The new omicron variant of COVID-19 rekindles misinformation in networks

The new variant of the coronavirus COVID-19 revived old conspiracy theories in USA, since information was disseminated on social networks stating that the omicron variant was nothing more than a screen to cover up darker targets.

Some personalities on the internet hinted over the weekend that the government, Democrats or other powerful people made up the new variant of the coronavirus to boost voting by mail in the 2022 midterm elections, to distract attention from the This week’s sex trafficking trial against Ghislaine Maxwell – a former Jeffrey Epstein collaborator – or to scare Americans.

However, the omicron variant is real and was not invented as part of a nefarious plot, despite the insistence of some social media users.

“The administration Biden and Dr. Fauci, it seems, are inventing new strains of COVID, only to scare Americans even more, “wrote a Facebook user in a widely shared post on Sunday.

“Here comes the MEV: the Variant of the Midterm Elections,” read a tweet. “They need a reason to drive unsolicited mail ballots nationwide. Democrats will do anything to cheat during the election, but we will not let them. “

Another post that circulated in the digital media claimed that the omicron “hysteria” was strategically programmed to distract consumers from the news and prevent them from focusing on the Maxwell trial.

These statements are not based on evidence and mix unrelated events to promote opinions. They fail to mention that the virus was first reported by South African officials and that it was identified by foreign health agencies before Biden addressed it.

They are also based on misconceptions: As the AP previously reported, there is no historical evidence of widespread voter fraud through vote-by-mail.

The resurgence of old conspiracy theories like these is common in times of uncertainty, according to Rachel Moran, a disinformation scholar at the University of Washington.

To her, these falsehoods can be attractive because we’ve seen versions of them before, and they allow us to mentally escape the reality that the virus is still a threat.

“The latest variant comes at a time when many people are returning to ‘normalcy’ – finally spending Thanksgiving with their loved ones and making plans for Christmas – and the possibility of a new wave of a dangerous virus is daunting and exhausting, ”Moran said.

“It’s no wonder people want to believe it’s fake and designed by the government or Big Pharma, so they don’t have to face the possibility of having to backtrack rather than move forward.”

Scientists in South Africa first detected the omicron variant last week after sequencing genetic material from samples of the virus in that country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) called it a “variant of concern” when it was learned that omicron had several mutations that could affect its behavior or its ease of spread.

The WHO warned on Monday that the global risk of the omicron variant is “very high”, according to preliminary evidence, and said that the mutated coronavirus could cause spikes with “serious consequences”.

For his part, Biden urged caution, but not panic, as much is still unknown about this variant. Researchers are still evaluating whether it is more contagious, more likely to cause serious illness, or greater ability to evade vaccines than other versions of the virus.