vital role of TCM in the fight against COVID-19 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2020-03/16/c_1125720410.htm |agency=Xinhua News Agency |date=16 March 2020}}</ref> In March 2020, the online insert of the official ''People's Daily'', distributed in ''The Daily Telegraph'', published an article stating that Traditional Chinese medicine "helps fight coronavirus [disease 2019]".<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Jones DS |date=1 April 2020 |title=A British Newspaper Has Given Chinese Coronavirus Propaganda A Direct Line To The UK |work=BuzzFeed News |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/deansterlingjones/coronavirus-british-newspaper-chinese-propaganda |access-date=8 January 2021}}</ref>

===Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine===
There were claims that [[Chemistry:Chloroquine|chloroquine]] was used to cure more than 12,000 COVID-19 patients in Nigeria.<ref name=20200221afp>{{cite news |vauthors=Tijani M |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/anti-malaria-drug-has-proven-effective-treating-coronavirus-has-not-cured-12552-patients |title=Anti-malaria drug has proven effective in treating coronavirus but has not cured 12,552 patients |work=AFP Fact Check |publisher=Agence France-Presse |date=21 February 2020 |access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref>

In March 2020, Adrian Bye, a tech startup leader who is not a doctor, suggested to cryptocurrency investors Gregory Rigano and James Todaro that "chloroquine will keep most people out of hospital". (Bye later admitted that he had reached this conclusion through "philosophy" rather than medical research.) Two days later, Rigano and Todaro promoted chloroquine in a self-published article that claimed affiliation with the Stanford University School of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences and the Birmingham School of Medicine – the three institutions mentioned that they had no links to the article, and Google removed the article for violating its terms of service.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Strange Origins Of Trump's Hydroxychloroquine Obsession |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-fox-news_n_5ebaffdbc5b65b5fd63dac80 |vauthors=Robins-Early N |date=13 May 2020 |website=HuffPost |access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref>

===Ivermectin===
{{Excerpt|only=paragraphs|Ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic}}

===Dangerous treatments===
Some [[Social:QAnon|QAnon]] proponents, including Jordan Sather and others, have promoted gargling "[[Chemistry:Miracle Mineral Supplement|Miracle Mineral Supplement]]" (actually [[Chemistry:Chlorine dioxide|chlorine dioxide]], a chemical used in some industrial applications as a bleach that may cause life-threatening reactions and even death) as a way of preventing or curing the disease. The Food and Drug Administration has warned multiple times that drinking MMS is "dangerous" as it may cause "severe vomiting" and "acute liver failure".<ref name="bleach">{{cite news |vauthors=Sommer W |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/qanon-conspiracy-theorists-magic-cure-for-coronavirus-is-drinking-lethal-bleach |title=QAnon-ers' Magic Cure for Coronavirus: Just Drink Bleach! |date=28 January 2020 |newspaper=Daily Beast |access-date=14 February 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210223501/https://www.thedailybeast.com/qanon-conspiracy-theorists-magic-cure-for-coronavirus-is-drinking-lethal-bleach |archive-date=10 February 2020}}</ref>

Twelve people were hospitalized in India when they ingested the poisonous [[Biology:Datura|thornapple]] (''Datura stramonium'' AKA Jimsonweed) after seeing the plant recommended as a 'coronavirus [disease 2019] home remedy' in a [[Software:TikTok|TikTok]] video.<ref name="Twelve taken ill"/><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Ryan J |title=Wikipedia is at war over the coronavirus lab leak theory |url=https://www.cnet.com/features/wikipedia-is-at-war-over-the-coronavirus-lab-leak-theory/ |access-date=28 June 2021 |work=CNET |date=27 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=TikTok coronavirus 'remedy' lands 10 in hospital |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2020/apr/08/tiktok-coronavirus-remedy-lands-10-in-hospital-2127304.html |access-date=28 June 2021 |work=The New Indian Express}}</ref> Datura species contain many substances poisonous to humans, mainly through [[Medicine:Anticholinergic|anticholinergic]] effects.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Sopchak CA, Stork CM, Cantor RM, Ohara PE |title=Central anticholinergic syndrome due to Jimson weed physostigmine: therapy revisited? |journal=Journal of Toxicology. Clinical Toxicology |volume=36 |issue=1–2 |pages=43–5 |date=29 July 2009 |pmid=9541041 |doi=10.3109/15563659809162583}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Anticholinergic poisoning from Jimson weed |journal=Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians |date=1 June 1976 |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=440–442 |doi=10.1016/S0361-1124(76)80254-7 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361112476802547 |access-date=28 June 2021 |issn=0361-1124 |last1=Mahler |first1=Donald A. |pmid=933412}}</ref>

===Silver===
In February 2020, televangelist Jim Bakker promoted a colloidal silver solution, sold on his website, as a remedy for COVID-19; naturopath Sherrill Sellman, a guest on his show, falsely stated that it "hasn't been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it's been tested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours".<ref name=newsweek1487069>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/televangelist-show-guest-promotes-silver-solution-cure-coronavirus-1487069 |title=Televangelist Sells $125 'Silver Solution' as Cure for Coronavirus |vauthors=Moyler H |date=12 February 2020 |work=Newsweek |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215044054/https://www.newsweek.com/televangelist-show-guest-promotes-silver-solution-cure-coronavirus-1487069 |archive-date=15 February 2020 |access-date=15 February 2020}}</ref>{{Clarify|reason=Which coronaviruses is this quote referring to?|date=July 2021}} The US Food and Drug Administration and New York Attorney General's office both issued cease-and-desist orders against Bakker, and he was sued by the state of Missouri over the sales.<ref name=npr814550474>{{cite news |vauthors=Schwartz MS |title=Missouri Sues Televangelist Jim Bakker For Selling Fake Coronavirus Cure |publisher=NPR |date=11 March 2020 |access-date=16 March 2020 |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/11/814550474/missouri-sues-televangelist-jim-bakker-for-selling-fake-coronavirus-cure |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312105326/https://www.npr.org/2020/03/11/814550474/missouri-sues-televangelist-jim-bakker-for-selling-fake-coronavirus-cure |archive-date=12 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=20200309theguardian>{{cite news |vauthors=Aratani L |title=New York attorney general to televangelist: stop touting product as coronavirus cure |newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=9 March 2020 |access-date=16 March 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/09/jim-bakker-letitia-james-coronavirus-product-stop-promoting |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313205221/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/09/jim-bakker-letitia-james-coronavirus-product-stop-promoting |archive-date=13 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The New York Attorney General's office also issued a cease-and-desist order to radio host Alex Jones, who was selling silver-infused toothpaste that he falsely claimed could kill the virus and had been verified by federal officials,<ref name=theverge21177998>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/13/21177998/new-york-attorney-general-alex-jones-infowars-coronavirus-cures-prevention |title=Alex Jones ordered to stop selling fake coronavirus cures |vauthors=Porter J |date=13 March 2020 |website=The Verge |access-date=16 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316135410/https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/13/21177998/new-york-attorney-general-alex-jones-infowars-coronavirus-cures-prevention |archive-date=16 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> causing a Jones spokesman to deny the products had been sold for the purpose of treating any disease.<ref name="alex jones">{{cite news |vauthors=Ferré-Sadurní L, McKinley J |title=Alex Jones Is Told to Stop Selling Sham Anti-Coronavirus Toothpaste |newspaper={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=13 March 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/nyregion/alex-jones-coronavirus-cure.html |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314143913/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/nyregion/alex-jones-coronavirus-cure.html |archive-date=14 March 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref> The FDA later threatened Jones with legal action and seizure of several silver-based products if he continued to promote their use against COVID-19.<ref name=politico178629>{{cite news |vauthors=Owermohle S |title=FDA warns Alex Jones over false coronavirus claims |date=9 April 2020 |access-date=9 April 2020 |work=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/09/fda-warns-alex-jones-over-false-coronavirus-claims-178629}}</ref>

