Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many theories have appeared, relating to topics like bioweapons, microchipping, and political corruption. One theory that has yet to be entirely shut down is the theory that covid-19 was actually a bioweapon created in China that accidentally leaked. Even the World Health Organization has been unable to disprove this theory because they were given very little access to the laboratory in Wuhan (Rauhala). The theory also received support from people in positions of power, such as former President of the United States Donald Trump. Government support adds validity to a claim, even when there is very little evidence to go with it.
Conspiracy theories are likely to occur in situations where there is very little information or information is conflicting (Douglas 538). With COVID-19 there was a lot of conflicting information from different medical professionals and government officials. With pandemics before, like the Black Death, there was very little knowledge of what the disease was and how it spread. Both of these situations create the perfect atmosphere for conspiracy theories to spread. Another theory on how conspiracy theories occur is when people feel a lack of control over a situation and feel that believing in an alternative theory gives them some sense of control (Douglas 539). The rapid spread of a disease and government orders changing the way people live their lives can take a lot of control out of the hands of the public.
Conspiracy theories can breed prejudice for the group at the center of said theory. Not only the focus of the conspiracy is effected, studies show that “we may observe a similar process in which exposure to conspiracy theories regarding one outgroup not only increases prejudice towards this group but this prejudice then spreads also towards other, uninvolved outgroups,” (Jolley 19). This existence of the lab leak theory that effected the Asian community, likely effected other marginalized groups. The Asian community experienced an increase in physical assault, verbal assault, and vandalism throughout the pandemic (Cai). Throughout this pandemic there have also been physical and political attacks on other marginalized communities like the Black community and the LGBTQ+ community. Prejudice only leads to more hatred.
An interesting point in the bioweapon perspective is how it changes how people perceive and respond to the pandemic, “many people are convinced that the virus was created in a lab—either accidentally or intentionally to ‘reduce the population’ as a secret plan of a so-called ‘new world order.’ People who hold these kinds of beliefs should be less likely to underestimate the severity of the coronavirus outbreak since they perceive it as an attack of governments or secret services against ‘the people,’” (Imhoff 1111). People that believe in the bioweapon theory do not respond by following government guidelines meant to protect people, instead they are known to stockpile weapons, medicines, and essentials such as toilet paper. The conspiracy creates a bigger divide between the people and the government, so they believe these stay-at-home orders are created to control them rather than to protect them.
Bioweapon theories are not a new idea, they actually date back at least to the Black Death in 1348. During the Black Death, Jewish people were accused of causing the plague by poisoning the well water. Many events occurred during this time, one example is “six hundred Jews of Brabant, including the Christian convert on friendly terms with the duke, were killed on the grounds of well poisoning and other blood libel” (Aberth 120). This is just one example of the many attacks that the Jewish community faced during this time. These accusations were not uncommon then, especially for marginalized groups like Jewish and Muslim people. These theories were also partially encouraged by people seen as authority, such as Alfonso De Cordoba who was a nobleman. While he had not blamed Jewish people in his letter, he did suggest that the Black Plague was spread by evil means, “air can be infected by artifice, as when a certain formula is prepared in a glass amphora [flask]. And when the formula is well fermented, he who wishes to do that evil [i.e., poison others] waits until there comes a strong and steady wind from some part of the world,” (Aberth 46). In response to these theories, Jewish people were either run out of their homes or were often killed due to the theories that were spread about them poisoning the well water. This also caused strong anti-immigration beliefs, not only in Europe but also Africa (Schrire 25). Anti-Semitism only intensified with the plague.
Anti-immigration laws in Africa only forced them to live in closer quarters and increased the casualties of the plague. In Cape Town, their environment was described as “much overcrowded and ill-ventilated. These people herd together and overcrowd to an alarming extent. They are exceedingly afraid of fresh air and ventilation, and close every aperture in their rooms, notably when they have any illness. Their mode of living is objectionable and dirty in the extreme. They seldom ever bath and their bodies are covered with vermin,” (Coppin). This created an environment that was much easier to spread the plague.
