Coronavirus conspiracy theories: More than a fifth of people believe the virus is a hoax
May 21, 2020
More than 4 in 10 people believe to some extent that China created coronavirus as a bioweapon to control the west, new research on Covid-19 conspiracy theories has suggested.
A new survey has revealed that when asked whether they believed that coronavirus is a bio-weapon developed by China to destroy the West, 55 per cent said they did not agree, 20.2 per cent said they agreed a little and 5.5 per cent agreed completely.
The research, led by clinical psychologists at the University of Oxford and published in the journal Psychological Medicine, indicates the number of adults in England do not agree with the scientific and governmental consensus on the Covid-19 pandemic.
It revealed that almost three fifths (59 per cent) of adults in England believe to some extent that the Government is misleading the public about the cause of the virus.
More than a fifth (21 per cent) believe the virus is a hoax, and 62 per cent agree to some extent that the virus is man-made, scientists say.
While 70.9 per cent said they did not agree the WHO already has a vaccine and are withholding it and 79 per cent said they did not agree that coronavirus is caused by 5G and is a form of radiation poisoning transmitted through radio waves.
From May 4-11, 2,500 adults – representative of the English population for age, gender, region, and income – took part in the Oxford Coronavirus Explanations, Attitudes, and Narratives Survey (Oceans) online.
Researchers found that approximately 50 per cent of this population showed little evidence of conspiracy thinking, 25 per cent showed a degree of endorsement, 15 per cent showed a consistent pattern of endorsement, and 10 per cent had very high levels of endorsement.
Higher levels of coronavirus conspiracy thinking were associated with less adherence to all Government guidelines, the study suggests.
The authors write: “Higher levels of coronavirus conspiracy thinking were associated with less adherence to all Government guidelines and less willingness to take diagnostic or antibody tests or to be vaccinated.
“Such ideas were also associated with paranoia, general vaccination conspiracy beliefs, climate change conspiracy belief, a conspiracy mentality, and distrust in institutions and professions.
“Holding coronavirus conspiracy beliefs was also associated with being more likely to share opinions.”
Daniel Freeman, professor of clinical psychology, University of Oxford, and consultant clinical psychologist, Oxford Health NHS Foundation, said: “Those who believe in conspiracy theories are less likely to follow government guidance, for example, staying home, not meeting with people outside their household, or staying two metres apart from other people when outside.
“Those who believe in conspiracy theories also say that they are less likely to accept a vaccination, take a diagnostic test, or wear a face mask.”
He added that the epidemic has all the necessary ingredients for the growth of conspiracy theories, including” sustained threat, exposure of vulnerabilities, and enforced change”.
Prof Freeman went on to explain that the beliefs were “corrosive to our necessary collective response to the crisis”.
The research also suggests that conspiracy theories are becoming more commonplace in wider society.
Dr Sinéad Lambe, Clinical Psychologist, said: “Conspiracy thinking is not isolated to the fringes of society and likely reflects a growing distrust in the government and institutions. Conspiracy beliefs arguably travel further and faster than ever before.
“Our survey indicates that people who hold such beliefs share them; social media provides a ready-made platform.”
“In the wake of the epidemic, mistrust looks to have become mainstream,” Prof Freeman added.
The research project is funded by the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre.
More than 4 in 10 people believe to some extent that China created coronavirus as a bioweapon to control the west, new research on Covid-19 conspiracy theories has suggested.
A new survey has revealed that when asked whether they believed that coronavirus is a bio-weapon developed by China to destroy the West, 55 per cent said they did not agree, 20.2 per cent said they agreed a little and 5.5 per cent agreed completely.
The research, led by clinical psychologists at the University of Oxford and published in the journal Psychological Medicine, indicates the number of adults in England do not agree with the scientific and governmental consensus on the Covid-19 pandemic.
It revealed that almost three fifths (59 per cent) of adults in England believe to some extent that the Government is misleading the public about the cause of the virus.
More than a fifth (21 per cent) believe the virus is a hoax, and 62 per cent agree to some extent that the virus is man-made, scientists say.
While 70.9 per cent said they did not agree the WHO already has a vaccine and are withholding it and 79 per cent said they did not agree that coronavirus is caused by 5G and is a form of radiation poisoning transmitted through radio waves.
From May 4-11, 2,500 adults – representative of the English population for age, gender, region, and income – took part in the Oxford Coronavirus Explanations, Attitudes, and Narratives Survey (Oceans) online.
Researchers found that approximately 50 per cent of this population showed little evidence of conspiracy thinking, 25 per cent showed a degree of endorsement, 15 per cent showed a consistent pattern of endorsement, and 10 per cent had very high levels of endorsement.
Higher levels of coronavirus conspiracy thinking were associated with less adherence to all Government guidelines, the study suggests.
The authors write: “Higher levels of coronavirus conspiracy thinking were associated with less adherence to all Government guidelines and less willingness to take diagnostic or antibody tests or to be vaccinated.
“Such ideas were also associated with paranoia, general vaccination conspiracy beliefs, climate change conspiracy belief, a conspiracy mentality, and distrust in institutions and professions.
“Holding coronavirus conspiracy beliefs was also associated with being more likely to share opinions.”
Daniel Freeman, professor of clinical psychology, University of Oxford, and consultant clinical psychologist, Oxford Health NHS Foundation, said: “Those who believe in conspiracy theories are less likely to follow government guidance, for example, staying home, not meeting with people outside their household, or staying two metres apart from other people when outside.
“Those who believe in conspiracy theories also say that they are less likely to accept a vaccination, take a diagnostic test, or wear a face mask.”
He added that the epidemic has all the necessary ingredients for the growth of conspiracy theories, including” sustained threat, exposure of vulnerabilities, and enforced change”.
Prof Freeman went on to explain that the beliefs were “corrosive to our necessary collective response to the crisis”.
The research also suggests that conspiracy theories are becoming more commonplace in wider society.
Dr Sinéad Lambe, Clinical Psychologist, said: “Conspiracy thinking is not isolated to the fringes of society and likely reflects a growing distrust in the government and institutions. Conspiracy beliefs arguably travel further and faster than ever before.
“Our survey indicates that people who hold such beliefs share them; social media provides a ready-made platform.”
“In the wake of the epidemic, mistrust looks to have become mainstream,” Prof Freeman added.
The research project is funded by the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre.
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