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.
- 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.
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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....
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- News
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.
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- Fact Check
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...
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- Fact Check
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...
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- Fact Check
Does ‘Every Election Year’ Have a Coinciding Disease?
A conspiratorial meme about disease outbreaks got a number of key facts wrong.
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- Fact Check
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...
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- Fact Check
Is This Train Car Carrying ‘COVID-19’?
It's puzzling why more conspirators aren't caught when they operate so brazenly.
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- Fact Check
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...
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- Fact Check
Is China Seeking Approval to Kill 20,000 Coronavirus Patients?
A disreputable website spread unfounded claims in the wake of a new coronavirus outbreak.
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- 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...
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- Fact Check
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...
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- Fact Check
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...
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- Fact Check
Is Clinton-Owned Medical Supply Price Gouging During COVID-19 Pandemic?
A routine review of content labeled satire.
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- Fact Check
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...
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- 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.
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- Fact Check
‘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...
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- News
Did the Same Person ‘Die Twice’ from COVID-19?
Many people do more than one thing, in different places, during their lifetimes.
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- 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...
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- Fact Check
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."
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- Fact Check
Do Bats on 2020 U.S. Quarters Demonstrate a Government COVID-19 Plot?
Sometimes a bat is just a bat — even in American Samoa.
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- Fact Check
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...
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- 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...
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- Fact Check
Are the Unvaccinated Being Forcibly Rounded up in Oklahoma?
An outdated conspiracy video about FEMA camps and vaccines gained new life amid 2020 pandemic...
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- Fact Check
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...
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- Fact Check