COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Are Spreading Rapidly
COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Are Spreading Rapidly—and They're a Public Health Risk All Their Own
Public health crises have spawned conspiracy theories as far back as when the Black Death ravaged Europe in the 1300s, as people desperately try to make sense of the chaotic forces disrupting their lives. While modern science offers a better understanding of how diseases infect people and how to contain them, COVID-19 conspiracy theories are spreading rapidly via social media, unreliable news outlets and from our own political leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump. The result: many Americans now believe pandemic-related conspiracy theories—and, alarmingly, those same people are less likely to take steps to prevent the virus from spreading.
In a University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center study published Monday in Social Science & Medicine, researchers surveyed a group of 840 U.S. adults—first in late March, and then again in mid-July—to determine how Americans’ beliefs and actions regarding the pandemic changed over time. Overall, they found that COVID-19 conspiracy theories are not only commonplace, they’re gaining traction. Back in March, 28% of people believed a debunked rumor that the Chinese government created the coronavirus as a bioweapon; that number rose to 37% by July. About 24% believed that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exaggerated the virus’ danger to hurt Trump politically despite a lack of evidence; by July, that figure rose to 32%. And in March, about 15% of respondents said they believed that the pharmaceutical industry created the virus to boost drug and vaccine sales—another unfounded theory—compared to 17% in July.
Whether or not someone thinks NASA hired Stanley Kubrick to fake the moon landing has little bearing on the world beyond that person. But in the case of a pandemic—which requires people to follow public health guidance in order to keep one another safe—conspiratorial thinking can have disturbing consequences. Indeed, the Annenberg study found that only 62% of people who were most likely to believe the coronavirus conspiracies said they wear a mask every day when they’re around other people away from home, compared to 95% of non-believers. Furthermore, people who believe COVID-19 conspiracy theories were 2.2 times less likely to say they wanted to receive a vaccine in March; by July, they were 3.5 times less likely to want to be vaccinated.
“Belief in pandemic conspiracy theories appears to be an obstacle to minimizing the spread of COVID-19,” said Dan Romer, Annenberg Public Policy Center research director and a study co-author, in a statement.
https://time.com/5891333/covid-19-conspiracy-theories/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_term=health_covid-19&linkId=100160928
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The vast majority of the Covid conspiracists are far right. Those that aren't are far left loonies. There's not a chance in hell that anything Biden or the scientists say will convince them they're wrong and their media bubble will continue to reinforce their crazed belief system. Similarly, Q-anoners will become increasingly more hysterical in their already insane conviction that the election of Democrats means Trump Their Lord and Savior has even more work to do to defeat the baby eating pedophiles who they would now be utterly certain) are occupying the WH and Congress.
They will all increase the volume of their screeching and the danger that their insanity will lead to violence, I'm afraid.
And still don't know if she believes the articles I sent or not, even tho she claims to be a Dem. (Not surprisingly, she lives in Marsha Blackburn's state.)
