Coronavirus Conspiracies
By Cara Giardina
People are scared, people don’t believe in what’s happening, and some people are being so completely awful to each other that it’s disgusting. But this blog is our way to shine just a little bit of light into today’s complicated and dark times. But enough of that, let's get into the article.
People are trying to come up with explanations; they are trying to find someone to blame for the coronavirus, and they are attempting to sound clever while spreading lies. I will be explaining why some of these lies are incorrect and harmful.
Hey, blog! It’s sure been a while, but your former co editor-in-chief is back and for this article I will be sharing my experiences about what is happening right now.
People are scared, people don’t believe in what’s happening, and some people are being so completely awful to each other that it’s disgusting. But this blog is our way to shine just a little bit of light into today’s complicated and dark times. But enough of that, let's get into the article.
People are trying to come up with explanations; they are trying to find someone to blame for the coronavirus, and they are attempting to sound clever while spreading lies. I will be explaining why some of these lies are incorrect and harmful.
The first conspiracy that we will discuss is that the disease was created by someone in China. This is not correct for a myriad of reasons, the first of which is supported by Live Science’s article entitled, “Here’s Why the Coronavirus is so Good at Infecting Human Cells,” In the video they explain that the virus has something called “spike proteins.” These are little spikes that stick out from the virus cells, and the genetic material of the cell is very similar to that of a disease that infects bats. When it first appeared, this disease exclusively infects bats, though not very successfully. If someone were to create a new disease to infect humans, they would have chosen a disease known to infect humans and mutate that, not a disease that is known to infect species of bat. This is one conspiracy that has impacted thousands of people of Chinese heritage all over the globe. People are taking their anger out on those of Asian descent and it is becoming a large issue in our world. Not only are we all in isolation, we also have to hear about the horrible acts of racism. Hundreds of people have spoken up about how since this was announced they’ve been treated differently, and it was announced four months ago. Lives have changed because of negative mindsets. Don’t fall victim to these false ideas and ideologies.
The second conspiracy is that COVID-19 has existed for thousands of years, when that is not correct. Coronavirus is a subcategory of virus. “Corona” means “halo” or “crown” in Latin. All of these diseases that can be marked under this category of virus have a crown or halo-shape surrounding them under “microscopic examination,” according to the CDC’s photos and subtitles on SARS-COVID-2.
So while this category of diseases has existed for hundreds of years, this version is new. This is further supported as it is referred to as the novel coronavirus. “Novel,” is defined as “now previously identified,” according to the Mirriam Webster Dictionary. So it is the “new coronavirus.”
The third large and harmful conspiracy circling the media is that the virus was contracted by Chinese people eating bats. To begin, China made eating wild animals illegal following the SARS outbreak of 2002 and 2003. And in fact, there is much debate about whether the disease started with bats or another species. According to an article by CNN Health, the disease may have started with snakes. In any case, the belief that it is custom for an entire country to be eating wild animals regularly and exclusively is offensive in and of itself. Firstly, because it is false. And secondly, because we here in America eat things that other countries may consider sacred or strange.
People who believe strongly in this conspiracy also believe that eating wild and exotic animals in China is a cultural trait and that families do it out of choice. The widespread belief that all people of Chinese heritage hunt and eat bats out of choice is deeply inaccurate.
Lastly, you hear so many people say, “COVID-19 is just as bad as a regular flu.” This is truly, deeply incorrect. Because more people on record have died of influenza, people believe that the coronavirus is not any worse. The problem with this argument is that the flu has been constantly evolving since around 1918, according to the US National Library of Medicine. The flu we believe to be normal has had over a century to infect people, it is no wonder that it has killed more people, it’s had more time to do so. The novel coronavirus was announced only four months ago. But it is no joke. We survive the flu because we have had the seasonal virus for over 100 years and we have a vaccine. While the flu mutates each time, for the most part we know what to expect and we can prevent it. We do not know what to expect with the coronavirus. We know that spreading it will kill more people, and we know that just because it won’t necessarily kill you doesn’t mean it won’t kill the people around you.
It is wrong to assume that things are any one person or group’s fault. But sometimes that is just how people want to look at things that they don’t understand. Before going with any one idea, think about the logic behind it first. Then make a decision.
Stay at home and stay safe; we can get through this. I hope that we can all come out of this with new ideas and a new appreciation for everything in life. It is okay to feel sad or upset about what is happening in your life right now. Just remember to check in with the people you care about!
The second conspiracy is that COVID-19 has existed for thousands of years, when that is not correct. Coronavirus is a subcategory of virus. “Corona” means “halo” or “crown” in Latin. All of these diseases that can be marked under this category of virus have a crown or halo-shape surrounding them under “microscopic examination,” according to the CDC’s photos and subtitles on SARS-COVID-2.
So while this category of diseases has existed for hundreds of years, this version is new. This is further supported as it is referred to as the novel coronavirus. “Novel,” is defined as “now previously identified,” according to the Mirriam Webster Dictionary. So it is the “new coronavirus.”
The third large and harmful conspiracy circling the media is that the virus was contracted by Chinese people eating bats. To begin, China made eating wild animals illegal following the SARS outbreak of 2002 and 2003. And in fact, there is much debate about whether the disease started with bats or another species. According to an article by CNN Health, the disease may have started with snakes. In any case, the belief that it is custom for an entire country to be eating wild animals regularly and exclusively is offensive in and of itself. Firstly, because it is false. And secondly, because we here in America eat things that other countries may consider sacred or strange.
People who believe strongly in this conspiracy also believe that eating wild and exotic animals in China is a cultural trait and that families do it out of choice. The widespread belief that all people of Chinese heritage hunt and eat bats out of choice is deeply inaccurate.
Lastly, you hear so many people say, “COVID-19 is just as bad as a regular flu.” This is truly, deeply incorrect. Because more people on record have died of influenza, people believe that the coronavirus is not any worse. The problem with this argument is that the flu has been constantly evolving since around 1918, according to the US National Library of Medicine. The flu we believe to be normal has had over a century to infect people, it is no wonder that it has killed more people, it’s had more time to do so. The novel coronavirus was announced only four months ago. But it is no joke. We survive the flu because we have had the seasonal virus for over 100 years and we have a vaccine. While the flu mutates each time, for the most part we know what to expect and we can prevent it. We do not know what to expect with the coronavirus. We know that spreading it will kill more people, and we know that just because it won’t necessarily kill you doesn’t mean it won’t kill the people around you.
It is wrong to assume that things are any one person or group’s fault. But sometimes that is just how people want to look at things that they don’t understand. Before going with any one idea, think about the logic behind it first. Then make a decision.
Stay at home and stay safe; we can get through this. I hope that we can all come out of this with new ideas and a new appreciation for everything in life. It is okay to feel sad or upset about what is happening in your life right now. Just remember to check in with the people you care about!
Nice reporting, Cara--thanks for your insights!!
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I also heard that Pangolins could have been the source of Coronavirus. They are a species of armadillo, and they have tested positive for the virus in multiple occasions.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cara for debunking these conspiracy theories!
ReplyDelete