===Mustard oil===
The yoga guru Ramdev claimed that one can treat COVID-19 by pouring mustard oil through the nose, causing the virus to flow into the stomach where it would be destroyed by [[Biology:Gastric acid|gastric acid]]. He also claimed that if a person can hold their breath for a minute, it means they do not have any type of coronavirus, symptomatic or asymptomatic. Both these claims were found to be false.<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: The health advice that is misleading or worse |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52532651 |access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Mustard Oil Helps Fight COVID? Ramdev's Claim Lacks Medical Proof |url=https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/no-medical-evidence-for-baba-ramdevs-claim-about-coronavirus-mustard-oil-and-holding-breath-fact-check |access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref>

===Untested treatments===
[[File:President Donald Trump suggests measures to treat COVID-19 during Coronavirus Task Force press briefing.webm|thumb|thumbtime=59|U.S. president Donald Trump suggested at a press briefing in April 2020 that disinfectant injections or exposure to ultraviolet light might help treat COVID-19. There is no evidence that either could be a viable method.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Rogers K, Hauser C, Yuhas A, Haberman M |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/us/politics/trump-inject-disinfectant-bleach-coronavirus.html |title=Trump's Suggestion That Disinfectants Could Be Used to Treat Coronavirus Prompts Aggressive Pushback |date=24 April 2020 |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |access-date=25 April 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref>]]
Misinformation that the Indian government was spreading an "anti-corona" drug in the country during Janata curfew, a stay-at-home curfew enforced in India, went viral on social media.<ref name=20200320hindustantimes>{{cite news |vauthors=Sengupta T |title=Is government spraying coronavirus vaccine using airplanes? No, it's fake news |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/it-s-viral/is-government-spraying-coronavirus-vaccine-using-airplanes-no-it-s-fake-news/story-QmSDrfLW8SkSghT2TUf5cK.html |access-date=22 March 2020 |work=Hindustan Times |date=20 March 2020}}</ref>

Following the first reported case of COVID-19 in Nigeria in February, untested cures and treatments began to spread via platforms such as [[Software:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]].<ref name=qz1810219>{{cite web |url=https://qz.com/africa/1810219/nigerias-coronavirus-case-may-spark-wave-of-fake-news-and-fears/ |title=Nigeria's biggest battle with coronavirus will be beating misinformation |vauthors=Kazeem Y |website=Quartz Africa |date=28 February 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229162841/https://qz.com/africa/1810219/nigerias-coronavirus-case-may-spark-wave-of-fake-news-and-fears/ |archive-date=29 February 2020 |access-date=28 February 2020}}</ref>

In March 2020, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested actor Keith Lawrence Middlebrook for wire fraud with a fake COVID-19 cure.<ref name=keith>{{cite web |vauthors=Young J |date=27 March 2020 |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/celebrity/actor-keith-middlebrook-arrested-by-fbi-for-allegedly-peddling-bogus-coronavirus-cure/ar-BB11LQpX?ocid=ientp |title=Actor Keith Middlebrook arrested by FBI for allegedly peddling bogus coronavirus cure |publisher=MSN |access-date=27 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415202205/https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/celebrity/actor-keith-middlebrook-arrested-by-fbi-for-allegedly-peddling-bogus-coronavirus-cure/ar-BB11LQpX?ocid=ientp |archive-date=15 April 2020}}</ref>

===Spiritual healing===
Another televangelist, Kenneth Copeland, claimed on Victory Channel during a programme called "Standing Against Coronavirus", that he can cure television viewers of {{nowrap|COVID-19}} directly from the television studio. The viewers had to touch the television screen to receive the spiritual healing.<ref name=newsweek1492044>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/conservative-pastor-claims-he-healed-viewers-coronavirus-through-their-tv-screens-1492044 |title=Conservative pastor claims he "healed" viewers of coronavirus through their TV screens |vauthors=Lemon J |date=12 March 2020 |website=Newsweek |access-date=16 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316135415/https://www.newsweek.com/conservative-pastor-claims-he-healed-viewers-coronavirus-through-their-tv-screens-1492044 |archive-date=16 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=20200313pinknews>{{cite web |vauthors=Kelleher P |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/03/13/kenneth-copeland-anti-lgbt-televangelist-coronavirus-covid19-heal-virus-pandemic/ |title=This anti-LGBT+ televangelist tried to heal people of the coronavirus through their televisions |date=13 March 2020 |website=PinkNews |access-date=16 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314150419/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/03/13/kenneth-copeland-anti-lgbt-televangelist-coronavirus-covid19-heal-virus-pandemic/ |archive-date=14 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Organ trafficking===
In India, baseless rumours spread saying that people were being taken to care centres and killed to harvest their organs, with their bodies then being swapped to avoid suspicion. These rumours spread more quickly through online platforms such as WhatsApp, and resulted in protests, attacks against healthcare workers, and reduced willingness to seek COVID-19 testing and treatment.<ref>{{cite news |title=India coronavirus: Rumours hamper testing in Punjab |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-54068007 |work=BBC News |date=9 September 2020}}</ref>

==Other==
===Name of the disease===
Social media posts and [[Social:Internet meme|Internet meme]]s claimed that ''COVID-19'' derives from "Chinese Originated Viral Infectious Disease 19", or similar, as supposedly the "19th virus to come out of China".<ref name="Snopes">{{cite web |vauthors=Mikkelson D |title=Does COVID Stand for 'Chinese-Originated Viral Infectious Disease'? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/does-covid-stand-for/ |website=Snopes.com |date=26 March 2020 |access-date=21 April 2020}}</ref> In fact, the WHO named the disease as follows: CO stands for ''corona'', VI for ''virus'', D{{nbsp}}for ''disease'' and 19 for when the outbreak was first identified (31 December 20''19'').<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the EU/EEA and the UK |publisher=ecdc |url=https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/covid-19-rapid-risk-assessment-coronavirus-disease-2019-eighth-update-8-april-2020.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=19 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314223709/https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/RRA-sixth-update-Outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-disease-2019-COVID-19.pdf |archive-date=14 March 2020}}</ref>

