Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Coronavirus truthers caught in epic lies and distorted stories about hospitals crisis

March 30, 2020 By Sarah K. Burris


Coronavirus trutherism is the latest byproduct of the COVID-19 outbreak. Conservative conspiracy theorists have posted strategically angled photos and videos to prove the coronavirus crisis is fake. Some are even taking photos of hospitals in areas of the country where the crisis hasn’t even surfaced yet to prove that there isn’t a problem.

Sara Carter, a frequent guest on Fox News with Sean Hannity, saw a video from a known-conspiracy theorist showing a quiet Los Angeles hospital.

Here's Fox News contributor and Hannity regular Sara Carter flirting with covid trutherism last night. pic.twitter.com/1HI9pRTw0V
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) March 30, 2020

She joined the chorus of those asking for photos and videos of the Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California, just south of Los Angeles. The city had 9 cases of coronavirus 4 days ago. The conspiracy theorist claimed that it was an LA hospital that reporters said were “overrun” with coronavirus cases.

Just went to 2 hospitals in LA to check out these “War Zones” the MSM keeps telling us about.


They are very quiet & EMPTY.
We are not being told the truth. Why?? Let’s get #FilmYourHospital trending. We ARE the news now. We can’t trust the news. Post pics of ur hospital here! pic.twitter.com/5AJ5L588lQ
— DeAnna Lorraine
 
@DeAnna4Congress) March 29, 2020

Inside Los Angeles, by contrast, is later to the crisis than San Francisco, but the city is already shut down.

The empty streets of Downtown Los Angeles. #Coronavirus cases in #California are now past 5000 and hospitals are filling up. @featurestory pic.twitter.com/MNGrY9SqzC
— Danielle Robertson (@Danielle_Rob) March 29, 2020

Pop-up emergency tents are being set up
As part of our global response to #COVID19, we've set up our emergency field hospital to support @yourMLKCH in Los Angeles, which serves more than a million people.

Our equipment will help frontline health providers at MLKCH manage patient flow and treatment. pic.twitter.com/LgXVAHWCn7
— International Medical Corps (@IMC_Worldwide) March 30, 2020

Patients without coronavirus are being moved to the USNS Mercy so local hospitals can focus on the COVID-19 patients.

The U.S. Navy has released photos of the USNS Mercy taking in non-coronavirus patients in Los Angeles so shore-based hospitals can focus on treating COVID-19 cases.

Cpl. Alexa Hernandez/Petty Officer 2nd Class Abigayle Lutz/Petty Officer 2nd Class Erwin Jacob Miciano pic.twitter.com/u6FST7hzWI
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) March 29, 2020


Other conspiracy theorists have followed with their own photos. One person taking photos of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, in Grapevine, Texas. The country has 15 reported cases of coronavirus.

I am starting a thread on the “war zone” and overrun hospitals. Please add your pics or videos here of your local hospital if you happen to be near one. First Up – Baylor Grapevine, supposedly has 15 cases and being overrun. Ghost town. pic.twitter.com/iWrvFZu7wo

 
MilSpecOpsMonkey
(@mil_ops) March 29, 2020

Another person replied to the tweet with their own photos of an unnamed hospital the person said was in Los Angeles. Other photos from the person’s account show the person north of Pasadena, California, which is far northwest of Los Angeles.

3 hospitals in Los Angeles area
This was taken yesterday afternoon. I will go back this week again & check them out again. pic.twitter.com/bh3Sn5V6VH
— Peace98
 
(@AynRiedel98) March 30, 2020

Conservative Todd Sterns reported from a Brooklyn hospital where he said the media reported a “war zone.” He didn’t go inside or show the cones blocking the entrances, but he walked around on the sidewalk outside of the hospital. He didn’t approach the tents that were visible in the video nor did he walk around the other side of the building.

Right-wing commentator Candace Owens tweeted it asking if “this is what New York hospitals looked and sounded like on 9/11.

The NYT has been reporting that conditions at NY hospitals are an “apocalyptic war zone”. Today they reported that ambulances are as overwhelmed as they were on 9/11.

Watch this video, taken yesterday. Do you believe this is what NY hospitals looked & sounded like on 9/11? https://t.co/TCYnAiDoVZ
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) March 29, 2020

As a fact-check, the hospitals in New York on Sept. 11 were not chaotic nor were there floods of people, according to one doctor. When the buildings fell, there weren’t survivors unless they’d already escaped.

But when CNN investigative reporter Andrew Kaczynsky saw the video from Starnes, he started looking for other areas of the hospital the conservative claimed to be.

The video @toddstarnes took of Brooklyn Hospital's parking lot to claim "what's really going on" is nothing at New York City hospitals has 4 million views and 134K shares on Facebook.

It's the same hospital in the viral video of bodies being loaded into a refrigerated truck. pic.twitter.com/j0FO7Gr5Ey
— andrew kaczynski
 
(@KFILE) March 30, 2020

He noted that the hospital shows was the same one where another video went viral because there were bodies being loaded into a refrigerated truck.

A sad scene at Brooklyn Hospital #Covid_19 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/dRUNE61yPs
— Joe Borelli (@JoeBorelliNYC) March 29, 2020


Photos show what was going on outside on the other side of the hospital:

JUST NOW: Refrigerated truck still parked at Brooklyn Hospital + material being unloaded.
People waiting in line to be tested. pic.twitter.com/n4sPVOGZ1b
— Marcus Baram (@mbaram) March 30, 2020

According to actor Jeffrey Wright, Starnes was offered an opportunity to investigate the makeshift morgue. He hasn’t indicated if he intends to go and film his experience.

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