DISINFO: Coronavirus is a biological weapon created artificially
SUMMARY
Coronavirus was created artificially and is a biological weapon. Researchers from India’s Jawaharlal Nehru University released a study, according to which COVID-19 contained HIV “insertions” and showed signs of being created in a lab. Since it is a new virus, Indian scientists concluded that the United States created COVID-19 to strike an economic blow against China.
RESPONSE
Conspiracy theory about the 2019-nCoV also known as coronavirus, based on recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about biological weapons. There is no evidence that the novel coronavirus was bioengineered and genetic observations indicate that it came from an animal. Since the paper lacked substantiation, the authors soon voluntarily withdrew it. Factcheck.org has verified the information about the study. The paper by Indian scientists, which was posted on the website bioRxiv on January 31, claimed to have identified very short “insertions” in the virus’ protein sequence that had an “uncanny similarity” to HIV. Numerous scientists, however, almost immediately pointed out to the flaws in the analysis, noting that the sequences are so short, they match a bevy of other organisms and there is no reason to conclude they derive from HIV. Foreign Affairs also writes about groundless conspiracy theories and false findings that were not confirmed by the study conducted in India.