Another false social media rumor claimed ''COVID-19'' was an acronym derived from a series of ancient symbols interpreted as "see a sheep surrender."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-covid-see-sheep-surrender-idUSKBN2413CF |title=Fact check: COVID-19 does not mean "see a sheep surrender" |newspaper=Reuters |date=30 June 2020 }}</ref>

===''Simpsons'' prediction===
Claims that ''The Simpsons'' had predicted the COVID-19 pandemic in 1993, accompanied by a doctored screenshot from the episode "The Fool Monty" (where the text "Corona Virus" was layered over the original text "Apocalypse Meow", without blocking it from view), were later found to be false. The claim had been widely spread on social media.<ref name=20200303afp>{{cite web |vauthors=Mason C |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/image-simpsons-was-digitally-altered-make-it-look-it-predicted-novel-coronavirus |title=An image from The Simpsons was digitally altered to make it look like it predicted the novel coronavirus |date=3 March 2020 |website=AFP Fact Check}}</ref><ref name=chicagotribune20200229>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-simpsons-predicts-coronavirus-20200229-q6ekedk665bzvlrgdcvdgm6eqy-story.html |title=Did 'The Simpsons' really predict the coronavirus outbreak? Twitter thinks so |vauthors=Carras C |website=Chicago Tribune|date=29 February 2020 }}</ref>

===Return of wildlife===
During the pandemic, many false and misleading images or news reports about the environmental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic were shared by [[Clickbait|clickbait]] journalism sources and social media.<ref name="natgeo" />

A viral post that originated on Weibo and spread on Twitter claimed that a pack of elephants descended on a village under quarantine in China's Yunnan, got drunk on corn wine, and passed out in a tea garden.<ref name=20200319ktvb>{{cite web |url=https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/verify/verify-did-elephants-get-drunk-on-corn-wine-while-humans-were-social-distancing/277-0c48ef63-33ec-478f-be6a-4ebdeb4b0299 |title=Verify: Did elephants get drunk on corn wine while humans were social distancing? |vauthors=Spry Jr T |publisher=KTVB |date=19 March 2020 |access-date=20 March 2020 |archive-date=20 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320171714/https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/verify/verify-did-elephants-get-drunk-on-corn-wine-while-humans-were-social-distancing/277-0c48ef63-33ec-478f-be6a-4ebdeb4b0299 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A Chinese news report debunked the claim that the elephants got drunk on corn wine and noted that wild elephants were a common sight in the village; the image attached to the post was originally taken at the Asian Elephant Research Center in Yunnan in December 2019.<ref name="natgeo">{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-fake-animal-viral-social-media-posts/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320171713/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-fake-animal-viral-social-media-posts/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 March 2020 |title=Fake animal news abounds on social media as coronavirus upends life |vauthors=Daly N |work=National Geographic |date=20 March 2020 |access-date=20 March 2020}}</ref>

Following reports of reduced pollution levels in Italy as a result of lockdowns, images purporting to show swans and dolphins swimming in Venice canals went viral on social media. The image of the swans was revealed to have been taken in Burano, where swans are common, while footage of the dolphins was filmed at a port in Sardinia hundreds of miles away.<ref name="natgeo" /> The Venice mayor's office clarified that the reported water clarity in the canals was due to the lack of sediment being kicked up by boat traffic, not a reduction in water pollution as initially reported.<ref name=thehill488286>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/488286-italys-coronavirus-lockdown-shows-what-nature |title=As Italy quarantines over coronavirus, swans appear in Venice canals, dolphins swim up playfully |vauthors=Srikanth A |work=The Hill |date=18 March 2020 |access-date=20 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319215915/https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/488286-italys-coronavirus-lockdown-shows-what-nature |archive-date=19 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the lockdown of India, a video clip purporting to show the extremely rare Malabar civet (a [[Biology:Critically endangered|critically endangered]], possibly [[Biology:Extinction|extinct]], species) walking the empty streets of Meppayur went viral on social media. Experts later identified the civet in the video as actually being the much commoner [[Biology:Small Indian civet|small Indian civet]].<ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Evon D |date=27 March 2020 |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/spotted-malabar-civet-coronavirus/ |title=Was a Rare Malabar Civet Spotted During COVID-19 Lockdown? |website=Snopes.com |access-date=30 March 2020}}</ref> Another viral Indian video clip showed a pod of [[Biology:Humpback whale|humpback whale]]s allegedly returning to the Arabian Sea offshore from {{wipe|Mumbai}} following the shutdown of shipping routes; however, this video was found to have actually been taken in 2019 in the Java Sea.<ref name=20200405hindustantimes>{{cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/it-s-viral/fact-check-does-viral-video-show-whales-swimming-at-bombay-high-here-s-the-truth/story-zEOP8acFmCXrK39s4VGJaK.html |title=Fact Check: Does viral video show whales swimming at Bombay High? Here's the truth |date=5 April 2020 |website=Hindustan Times |access-date=5 April 2020}}</ref>

===Virus remains in body permanently===
It has been wrongly claimed that anyone infected with COVID-19 will have the virus in their bodies for life. While there is no curative treatment, most infected people recover from the disease and eliminate the virus from their bodies.<ref name="WHO_myths" />

=== COVID-19 denialism ===
[[File:'COVID is a lie', Sports pavilion, playing field, Wakefield Road, Pontefract (4th September 2020).jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|"COVID is a lie" graffiti in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England]]
'''COVID-19 denialism''' or merely '''COVID denialism''' is the thinking of those who deny the COVID-19 pandemic,<ref>{{cite web |last=Friedman |first=Uri |date=2020 |title=The Coronavirus-Denial Movement Now Has a Leader |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/bolsonaro-coronavirus-denial-brazil-trump/608926/ |access-date=25 April 2020 |publisher=The Atlantic }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=2020 |title=Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro says coronavirus crisis is a media trick |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/brazils-jair-bolsonaro-says-coronavirus-crisis-is-a-media-trick |website={{wipe|The Guardian}} |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> or deny that deaths are happening in the manner or proportions scientifically recognized by the [[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]]. The claims that the COVID-19 pandemic has been faked, exaggerated, or mischaracterized are [[Unsolved:Pseudoscience|pseudoscience]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Phillips |first1=Tom |last2=Briso |first2=Caio Barretto |date=2020 |title=Bolsonaro's anti-science response to coronavirus appals Brazil's governors |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/jair-bolsonaro-coronavirus-brazil-governors-appalled |website={{wipe|The Guardian}} |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Some famous people who have engaged in COVID-19 denialism include businessman [[Biography:Elon Musk|Elon Musk]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Walsh |first=Joe |title=Elon Musk's False Covid Predictions: A Timeline |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/03/13/elon-musks-false-covid-predictions-a-timeline/ |access-date=17 February 2022 |website=Forbes }}</ref> former U.S. President Donald Trump,<ref>{{cite web |title=Don't Be Shocked Trump Lied About COVID On Tape. Be Horrified That It Won't Matter |url=https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2020/09/09/woodward-book-play-it-down-coronavirus-steve-almond |access-date=17 February 2022 |website=Wbur|date=9 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=29 July 2020 |title=Six months of Trump's Covid denials: 'It'll go away … It's fading' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/29/trump-coronavirus-science-denial-timeline-what-has-he-said |access-date=17 February 2022 |website={{wipe|The Guardian}} }}</ref> and former Brazilian President [[Biography:Jair Bolsonaro|Jair Bolsonaro]].<ref>{{cite web |date=19 June 2021 |title=Bolsonaro's most controversial coronavirus quotes |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210619-bolsonaro-s-most-controversial-coronavirus-quotes |access-date=17 February 2022 |website=France 24 }}</ref>

