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August 11 2020
False: The coronavirus pandemic is a conspiracy by people who want to reduce the world population.
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The Verdict False
The BBC reported that conspiracy theorist Jordan Sather has falsely claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic is a planned population control scheme.
Claim ID 1de2e51a
The BBC reported that conspiracy theorist Jordan Sather has falsely claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic is a planned population control scheme.According to the BBC article, Jordan Sather supported his conspiracy by using documents from the Pirbright Institute in England and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. The article mentions that Sather shared a lengthy thread where he talks about a patent filed in 2015 by the Pirbright Institute for developing a weakened version of coronavirus for potential use as a vaccine to prevent or treat respiratory diseases. Sather also points out that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a donor to Pirbright and vaccine development to bolster his conspiracy. However, an article from Buzzfeed News negates that theory by stating that the Pirbright patent doesn't cover a human strain of the coronavirus, but instead avian coronavirus, which only affects birds. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.