The Coronavirus Collection: Conspiracy Theories
24 Articles
Snopes investigates conspiracy theories about the origins, discovery, and official responses to the novel coronavirus and COVID-19.
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Various alternative theories have emerged to challenge the so-called “official narrative” recounting the emergence and discovery of the novel coronavirus, and how national governments have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read our fact checks of those claims below.
Check out the other categories to read the rest of our COVID-19 fact checks.
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The Origins and Scientific Failings of the COVID-19 ‘Bioweapon’ Conspiracy Theory
The coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 has deadly adaptations that make it perfect for infecting humans....
The Origins and Scientific Failings of the COVID-19 ‘Bioweapon’ Conspiracy Theory
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Did a Chinese Intelligence Officer Reveal the ‘Truth About the Coronavirus Outbreak’?
A piece of horror fiction was a little too believable for some readers.
Did a Chinese Intelligence Officer Reveal the ‘Truth About the Coronavirus Outbreak’?
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Does George Soros Own a Lab That ‘Developed’ COVID-19?
Somehow, some way, business magnate George Soros gets accused of being involved in almost every...
Does George Soros Own a Lab That ‘Developed’ COVID-19?
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Was Charles Lieber Arrested for Selling the COVID-19 Coronavirus to China?
The arrest of a Harvard professor fueled conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 coronavirus disease outbreak...
Was Charles Lieber Arrested for Selling the COVID-19 Coronavirus to China?
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Does ‘Every Election Year’ Have a Coinciding Disease?
A conspiratorial meme about disease outbreaks got a number of key facts wrong.
Does ‘Every Election Year’ Have a Coinciding Disease?
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Is the ‘Umbrella Corporation’ Logo Oddly Similar to a Wuhan Biotech Lab’s?
Some concern arose over apparent connections between the video game "Resident Evil" and a new...
Is the ‘Umbrella Corporation’ Logo Oddly Similar to a Wuhan Biotech Lab’s?
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Is This Train Car Carrying ‘COVID-19’?
It's puzzling why more conspirators aren't caught when they operate so brazenly.
Is This Train Car Carrying ‘COVID-19’?
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Was a Suitcase Full of Dead Birds from China Seized at Dulles Airport?
A relatively mundane incident went viral due in part to rising fears about an outbreak...
Was a Suitcase Full of Dead Birds from China Seized at Dulles Airport?
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Is China Seeking Approval to Kill 20,000 Coronavirus Patients?
A disreputable website spread unfounded claims in the wake of a new coronavirus outbreak.
Is China Seeking Approval to Kill 20,000 Coronavirus Patients?
- Fact Check
Do Sulfur Emissions from Wuhan, China, Point to Mass Cremation of Coronavirus Victims?
A data map that appeared in a popular Twitter thread did not show what some...
Do Sulfur Emissions from Wuhan, China, Point to Mass Cremation of Coronavirus Victims?
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Were Ventilators Found ‘Stashed’ in a Warehouse in New York?
Social media posts painted a misleading picture about the plan for distributing ventilators amid the...
Were Ventilators Found ‘Stashed’ in a Warehouse in New York?
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Was a 5G Tower Torn Down in China To Stop COVID-19?
This video is real, but it has nothing to do with 5G or the coronavirus...
Was a 5G Tower Torn Down in China To Stop COVID-19?
- Fact Check
Is Clinton-Owned Medical Supply Price Gouging During COVID-19 Pandemic?
A routine review of content labeled satire.
Is Clinton-Owned Medical Supply Price Gouging During COVID-19 Pandemic?
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Did 7 Children Die in Senegal from COVID-19 Vaccine?
This is the false rumor you get when you mix a door-to-door salesman, a health...
Did 7 Children Die in Senegal from COVID-19 Vaccine?
- Fact Check
Did Bill O’Reilly Write an Essay Calling COVID-19 a Chinese Bioweapon?
A conspiracy-tinged essay attributed to the former Fox News host went viral on social media.
Did Bill O’Reilly Write an Essay Calling COVID-19 a Chinese Bioweapon?
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‘Real Doctor’ Promoting Tonic Water for COVID-19 Spreads Dangerous Misinfo
A chiropractor's screed against "fake news" and his advocacy for the curative properties of Schweppes...
‘Real Doctor’ Promoting Tonic Water for COVID-19 Spreads Dangerous Misinfo
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Did the Same Person ‘Die Twice’ from COVID-19?
Many people do more than one thing, in different places, during their lifetimes.
Did the Same Person ‘Die Twice’ from COVID-19?
- Fact Check
Did BBB Warn Against Sharing High School Senior Photos?
Facebook users started a posting trend to show solidarity with 2020's graduating seniors who are...
Did BBB Warn Against Sharing High School Senior Photos?
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Did Former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy Suggest COVID-19 Was a Conspiracy Against Trump?
Gowdy: "We have enough going on in our country right now without propagating misinformation."
Did Former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy Suggest COVID-19 Was a Conspiracy Against Trump?
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Do Bats on 2020 U.S. Quarters Demonstrate a Government COVID-19 Plot?
Sometimes a bat is just a bat — even in American Samoa.
Do Bats on 2020 U.S. Quarters Demonstrate a Government COVID-19 Plot?
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Did Obama Admin Give Wuhan Laboratory a $3.7 Million Grant?
While it isn't unusual to see international cooperation in the field of virology, this claim...
Did Obama Admin Give Wuhan Laboratory a $3.7 Million Grant?
- Fact Check
Do Flu Vaccines Increase Your Risk of Testing Positive for COVID-19?
Anti-vaccine advocates, including Dr. Rashid Buttar, have seized on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to spread...
Do Flu Vaccines Increase Your Risk of Testing Positive for COVID-19?
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Are the Unvaccinated Being Forcibly Rounded up in Oklahoma?
An outdated conspiracy video about FEMA camps and vaccines gained new life amid 2020 pandemic...
Are the Unvaccinated Being Forcibly Rounded up in Oklahoma?
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Is ‘COV-19’ Inscribed on This Piece of 5G Equipment?
An old piece of television equipment was used to further a conspiracy theory about 5G...
Is ‘COV-19’ Inscribed on This Piece of 5G Equipment?
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