Coronavirus denial - Donald Trump creates dangerous conspiracy theories

Ignorance and coronavirus- echo opinion editorial published by The Dallas Morning News editorial board:

World Health Organization warns against conspiracy theories  and trolls- a report published in the BBCNews

DALLAS Texas- We have often said that skepticism is a good policy when dealing with unsourced spewing on the Internet. After all, we can’t begin to count the mindless conspiracy theories on any number of subjects that get passed around social media as truth.

As many have said with slightly different versions of the quote, “A lie gets halfway around the world before truth puts on its boots.” And that was said before the Internet and the cottage industry of fake news struck an unholy alliance.

Truth often takes a backseat to rumor, and while sophisticated bias can be hard to detect, some rumors are so outlandish as to make us wonder who these folks who’ve lost the ability to discern are. Yet, while most of us are learning about the coronavirus as concerned citizens, conspiracy theories are making the rounds faster than medical assessments.

No, coronavirus is not a bioweapon gone awry in China. No, it wasn’t patented in the U.K. in 2015. Nor is it a plot hatched somewhere — pick one, say, China or the CIA — to exterminate a portion of China’s population. And no, no, no: Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not stop the coronavirus. (Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer will help contain the spread, but you can’t make hand sanitizer out of Tito’s Vodka!)

The internet is constantly serving up the rumor du jour, prompting the World Health Organization to put together a mythbuster website.

Public health experts are still learning about the virus that is now spreading around the world. The difference is that public health officials search for data, cause and effect, as well as ways to contain or reverse infections.

In the wave of natural fear around an epidemic, conspiracies and half-baked medical advice take on lives of their own. And sometimes conspiracies can be downright xenophobic.

At moments like these we draw wisdom from Seinfeld’s George Costanza, who said: “Jerry, just remember. It’s not a lie ... if you believe it.”

And that is the problem. Coronavirus conspiracies are lies, and sadly, too many of us believe them.

(P.S. Where are the Coronavirus tests?)