Up to a third of people believe the coronavirus was developed in a lab in Wuhan, China – where the pandemic originated, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that about 23 percent of people in the UK and the US believe the unproven conspiracy theory and label it as ‘reliable’ information.
In Ireland, the number has risen to 26 percent, while 33 percent in Mexico said they believed the theory, as did 37 percent in Spain.
Several scientists around the world, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, say there is no evidence to suggest the virus was manufactured in or accidentally escaped from a laboratory – a theory that President Donald Trump himself has spread.
That idea is generally ignored as misinformation.
The team, from the University of Cambridge in the UK, say the findings indicate that people are more likely to believe misinformation is linked to a lower risk of vaccination, which could limit the speed of the pandemic.
A new study found that between 22% and 23% in the US and UK believe the coronavirus was created in a lab in Wuhan, China, as well as 26% in Ireland, 33% in Mexico, and 37% in Spain. In the photo: Members of the Second Military Medical University medical team work at Hankou Hospital in Wuhan, January 2020
More than 20% in Mexico believe the pandemic is “part of a plot to enforce global vaccination,” in addition to 18% in the US and 13% in the UK. Pictured: Vietnamese Ministry of Health officials speak with two men who tested positive for the coronavirus, January 2020
For the study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the team looked at large national surveys from Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the US and the UK.
In the surveys, the participants were asked assess the reliability of several explanations, including six conspiracy theories about the virus
The theory considered most valid in each country was the claim that the virus causing COVID-19 was made in a laboratory in Wuhan.
Between 22 and 37 percent rated this claim as ‘reliable’ in all five countries.
Hundreds of scientists say the new virus has many features found in other coronaviruses as well as in nature.
“ There is a lot of data and a lot of evidence, as well as previous examples of this coming from nature, ” Dr. Kristian Andersen, a professor in the department of immunology and microbiology at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, wrote in a research letter.
“We don’t have any evidence or data that this is related to a laboratory.”
In addition, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told National Geographic that there is nothing to indicate that the virus was manufactured in a lab.
He added that scientific evidence “very, very strongly tends to” conclude that the virus originated in nature and was transmitted from animals to humans.
Another theory that has gained some traction is that the pandemic is “part of a plot to force global vaccination.”
Twenty-two percent of the survey participants from Mexico rated this statement as reliable, as well as 18 percent in Ireland, Spain and the US and 13 percent in the UK.
A smaller proportion believe that 5G telecommunication towers are spreading COVID-19 with a 16 percent rating of this statement in Mexico, 16 percent in Spain, 12 percent in Ireland, and 8 percent in both the UK and the US.
The team then looks at the correlations between demographic categories and susceptibility to misinformation.
Scoring high on grading tests also given as part of the study was ‘significant and consistent’ linked to low levels of credible false information in all countries.
“Math skills are the main predictor of resistance to misinformation we have found,” said lead author Dr. Jon Roozenbeek, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge.
We are all now dealing with a deluge of statistics and interpretations of R numbers. Advancing numerical skills for searching online information could be vital in curbing the “info demise” and promoting good public health behavior. ‘
In addition, having a high level of confidence in scientists was associated with less likely to believe statements containing misinformation.
The team also found that parent was actually linked to a lower susceptibility to misinformation about COVID-19 in every country except Mexico.
The results also showed that perceiving misinformation as reliable was associated with being less likely to receive a coronavirus vaccine once it is available.
Every seventh increase in perceived reliability of false information was correlated with a 23 percent decrease in the odds of agreeing to vaccination.
Likewise, every one point increase on the scale was linked to a 28 percent decrease in the chance of recommending the shot to high-risk friends and family members.
However, with every seventh increase in confidence in scientists, it was associated with a 73 percent increase in the chance of being immunized and a 79 percent increase in recommending the shot to others.
“ We find a clear link between believing coronavirus conspiracies and hesitation about a future vaccine, ” said Dr. Sander van der Linden, co-author and director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab.
Governments and tech companies should not only flag false claims, but also explore ways to increase digital media literacy among the population. Otherwise, it may not be enough to develop a working vaccine. ‘
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