=== Antisemitism ===
An October 2021 report by the UK-based anti-racism group Hope not Hate found that COVID-19 conspiracy theories were a primary gateway into antisemitic rhetoric, due to what they described as "conspiratorial antisemitism".<ref>{{cite web |date=2021-10-13 |title=Antisemitism in the Digital Age: Online Antisemitic Hate, Holocaust Denial, Conspiracy Ideologies and Terrorism in Europe |url=https://hopenothate.org.uk/2021/10/13/antisemitism-in-the-digital-age-online-antisemitic-hate-holocaust-denial-conspiracy-ideologies-and-terrorism-in-europe/ |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=Hope not Hate |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web |last1=Piper |first1=Ernie |last2=Wildon |first2=Jordan |date=22 October 2021 |title=Telegram COVID-19 Conspiracy Group Rife With Antisemitism |url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/antisemitism-on-telegram |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=Logically |language=en}}</ref> According to the report, "An important bridge between COVID-19 conspiracy theories and antisemitism are ideologies that provide overarching explanations for smaller alleged deceptions. For example, the need for anti-5G campaigners to explain why telecom companies, healthcare providers and authorities are conspiring to expose the population to supposedly dangerous radiation has driven attention towards 'superconspiracies'."<ref>{{cite web |date=13 October 2021 |title=Antisemitism in the Digital Age: Online Antisemitic Hate, Holocaust Denial, Conspiracy Ideologies and Terrorism in Europe |url=https://hopenothate.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/google-report-2021-10-v3.pdf |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=Hope not Hate}}</ref>

Also in October 2021, the fact-checking organisation Logically found that antisemitic conspiracy theories related to the pandemic were being promoted on one of the largest COVID-19 conspiracy groups on [[Software:Telegram|Telegram]], including posts highlighting Jewish people in leadership positions at [[Company:Moderna|Moderna]], [[Company:Pfizer|Pfizer]], the CDC and US President Joe Biden's White House, and claims that mask and vaccine mandates were similar to the Holocaust.<ref name=":2" />

==Efforts to combat misinformation==
[[File:ITU - AI for Good Webinar Series - COVID-19 Misinformation and Disinformation during COVID-19.webm|thumb|thumbtime=0:01|[[Organization:International Telecommunication Union|International Telecommunication Union]]]]
In February 2020, the [[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]] (WHO) described a "massive [[Infodemic|infodemic]]", citing an over-abundance of reported information, which was false, about the virus that "makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it". The WHO stated that the high demand for timely and trustworthy information has incentivised the creation of a direct WHO 24/7 myth-busting hotline where its communication and social media teams have been monitoring and responding to misinformation through its website and social media pages.<ref name="WHO situation report">{{cite report |vauthors=((World Health Organization)) |year=2020 |title=Novel Coronavirus (&lrm;2019-nCoV)&lrm;: situation report, 13 |publisher=[[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]] |hdl=10665/330778 |hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref name=un1056672>{{cite web |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/02/1056672 |title=Coronavirus: UN health agency moves fast to tackle 'infodemic'; Guterres warns against stigmatization |date=4 February 2020 |website=UN News |access-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205080207/https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/02/1056672 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Akhtar">{{cite web |vauthors=Akhtar T |date=5 February 2020 |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/says-theres-no-effective-coronavirus-200035999.html |title=WHO Says There's No Effective Coronavirus Treatment Yet |publisher=Yahoo! Finance |access-date=6 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206043018/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/says-theres-no-effective-coronavirus-200035999.html |archive-date=6 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> The WHO specifically debunked several claims as false, including the claim that a person can tell if they have the virus or not simply by holding their breath; the claim that drinking large amounts of water will protect against the virus; and the claim that gargling salt water prevents infection.<ref name=20200317cnn>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/us/coronavirus-myths-debunking-holding-breath-10-seconds-trnd/index.html |title=One dangerous coronavirus 'self-check test' is circulating on social media. Here's why you should avoid it. |vauthors=Elassar A |date=17 March 2020 |publisher=CNN |access-date=17 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317050148/https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/us/coronavirus-myths-debunking-holding-breath-10-seconds-trnd/index.html |archive-date=17 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Social media===
In early February 2020, Facebook, Twitter, and Google announced that they were working with WHO to address misinformation on their platforms.<ref name=20200206nytimes>{{cite news |vauthors=Richtel M |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/health/coronavirus-misinformation-social-media.html |title=W.H.O. Fights a Pandemic Besides Coronavirus: an 'Infodemic' |date=6 February 2020 |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |access-date=7 February 2020 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206224226/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/health/coronavirus-misinformation-social-media.html |archive-date=6 February 2020 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}</ref> In a blog post, Facebook stated that it would remove content flagged by global health organizations and local authorities that violate its content policy on misinformation leading to "physical harm".<ref name=20200201reuters>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-facebook-idUSKBN1ZV388 |title=As coronavirus misinformation spreads on social media, Facebook removes posts |date=1 February 2020 |work=Reuters |access-date=7 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206071606/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-facebook-idUSKBN1ZV388 |archive-date=6 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Facebook is also giving free advertising to WHO.<ref>{{cite web |title=Facebook announces how it plans to help fight the coronavirus |url=https://www.inverse.com/innovation/facebook-is-giving-the-world-health-organization-free-ads-to-combat-the-coronavirus |vauthors=Benson T |date=4 March 2020 |website=Inverse |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306204741/https://www.inverse.com/innovation/facebook-is-giving-the-world-health-organization-free-ads-to-combat-the-coronavirus |archive-date=6 March 2020 |access-date=5 March 2020}}</ref> Nonetheless, a week after Trump's speculation that sunlight could kill the virus, ''The New York Times'' found "780 Facebook groups, 290 Facebook pages, nine Instagram accounts and thousands of tweets pushing UV light therapies", material which those companies declined to remove from their platforms.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Frenkel S, Alba D |date=30 April 2020 |title=Trump's Disinfectant Talk Trips Up Sites' Vows Against Misinformation |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/technology/trump-coronavirus-social-media.html |access-date=2 May 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref> In August 2020, Facebook removed seven million posts with misinformation about COVID-19.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Lerman R |date=11 August 2020 |title=Facebook says it has taken down 7 million posts for spreading coronavirus misinformation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/08/11/facebook-covid-misinformation-takedowns/ |url-status=dead |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920210532/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/08/11/facebook-covid-misinformation-takedowns/ |archive-date=20 September 2020 |access-date=21 September 2020 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

