DISINFO: Trump ordered 250 US soldiers to spread Coronavirus two months before the virus outbreak in Wuhan
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coronavirus Biological weapons Conspiracy theory

DISINFO: Trump ordered 250 US soldiers to spread Coronavirus two months before the virus outbreak in Wuhan

SUMMARY

There are big question marks about the spread of the disease (Coronavirus) in countries opposing or competing with the United States of America.

Two months prior to the Coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, there were American health exercises in which 250 American soldiers participated. There are talks that the Americans may have spread the virus, and there are those who say that (US President Donald) Trump is the one who gave orders to spread this epidemic.

RESPONSE

Recurring conspiracy theories that echo pro-Kremlin disinformation about coronavirus. The narratives also resemble a recurring conspiracy theory about the Lugar Lab in Georgia.

Apart from the American soldiers, there were, in fact, 17 teams with over 280 athletes and staff in the Military World Games that was held from October 18–27, 2019 in the capital of Hubei Province in Wuhan. The Coronavirus started to spread 65 days after the closing ceremony of the Military World Games, and so far there is no evidence to prove any connection between the two events.

Furthermore, a group of 27 prominent public health scientists, from nine countries, wrote a statement published online by The Lancet, that "strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin", and they “overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus originated in wildlife,” just like many other viruses that have recently emerged in humans.

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Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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