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.

Snopes Staff

Published 13 March 2020

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.

What questions do you have? Help Snopes investigate rumors around the novel coronavirus by sending us your tips.

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....

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.

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...

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...

Does ‘Every Election Year’ Have a Coinciding Disease? A conspiratorial meme about disease outbreaks got a number of key facts wrong.

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 This Train Car Carrying ‘COVID-19’? It's puzzling why more conspirators aren't caught when they operate so brazenly.

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...

Is China Seeking Approval to Kill 20,000 Coronavirus Patients? A disreputable website spread unfounded claims in the wake of a new coronavirus outbreak.

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...

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...

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...

Is Clinton-Owned Medical Supply Price Gouging During COVID-19 Pandemic? A routine review of content labeled satire.

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 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.

‘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...

Did the Same Person ‘Die Twice’ from COVID-19? Many people do more than one thing, in different places, during their lifetimes.

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 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."

Do Bats on 2020 U.S. Quarters Demonstrate a Government COVID-19 Plot? Sometimes a bat is just a bat — even in American Samoa.

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...

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...

Are the Unvaccinated Being Forcibly Rounded up in Oklahoma? An outdated conspiracy video about FEMA camps and vaccines gained new life amid 2020 pandemic...

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...