The concept of bioweapons in conspiracy theories also existed during the Influenza pandemic in 1918. This influenza is also known as the Spanish Flu and it was at its peak during World War I. The great divide that already existed between the United States and Germany was the perfect opportunity for conspiracy to grow. Lieutenant Colonel Philip S. Doane believed that “It would be quite easy for one of these German agents to turn loose Spanish influenza germs in a theatre or some other place where large numbers of persons are assembled. The Germans have started epidemics in Europe, and there is no reason why they should be particularly gentle with America,” (Crosby 47). Lieutenant Colonel Doane is especially significant because he was the head of the Health and Sanitation Section of the Emergency Fleet Corporation. Lieutenant Colonel Doane sounds like a trusted authority on issues related to the spread of disease, this is yet another example of people in a position of authority spreading or endorsing conspiracy theories.
People should take lessons away from Covid-19, Black Death, Spanish flu, and other pandemics. Conspiracy theories focused on a minority group can lead to prejudice and put people’s safety at risk. “As evident during Spanish flu and other historic outbreaks, explanations of disease often convey prejudice and serve to reinforce existing social schisms and inequalities. In a bioterrorist scenario, medical, public health, and political leaders should protect against social discrimination and assure fair allocation of resources,” (Schoch-Spana 1412). Today we do see some government intervention for Asian communities. The Senate passed a bill with the intention of helping the Asian community, as there is a rise in hate crimes during this pandemic (Jalonick). While there was nothing to prevent the creation of this conspiracy theory and it did receive government support at first, there is an improvement in the fact that there is now government attempts to protect this community.
Works Cited:
Aberth, J. (Ed.). (2005). The Black Death the Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History With Documents. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Cai, Weiyi, et al. “Swelling Anti-Asian Violence: Who Is Being Attacked Where.” The New York Times, 3 Apr. 2021. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/03/us/anti-asian-attacks.html.
Coppin, B, La Peste: Histoire D’Une Épidémie, Gallimand, Paris, 2000.
Crosby, Alfred W. America’s Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918. 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Douglas, Karen M., et al. “The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories.” Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 26, no. 6, 2017, pp. 538–542., doi:10.1177/0963721417718261.
Imhoff, Roland, and Pia Lamberty. “A Bioweapon or a Hoax? The Link Between Distinct Conspiracy
Beliefs About the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak and Pandemic Behavior.” Social Psychological and Personality Science, vol. 11, no. 8, SAGE Publications Inc, Nov. 2020, pp. 1110–18. SAGE Journals, doi:10.1177/1948550620934692.
Jalonick, Mary Clare. “Senate Passes Bill to Fight Hate Crimes against Asian Americans.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 23 Apr. 2021, www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-passes-bill-to-fight-hate-crimes-against-asian-americans.
Jolley, Daniel, et al. “Exposure to Intergroup Conspiracy Theories Promotes Prejudice Which Spreads across Groups.” British Journal of Psychology, vol. 111, no. 1, Feb. 2020, pp. 17–35. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/bjop.12385.
Rauhala, Emily, and Shane Harris. “WHO Report Leaves Unsettled ‘Lab-Leak’ Theory on Origins of Covid Pandemic.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 30 Mar. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/who-coronavirus-wuhan-lab-leak-theory/2021/03/30/30ecbd1e-915b-11eb-bb49-5cb2a95f4cec_story.html.
Schoch-Spana, Monica. “Implications of Pandemic Influenza for Bioterrorism Response”, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 31, Issue 6, December 2000, Pages 1409–1413, https://doi.org/10.1086/317493
Schrire, Gwynne. “The Bubonic Plague and the Jews in Cape Town, 1901.” Jewish Affairs, vol. 75, no. 2, Sept. 2020, pp. 23–35. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com.unh-proxy01.newhaven.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=143815301&site=eds-live&scope=site.