At the end of February 2020, [[Company:Amazon|Amazon]] removed more than a million products that claimed to cure or protect against COVID-19, and removed tens of thousands of listings for health products whose prices were "significantly higher than recent prices offered on or off Amazon", although numerous items were "still being sold at unusually high prices" as of 28 February.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51675183 |title=Amazon culls one million fake coronavirus products |work=BBC News |date=28 February 2020 |access-date=1 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301082532/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51675183 |archive-date=1 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Millions of instances of COVID-19 misinformation have occurred across multiple online platforms.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Cinelli M, Quattrociocchi W, Galeazzi A, Valensise CM, Brugnoli E, Schmidt AL, Zola P, Zollo F, Scala A |title=The COVID-19 social media infodemic |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=16598 |date=October 2020 |pmid=33024152 |pmc=7538912 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-73510-5 |arxiv=2003.05004}}</ref> Other researchers monitoring the spread of fake news observed certain rumors started in China; many of them later spread to Korea and the United States, prompting several universities in Korea to start the multilingual "Facts Before Rumors" campaign to evaluate common claims seen online.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibs.re.kr/cop/bbs/BBSMSTR_000000000739/selectBoardArticle.do?nttId=18241 |title='Fact before rumors' campaign just began by the IBS Data Science Group |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=26 March 2020 |website=[[Organization:Institute for Basic Science|Institute for Basic Science]] |access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibs.re.kr/cop/bbs/BBSMSTR_000000000971/selectBoardArticle.do?nttId=18234&pageIndex=1&searchCnd=&searchWrd= |title=코로나바이러스와 인포데믹 |trans-title=Coronavirus and infodemic |vauthors=Meeyoung C |date=24 March 2020 |website=[[Organization:Institute for Basic Science|Institute for Basic Science]] |access-date=30 March 2020 |language=ko}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://dongascience.donga.com/news.php?idx=35457 |title="동남아·남미 코로나 가짜뉴스 막고 '진짜뉴스' 전하자" 국내 과학자 팔 걷어 |trans-title="Let's stop fake news from Southeast Asia and South America and deliver 'real news'" |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=25 March 2020 |website=Donga Science |access-date=30 March 2020 |language=ko}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hankyung.com/opinion/article/2020032509531 |title=[차미영의 데이터로 본 세상] '인포데믹'의 시대 |trans-title=(The world seen through Cha Mi-young's data) The era of'infodemic' |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=25 March 2020 |website=한국경제 |access-date=30 March 2020 |language=ko}}</ref> The proliferation of such misinformation on social media has led to workshops for the application of [[Machine learning|machine learning]] resources to detect misinformation.<ref>{{cite book |title=Combating online hostile posts in regional languages during emergency situation : first international workshop, CONSTRAINT 2021, collocated with AAAI 2021, virtual event, February 8, 2021 : revised selected papers |date=2021 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-030-73696-5}}</ref>

Party and ideology partisanship has also contributed to the public's lack of trust in messages delivered via social media channels, leading to a greater proclivity to follow fake news and misinformation campaigns. According to research, COVID mass media communication should prioritize increasing trust in scientific medicine over attempting to bridge the issue's partisan divide.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://tmb.apaopen.org/pub/eo6qkr07/release/2|title=On Efficient Mass-Media Messages During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Expertise and Expressed Social Identity|author=J. Lukas Thürmer, Sean M. McCrea |date=5 January 2022 |journal=Technology, Mind, and Behavior |volume=3 |doi=10.1037/tmb0000052 |access-date=20 May 2022|doi-access=free }}</ref>

In addition, the divisive nature of the issue, being mired in existing political tensions, has led to online bullying of scientists.<ref name="NatureDivisive" />

===Wikipedia===
The media have praised Wikipedia's coverage of COVID-19 and its combating the inclusion of misinformation through efforts led by the English-language Wikipedia's WikiProject Medicine<!-- Don't wikilink, since the project is an internal page -->, among other groups.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/story/how-wikipedia-prevents-spread-coronavirus-misinformation/ |title=How Wikipedia Prevents the Spread of Coronavirus Misinformation |vauthors=Cohem N |date=15 March 2020 |access-date=11 April 2020 |magazine=Wired}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/technology/2020/03/coronavirus-wikipedia-policies.html |title=The Coronavirus Is Stress-Testing Wikipedia's Policies |vauthors=Harrison S |date=19 March 2020 |access-date=11 April 2020 |work=Salon}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-why-wikipedia-is-immune-to-coronavirus-1.8751147 |title=Why Wikipedia Is Immune to Coronavirus |vauthors=Benjakob O |date=8 April 2020 |access-date=11 April 2020 |work=[[Social:Haaretz|Haaretz]]}}</ref> From May 2020, Wikipedia's consensus for the COVID-19 pandemic page has been to "not mention the theory that the virus was accidentally leaked from a laboratory in the article."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/features/wikipedia-is-at-war-over-the-coronavirus-lab-leak-theory/ |title=Wikipedia is at war over the coronavirus lab leak theory |work=CNET |vauthors=Ryan J |date=27 June 2021 |access-date=16 August 2021}}</ref> However, in June 2021, [[Organization:Wikipedia community|Wikipedia editors]] began debating the inclusion of the lab leak hypothesis.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ryan |first=Jackson |date=24 June 2021 |title=Inside Wikipedia's endless war over the coronavirus lab leak theory |url=https://www.cnet.com/features/inside-wikipedias-endless-war-over-the-coronavirus-lab-leak-theory/ |access-date=27 June 2021 |website=CNET }}</ref> WHO began working with Wikipedia to provide much of its infographics and reports on COVID-19 to help fight misinformation, with plans to use similar approaches for fighting misinformation about other infectious diseases in the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/health/wikipedia-who-coronavirus-health.html |title=Wikipedia and W.H.O. Join to Combat Covid-19 Misinformation |vauthors=McNeil DG |date=22 October 2020 |access-date=22 October 2020 |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url-access=limited}}</ref>

