Corona conspiracy theories worldwide: often only marginal phenomenon

They exist in many countries: conspiracy theorists who smell their big appearance in Corona times. Overall, however, the support for bizarre or strange theses remains manageable.

Berlin (dpa) - Corona misinformation is a worldwide problem - but in most countries it does not seem to be predominant.

Meetings such as the so-called hygiene demonstrations in Germany are usually less pronounced elsewhere, according to a survey by the German Press Agency worldwide. This applies to the Baltic States as well as to countries like Hungary and Bulgaria. Ideas like the Bill Gates conspiracy are also alien to the Scandinavians.

GREAT BRITAIN: Above all, the astrophysicist Piers Corbyn is currently noticeable in the country of the British as a corona conspiracy theorist. The brother of the former leader of the opposition Labor party conjures up a connection between the outbreak of the corona virus and the superfast 5G mobile network. The 73-year-old, who also thinks that man-made climate change is nonsense, has already led various protests. He says people are "brainwashed" with lies. According to media reports, Piers Corbyn is also said to advocate attacks on the "dangerous" G5 facilities.

SWITZERLAND: Many demonstrators here are supporters of the Europe-wide "Corona Rebels" movement. Among them is the cardiologist Thomas Binder, whose temporary arrest made headlines on Easter after a call for armed struggle. He also claims that the spread of the corona virus is related to the 5G cellular antennas and warns of "world coup terrorists" who want to control governments and force a corona vaccination on people.

FRANCE: Conspiracy theories are an issue in France, especially on the Internet. The three organizations SOS-Racisme, the Association of Jewish Students in France (UEJF) and SOS Homophobie reported that hate comments on Twitter had increased by 43 percent during the corona-related exit restrictions. France is one of the countries in Europe most affected by the pandemic.

ISRAEL: Since some of the conspiracy theories are directed particularly against Jews, they are closely monitored. The Ministry of Strategic Affairs noted an increase in anti-Semitic rhetoric during the crisis, accompanied by threats of violence. It is feared that extremists could subsequently attack Jews and Jewish institutions, especially after the lifting of the corona restrictions.

IRAN: In March Corona was still referred to in Iran as a "biological attack" by the United States and Israel, which should weaken both Iran and China. This conspiracy theory could not be discussed further by the arch-conservative clergy in the Friday prayers because they were canceled due to the risk of infection - and have not yet taken place in the big cities. Given the initially very high number of corona deaths and infections, the Iranians are more interested in medical solutions anyway.

United States: President Donald Trump distrusts experts and scientific knowledge and when representatives of his government speak out, the borders sometimes become blurred to offside theories: is the number of corona deaths exaggerated? Will the virus just vanish in air in warmer weather? Has China deliberately launched the virus as a weapon? Such questions are also asked in the United States by Trump or his advisors. They mostly do not provide concrete evidence.

ARABIC SPACE: While conspiracy theories were still an issue at the beginning of the plague in March, they are now more of an internet side issue. In Iraq, the influential Shiite preacher Muktada al-Sadr blamed US President Donald Trump directly. In Egypt, on the other hand, government-related media took up the theory that Sars-CoV-2 was a biological weapon from the laboratory to destroy the Chinese economy. Others blamed the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned in Egypt, or saw bat soup as the source of the virus. In Lebanon and Iraq, protests also occurred during the initial restrictions, but these were mostly a continuation of previous political protests.

SPAIN: Although there is great resentment in Spain about the government's corona policy, there are no conspiracy theories as in Germany. So-called hygiene demos are unknown in Spain. The protests are limited to relatively small rallies. In private conversations, there are hardly any limits to the imagination when it comes to assumptions about the origin of the virus and the profiteers of the pandemic.

AFRICA: Conspiracy theories like those in Germany are rather rare here. Although most governments have quickly and resolutely ordered extremely strict restrictions, mass protests are rare. For a while, confusing statements by French doctors to test Covid-19 drugs in Africa caused a stir. Many Africans are hoping for herbal remedies: a health drink called "Covid Organics" is being propagated on the spice island of Madagascar, despite initial expert warnings. Tanzania's President John Magufuli recommends lemons and ginger and support from above: he propagates the power of prayer.

BRAZIL: Supporters of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro repeatedly take to the streets in a dispute over the correct handling of the corona virus and call for intervention by the armed forces. The protests are against the restrictions on public life that mayors and governors have put in place to contain the virus. Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo believes the corona virus hides a great plan to spread communism to the world. "The Comunavirus (pun Coronavirus and" comunista ") has come," says a text on his blog, in which he writes: "The Coronavirus awakens the communist nightmare again." Transferring national powers to the WHO is only the first step towards building communist solidarity in the world.