DISINFO: Coronavirus is a game, coordinated by pharmaceutical and media industries

A baseless conspiracy theory pushing a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about “globalist elites” and multinational corporations using the coronavirus pandemic to pursue malign special interests, establish mass control, and/ or expand profits. This is part of Russia’s disinformation campaign on the coronavirus, well documented by both media and governments. Elements of this campaign were widely reported by Russian and international publications, and by the European External Action Service. Beyond the present crisis, pro-Kremlin media consistently propagate conspiracy theories about secret “globalist elites” and “shadow governments” that manipulate global politics, economics and finance, robbing nations of their sovereignty and identity, crushing economies, and threatening traditional values. The coronavirus pandemic is not exaggerated. When on 11 March 2020, the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, there were more than 118,000 confirmed cases in 114 countries. As of 10 May 2020, there are over 3.9 million cases confirmed globally. Updated situation reports from the WHO can be found here. Moreover, emergency measures, such as quarantines and social distancing, have been introduced by governments not to spread fear among the population but to fight the pandemic. These measures are tools that countries need to use, for a limited period of time, to prevent public health systems from being overwhelmed by the crisis. Read similar cases claiming that the coronavirus pandemic is exaggerated in order to establish fascist hygiene dictatorships, that governments are exaggerating the death toll of the coronavirus and that ruling élites are spreading coronavirus panic in order to gain unlimited powers and to actively interfere in the economy.