===Newspapers and scholarly journals===
Initially, many newspapers with [[Paywall|paywall]]s lowered them for some or all their COVID-19 coverage.<ref name="Paywalls">{{cite news |vauthors=Jerde S |date=12 March 2020 |title=Major Publishers Take Down Paywalls for Coronavirus Coverage |url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/major-publishers-take-down-paywalls-for-coronavirus-coverage/ |access-date=25 March 2020 |work=Adweek}}</ref><ref name="newspaywalls">{{cite news |vauthors=Kottke J |title=Media Paywalls Dropped for COVID-19 Crisis Coverage |url=https://kottke.org/20/03/media-paywalls-dropped-for-covid-19-crisis-coverage |website=kottke.org |access-date=18 April 2020}}</ref> Many scientific publishers made scientific papers related to the outbreak [[Open access|open access]] (free).<ref name="AutoDW-255">{{cite press release |url=https://wellcome.ac.uk/press-release/sharing-research-data-and-findings-relevant-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak |title=Sharing research data and findings relevant to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak |work=wellcome.ac.uk |date=31 January 2020 |access-date=13 February 2020}}</ref>

The scientific publishing community, while intent on producing quality scholarly publications, has itself been negatively impacted by the infiltration of inferior or false research leading to the retraction of several articles on the topic of COVID-19, as well as polluting valid and reliable scientific study, bringing into question the reliability of research undertaken.<ref name="fid1">{{cite journal |vauthors=Van der Walt W, Willems KA, Friedrich W, Hatsu S, Krauss K |title=Retracted Covid-19 papers and the levels of 'citation pollution': A preliminary analysis and directions for further research |journal=Cahiers de la Documentation – Bladen voor Documentatie |year=2020 |volume=3 |issue=4 |hdl=10962/167732 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> [[Retraction Watch]] maintains a database of retracted COVID-19 articles.<ref name="Retracted-COVID-papers">{{cite web |title=Retracted coronavirus (COVID-19) papers |url=https://retractionwatch.com/retracted-coronavirus-covid-19-papers/ |website=Retraction Watch |date=29 April 2020 |access-date=13 January 2021}}</ref>

===Podcasts===
In January 2022, 270 US healthcare professionals, scientists and professors wrote an open letter to [[Software:Spotify|Spotify]] complaining that podcast host Joe Rogan had a "concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the Covid-19 pandemic" and describing him as a "menace to public health". This was in part due to Rogan platforming and promoting the conspiracy theories of Robert W. Malone who was one of two recent guests on ''The Joe Rogan Experience'' who compared pandemic policies to the holocaust. The letter described the interview as a "mass-misinformation events of this scale have extraordinarily dangerous ramifications".<ref>{{cite web |date=14 January 2022 |title='Menace to public health': 270 doctors criticize Spotify over Joe Rogan's podcast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/14/spotify-joe-rogan-podcast-open-letter |access-date=14 January 2022 |website={{wipe|The Guardian}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Dickson |first=E. J. |date=12 January 2022 |title='A Menace to Public Health': Doctors Demand Spotify Puts an End to Covid Lies on 'Joe Rogan Experience' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/covid-misinformation-joe-rogan-spotify-petition-1282240/ |access-date=14 January 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone }}</ref>

===Government censorship===
In many countries, censorship was performed by governments, with "fake news" laws being enacted to criminalize certain types of speech regarding COVID-19. Often, people were arrested for making posts online.

In March 2020, the Turkish Interior Ministry reported 93 suspects and 19 arrests of social media users whose posts were "targeting officials and spreading panic and fear by suggesting the virus had spread widely in Turkey and that officials had taken insufficient measures".<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus Has Started a Censorship Pandemic |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/01/coronavirus-censorship-pandemic-disinformation-fake-news-speech-freedom/ |work=The Foreign Policy |date=1 April 2020}}</ref> In April 2020, Iran's military said that 3600 people had been arrested for "spreading rumors" about COVID-19 in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title=Iran Says 3,600 Arrested For Spreading Coronavirus-Related Rumors |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-says-3600-arrested-for-spreading-coronavirus-related-rumors/30583656.html |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) |date=29 April 2020}}</ref> In Cambodia, at least 17 individuals who expressed concerns about the spread of COVID-19 were arrested between January and March 2020 on "fake news" charges.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cambodia accused of political clampdown amid coronavirus outbreak |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/cambodia-accused-political-clampdown-coronavirus-outbreak-200324063233803.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401131124/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/cambodia-accused-political-clampdown-coronavirus-outbreak-200324063233803.html |archive-date=1 April 2020 |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=24 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Pinol M |title=Cambodia's Lost Digital Opportunity in the COVID-19 Fight |url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/cambodias-lost-digital-opportunity-in-the-covid-19-fight/ |work=The Diplomat |date=17 April 2020}}</ref> In April 2020, Algerian lawmakers passed a law criminalizing "fake news" deemed harmful to "public order and state security".<ref>{{cite news |title=Algeria rights groups say government cracking down on critics |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/algeria-rights-groups-government-cracking-critics-200416173127184.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=23 April 2020}}</ref>

