Wild conspiracy theories are hurting fight against Covid-19

Late last week, I came across a write-up from prominent criminal lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui, responding to something I had written the previous week on matters coronavirus.

It turns out he is one of those people who do not understand what the hullabaloo is all about, contending that the virus is just a myth propagated by the media, which, he was sure, would not publish his opinion because it runs counter to the conventional wisdom that a pandemic is rampant.

Never mind that whatever this thing is has already killed thousands throughout the world.

Quoting figures to prove his case, the learned lawyer argues that as of May 2, only 500 Kenyans had tested positive, and one would have to be insane to conclude that this constitutes an outbreak.

The figure of those infected has climbed to more than 700 since, but perhaps this may be beside the point to Mr Kinyanjui.

What he is essentially saying is that this whole coronavirus pandemic business is an over-hyped hoax.

He insinuates the Ministry of Health’s response is nothing short of hilarious: the temperature test being done, for instance, is no more complex than that done to check malaria fever.

He also wonders how social distancing is supposed to eliminate the virus, claiming it is merely a “mass-population control measure to forbid social gatherings that would otherwise agitate for change”.

WORLD ORDER

Most countries, he says, are now under lockdown, which is merely a well-orchestrated military operation aimed at creating a “New World Order”, championed by “international globalists like Bill Gates, George Soros, Boris Johnson, Uhuru Kenyatta, Emmanuel Macron, et al”.

In short, this well-choreographed fear-mongering about a fake disease is a coup being staged by these globalists with the aim of imposing a world dictatorship by micro-chipping everyone.

People are entitled to their opinions, but where I part company with Mr Kinyanjui is the effect such wild-eyed speculation will have on those Kenyans dying of a novel virus without a vaccine or a cure.

All he needs to do is visit an ICU unit at Kenyatta National Hospital unprotected. If after two weeks he emerges unscathed, he may convince his compatriots about the fakery of Covid-19.

Instead, he has regurgitated a specious argument popular among conspiracy theorists; his only speck of originality being to include Uhuru among the rogues promoting One World Government.

Many prominent world figures, including scholars, theologians, presidents, certifiable crackpots and charlatans, have lent their voices to similar conspiracy theories.

CONSPIRACY THEORISTS

Indeed, throughout history, such conspiracy theories have always emerged whenever the world was assailed by a pandemic, so there is no surprise here.

The problem is the damage they inflict without offering an iota of proof. During the 14th century the “Black Death” plague, which killed more than 70 million people throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa, the Jews were accused of poisoning wells so they could rule the world.

When the Spanish flu erupted (1918-1920), killing up to 50 million, Germans were accused of creating the pathogen as a bioweapon to prosecute World War 1.

As for the Aids virus that broke out in the 1980s, Cold War propagandists claimed it was created in America to eliminate minorities, prisoners and homosexuals.

Covid-19 has its share of conspiracy theorists, ranging from those who deny it exists to those who claim the installation of 5G cellular technology networks had something to do with it.

There are those like US President Donald Trump who, without proffering any evidence, insist the Chinese manufactured the virus in a lab to wreck the world economy, while the Chinese suggest that American soldiers brought it to Wuhan.

The only thing these conspiracy theories have done is to deflect medical researchers from seeking a cure or saving humanity through a vaccine.

EDUCATION

Beyond that, there is a definite need to save it from laughable ignorance through education, a task that health systems throughout the world are carrying out with gusto.

Can mosquitoes spread the virus? According to scientists, the coronavirus cannot survive long in a mosquito’s body, so the fear is unfounded.

Can antibiotics kill it? Antibiotics fight bacteria, not viruses. Can extremely high or low temperatures inhibit its spread? There is no scientific evidence to that effect.

Will hot steam kill the virus? Definitely not; steaming your inner organs will just kill you, not the virus.

Are masks imported from America and Europe deliberately contaminated with the virus to kill Africans?

Absolute balderdash, judging from the number of people wearing them everywhere. Until scientists know a lot more, the best we can do is to follow advice from medical experts.

Mr Ngwiri is a consultant editor; [email protected]