In the {{wipe|Philippines}},<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Aspinwall N |title=The Philippines' Coronavirus Lockdown Is Becoming a Crackdown |url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/the-philippines-coronavirus-lockdown-is-becoming-a-crackdown/ |work=The Diplomat |date=3 April 2020}}</ref> China,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Broderick R |title=China Is Using Fears Of Online Misinformation About The Coronavirus To Arrest People |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/china-is-arresting-people-for-spreading-rumors-online-about |work=BuzzFeed News |date=29 January 2020}}</ref> {{wipe|India}},<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Dore B |date=17 April 2020 |title=Fake News, Real Arrests |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/17/fake-news-real-arrests/ |work=Foreign Policy}}</ref><ref name="straitstimes"/> [[Place:Egypt|Egypt]],<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Michaelson R |title=Reporting on the coronavirus: Egypt muzzles critical journalists |url=https://www.dw.com/en/reporting-on-the-coronavirus-egypt-muzzles-critical-journalists/a-53009293 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |date=3 April 2020}}</ref> Ethiopia,<ref>{{cite news |title=Ethiopia: Free Speech at Risk Amid Covid-19 |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/06/ethiopia-free-speech-risk-amid-covid-19 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=6 May 2020}}</ref> Bangladesh,<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh: End Wave of COVID-19 'Rumor' Arrests |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/31/bangladesh-end-wave-covid-19-rumor-arrests |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=31 March 2020}}</ref> Morocco,<ref>{{cite news |title=Morocco makes a dozen arrests over coronavirus fake news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-morocco/morocco-makes-a-dozen-arrests-over-coronavirus-fake-news-idUSKBN2162DI |work=Reuters |date=19 March 2020}}</ref> {{wipe|Pakistan}},<ref>{{cite news |title=Man arrested for spreading fake news on coronavirus |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/03/25/man-arrested-in-lahore-for-spreading-fake-news-on-coronavirus/ |work=Pakistan Today |date=25 March 2020}}</ref> Saudi Arabia,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Al Sherbini R |title=Saudi man arrested for false news on COVID-19 patient |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-man-arrested-for-false-news-on-covid-19-patient-1.1587544904557 |work=Gulf News |date=22 April 2020}}</ref> Oman,<ref>{{cite news |title=Legal action against spreading fake news |url=https://www.omanobserver.om/legal-action-against-spreading-fake-news/ |work=Oman Observer |date=21 March 2020}}</ref> [[Religion:Iran|Iran]],<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Weinthal B |title=Iran arrests ex-TV presenter for accusing regime of coronavirus cover-up |url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-arrests-ex-tv-presenter-for-accusing-regime-of-coronavirus-cover-up-624753 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=15 April 2020}}</ref> Vietnam, Laos,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Whong E |title=Vietnam, Laos Arrest Facebookers on COVID-19-Related Charges |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/facebook-04132020154643.html |work=Radio Free Asia |date=13 April 2020}}</ref> Indonesia,<ref name="straitstimes">{{cite news |title=Asia cracks down on coronavirus 'fake news' |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/coronavirus-asia-cracks-down-on-virus-fake-news |work=The Straits Times |date=10 April 2020}}</ref> Mongolia,<ref name="straitstimes"/> Sri Lanka,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Ganguly M |title=Sri Lanka Uses Pandemic to Curtail Free Expression |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/03/sri-lanka-uses-pandemic-curtail-free-expression |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=3 April 2020}}</ref> Kenya, South Africa,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=York G |title=Arrests mount as Africa battles a destructive wave of COVID-19 disinformation |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-arrests-mount-as-africa-battles-a-destructive-wave-of-covid-1/ |work=The Globe and Mail |date=7 April 2020}}</ref> Cote d'Ivoire,<ref>{{cite news |title=Authorities across West Africa attacking journalists covering COVID-19 pandemic |url=https://ifex.org/authorities-across-west-africa-attacking-journalists-covering-covid-19-pandemic/ |work=IFEX |date=22 April 2020}}</ref> Somalia,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Kajjo S |title=Somali Journalists Arrested, Intimidated While Covering COVID-19 |url=https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/somali-journalists-arrested-intimidated-while-covering-covid-19 |work=VOA News |date=18 April 2020}}</ref> [[Earth:Mauritius|Mauritius]],<ref name="theconversation.com">{{cite news |vauthors=Budoo-Scholtz A |date=11 May 2020 |title=Controls to manage fake news in Africa are affecting freedom of expression |work=The Conversation |url=https://theconversation.com/controls-to-manage-fake-news-in-africa-are-affecting-freedom-of-expression-137808}}</ref> Zimbabwe,<ref>{{cite news |title=Press freedom violations throughout Africa linked to Covid-19 coverage |url=http://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20200414-press-freedom-violations-throughout-african-continent-linked-to-covid-19-coverage |publisher=Radio France Internationale |date=14 April 2020}}</ref> Thailand,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Peck G, Khunson PT |title=Some leaders use pandemic to sharpen tools against critics |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/coronavirus-crisis-excuses-curbs-free-speech-70177977 |work=ABC News |date=16 April 2020}}</ref> Kazakhstan,<ref>{{cite news |title=Kazakh Opposition Activist Detained For 'Spreading False Information' |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-suraev-opposition-activist-detained-false-information-toqaev/30563253.html |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=18 April 2020}}</ref> [[Place:Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Azerbaijan: Crackdown on Critics Amid Pandemic |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/16/azerbaijan-crackdown-critics-amid-pandemic |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=16 April 2020}}</ref> Montenegro,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Kajosevic S |title=Concern for Rights in Montenegro amid COVID-19 Fight |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2020/03/26/concern-for-rights-in-montenegro-amid-covid-19-fight/ |work=Balkan Insight |date=26 March 2020}}</ref> Serbia,<ref name="arrested-journalist-1">{{cite web |url=https://www.danas.rs/drustvo/novinarka-ana-lalic-pustena-iz-policije/ |title=Novinarka Ana Lalić puštena iz policije |trans-title=Journalist Ana Lalic released by police |date=2 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Prosecution drops charges against Serbian journalist arrested at the beginning of April |url=https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2020/04/27/prosecution-drops-charges-against-serbian-journalist-arrested-at-the-beginning-of-april/ |work=European Western Balkans |date=27 April 2020}}</ref> Malaysia,<ref>{{cite news |title=Malaysia Arrests Thousands Amid Coronavirus Lockdown |url=https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/malaysia-arrests-thousands-amid-coronavirus-lockdown |work=VOA News |date=4 April 2020}}</ref> Singapore,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Iau J |title=Civil servant arrested for leaking info on number of virus cases |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/civil-servant-arrested-for-leaking-info-on-number-of-virus-cases |work=The Straits Times |date=16 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Singapore's Fake News and Contempt Laws a Threat to Media, Journalists Say |url=https://www.voanews.com/press-freedom/singapores-fake-news-and-contempt-laws-threat-media-journalists-say |work=VOA News |date=6 May 2020}}</ref> and Hong Kong, people have been arrested for allegedly spreading false information about the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="straitstimes"/><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Tostevin M, Geddie J |title=Coronavirus sends Asia's social media censors into overdrive |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-fakenews/coronavirus-sends-asias-social-media-censors-into-overdrive-idUSKBN1ZY1AC |work=Reuters |date=4 February 2020}}</ref> The [[Place:United Arab Emirates|United Arab Emirates]] has introduced criminal penalties for the spread of misinformation and rumours related to the outbreak.<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Hedges M |title=Gulf states use coronavirus threat to tighten authoritarian controls and surveillance |url=https://theconversation.com/gulf-states-use-coronavirus-threat-to-tighten-authoritarian-controls-and-surveillance-136631 |work=The Conversation |date=21 April 2020}}</ref> Myanmar blocked access to 221 news websites,<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Ratcliffe R |title=Myanmar blocks hundreds of news sites and threatens editor with life in jail |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/myanmar-editor-could-face-life-in-jail-for-interviewing-rebel |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=1 April 2020}}</ref> including several leading media outlets.<ref>{{cite news |title=In mid-coronavirus crisis, Myanmar blocks 221 sites for "fake news" |url=https://rsf.org/en/news/mid-coronavirus-crisis-myanmar-blocks-221-sites-fake-news |work=Reporters Without Borders |date=3 April 2020}}</ref>

In the United States, some elected officials ''aided'' the spread of misinformation. In January 2022, Congressman Troy Nehls entered a full transcript<ref name=JRE-Transcript-Nehls>{{cite web |url=https://nehls.house.gov/posts/joe-rogan-experience-1757-dr-robert-malone-md-full-transcript |title=Joe Rogan Experience #1757 – Dr. Robert Malone, MD Full Transcript |website=Congressman Troy Nehls |date=3 January 2022 |access-date=6 January 2022 |archive-date=14 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114144443/https://nehls.house.gov/posts/joe-rogan-experience-1757-dr-robert-malone-md-full-transcript |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{USCongRec|2021|e1403|date=3 January 2022}}</ref> of the Malone interview on ''The Joe Rogan Experience'' into the Congressional Record in order to circumvent what he said was censorship by social media.<ref name="news.com.au333">{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/youtube-takes-down-antivax-joe-rogan-interview-with-dr-robert-malone/news-story/dac9fa69eba2fcd1f4a2c860880c1fa4 |title=YouTube takes down anti-vax Joe Rogan interview with Dr Robert Malone |website=news.com.au |date=4 January 2022 |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=JRE-Transcript-Nehls />

==Scams==
The WHO has warned of criminal scams involving perpetrators who misrepresent themselves as representatives of the WHO seeking personal information from victims via email or phone.<ref name=un1058381>{{cite web |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/02/1058381 |title=UN health agency warns against coronavirus COVID-19 criminal scams |publisher=United Nations |date=29 February 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308013146/https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/02/1058381 |archive-date=8 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Also, the Federal Communications Commission has advised consumers not to click on links in suspicious emails and not to give out personal information in emails, text messages or phone calls.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fcc.gov/covid-scams |title=COVID-19 Consumer Warnings and Safety Tips |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |date=31 March 2020 |access-date=2 April 2020}}</ref> The Federal Trade Commission has also warned on charity scams related to the pandemic, and has advised consumers not to donate in cash, gift cards, or wire transfers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice |title=Coronavirus Advice for Consumers |date=24 April 2020 |publisher=Federal Trade Commission |access-date=14 September 2020}}</ref>

Cybersecurity firm [[Company:Check Point|Check Point]] stated there has been a large increase in [[Phishing|phishing]] attacks to lure victims into unwittingly installing a computer virus under the guise of emails related to COVID-19 containing attachments. Cyber-criminals use deceptive domains such as "cdc-gov.org" instead of the correct "cdc.gov", or even [[Website spoofing|spoof the original domain]] so it resembles specific websites. More than 4,000 domains related to COVID-19 have been registered.<ref name=vox21164745>{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/5/21164745/coronavirus-phishing-email-scams |title=Coronavirus email scams are trying to cash in on your fear |work=vox.com |vauthors=Morrison S |date=5 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306153955/https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/5/21164745/coronavirus-phishing-email-scams |archive-date=6 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Police in New Jersey, United States, reported incidents of criminals knocking on people's doors and claiming to be from the CDC. They then attempt to sell products at inflated prices or otherwise scam victims under the guise of educating and protecting the public from COVID-19.<ref name=yahoo171111975>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-scam-police-door-knocking-new-jersey-cdc-a9391046.html |title=Coronavirus: Sinister people are knocking on doors claiming to be part of official disease response, police warn |work=The Independent |vauthors=Griffin A |date=10 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311172735/https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-sinister-people-knocking-doors-171111975.html |archive-date=11 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Links that purportedly direct to the [[Organization:Johns Hopkins University|Johns Hopkins University]] COVID-19 map, but instead direct to a false site that spreads [[Malware|malware]], have been circulating on the Internet.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hackers are using coronavirus concerns to trick you, cybersecurity pros warn |date=15 March 2020 |vauthors=Witkowski W |work=MarketWatch |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/hackers-are-using-coronavirus-concerns-to-trick-you-cybersecurity-pros-warn-2020-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407120751/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/hackers-are-using-coronavirus-concerns-to-trick-you-cybersecurity-pros-warn-2020-03-12 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |url-status=live |access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Fowler H, Duncan C |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article241171546.html |title=Hackers made their own coronavirus map to spread malware, feds warn |work=The Miami Herald |date=13 March 2020 |access-date=14 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315021637/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article241171546.html |archive-date=15 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Since the passage in March 2020, of the CARES Act, criminals have taken advantage of the stimulus bill by asking people to pay in advance to receive their stimulus payment. Because of this, the IRS has advised consumers to only use the official IRS COVID-19 web address to submit information to the IRS (and not in response to a text, email, or phone call).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/04/coronavirus-stimulus-payment-scams-what-you-need-know |title=Coronavirus stimulus payment scams: What you need to know |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Federal Trade Commission |access-date=14 September 2020}}</ref> In response to these schemes, many financial companies, like Wells Fargo<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wellsfargo.com/jump/enterprise/coronavirus-response |title=COVID-19: We're here for you |publisher=Wells Fargo |access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> and [[Company:LoanDepot|LoanDepot]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://start.loandepot.com/assets/int-email/disaster/COVID19ServicingCommunicationv6.0.pdf |title=COVID-19 Information |publisher=LoanDepot |access-date=13 April 2020 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308130130/http://start.loandepot.com/assets/int-email/disaster/COVID19ServicingCommunicationv6.0.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> as well as health insurers, like [[Company:Humana|Humana]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.humana.com/coronavirus/coronavirus-fraud-schemes |title=Protect yourself from COVID-19 scams |publisher=Humana |access-date=3 August 2020}}</ref> for example, have posted similar advisories on their websites.

==See also==
* COVID-19 misinformation in Canada
* COVID-19 misinformation in the Philippines
* COVID-19 misinformation by the United States

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box}}
* {{cite magazine |vauthors=LaFrance A |title=The Prophecies of Q |magazine=The Atlantic |date=June 2020 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-nothing-can-stop-what-is-coming/610567/}}
* {{cite web |vauthors=Lytvynenko J |title=Coronavirus Pseudoscientists And Conspiracy Theorists |website=BuzzFeed News |date=21 May 2020 |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/janelytvynenko/coronavirus-spin-doctors |access-date=26 October 2020}}
* {{cite news |vauthors=Ulloa J |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/06/nation/how-memes-text-chains-online-conspiracies-haves-fueled-coronavirus-protesters-discord/ |title=How memes, text chains, and online conspiracies have fueled coronavirus protesters and discord |date=6 May 2020 |work=The Boston Globe}}
* {{cite magazine |vauthors=Uscinski JE, Enders AM |title=The Coronavirus Conspiracy Boom |magazine=The Atlantic |date=30 April 2020 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/what-can-coronavirus-tell-us-about-conspiracy-theories/610894/}}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Zhang S |title=We Don't Even Have a COVID-19 Vaccine, and Yet the Conspiracies Are Here |date=24 May 2020 |journal=The Atlantic |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/05/covid-19-vaccine-skeptics-conspiracies/611998/}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters |work=World Health Organization |title=Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Mythbusters}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.politifact.com/coronavirus/ |title=Coronavirus |work=PolitiFact}}
* {{cite web |url=https://centerforinquiry.org/coronavirus/ |title=Coronavirus Resource Center |work=[[Organization:Center for Inquiry|Center for Inquiry]] |date=25 March 2020}}

{{subject bar|commons = y|commons-search = Category:COVID-19|species = y|species-search = COVID-19|voy = y|voy-search = COVID-19|n = y|n-search = COVID-19|wikt = y|wikt-search = COVID-19|b = y|b-search = COVID-19|q = y|q-search = COVID-19|s = y|s-search = COVID-19|v = y|v-search = COVID-19|d = y}}

[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Biological warfare]]
[[Category:Pseudohistory]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]

{{Sourceattribution|COVID-19 misinformation}}