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In January 2020, the [[BBC]] reported on the developing issue of conspiracy theories and bad health advice regarding COVID-19. Examples at the time included false health advice shared on social media and private chats, as well as conspiracy theories such as the outbreak being planned with the participation of the [[Pirbright Institute]].<ref name="bbc_misinfo">{{cite news |date=30 January 2020 |title=China coronavirus: Misinformation spreads online about origin and scale |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51271037 |url-status=live |access-date=10 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204163412/https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51271037 |archive-date=4 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Shmerling RH |title=Be careful where you get your news about coronavirus |url=https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/be-careful-where-you-get-your-news-about-coronavirus-2020020118801 |website=Harvard Health Blog |access-date=25 March 2020 |date=1 February 2020 |archive-date=2 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302084557/https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/be-careful-where-you-get-your-news-about-coronavirus-2020020118801 |url-status=live }}</ref> In January, ''[[The Guardian]]'' listed seven instances of misinformation, adding the conspiracy theories about bioweapons and the link to [[5G]] technology, and including varied false health advice.<ref name=GUAR>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/31/bat-soup-dodgy-cures-and-diseasology-the-spread-of-coronavirus-bunkum |title=Bat soup, dodgy cures and 'diseasology': the spread of coronavirus misinformation |date=31 January 2020 |access-date=3 February 2020 |vauthors=Taylor J |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202141231/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/31/bat-soup-dodgy-cures-and-diseasology-the-spread-of-coronavirus-bunkum |archive-date=2 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
In an attempt to speed up research sharing, many researchers have turned to [[preprint]] servers such as [[arXiv]], [[bioRxiv]], [[medRxiv]], and [[SSRN]]. Papers are uploaded to these servers without [[peer review]] or any other editorial process that ensures research quality. Some of these papers have contributed to the spread of conspiracy theories
According to a study published by the [[Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism]], most misinformation related to COVID-19 involves "various forms of reconfiguration, where existing and often true information is spun, twisted, recontextualised, or reworked"; less misinformation "was completely fabricated". The study also found that "top-down misinformation from politicians, celebrities, and other prominent public figures", while accounting for a minority of the samples, captured a majority of the social media engagement. According to their classification, the largest category of misinformation (39%) was "misleading or false claims about the actions or policies of public authorities, including government and international bodies like the WHO or the UN".<ref name="reuters-institute">{{cite web |vauthors=Brennen JS, Simon F, Howard PN, Nielsen RK |url=https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/types-sources-and-claims-covid-19-misinformation |title=Types, sources, and claims of COVID-19 misinformation |agency=Reuters Institute |date=7 April 2020 |access-date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=7 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307091832/https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/types-sources-and-claims-covid-19-misinformation |url-status=live }}</ref>
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====In the United States====
An alert by the US [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] regarding the possible threat of far-right extremists intentionally spreading COVID-19 mentioned blame being assigned to Jews and Jewish leaders for causing the pandemic and several statewide shutdowns.<ref name=go69737522>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/white-supremacists-encouraging-members-spread-coronavirus-cops-jews/story?id=69737522 |title=White supremacists encouraging their members to spread coronavirus to cops, Jews, FBI says |vauthors=Margolin J |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=23 March 2020 |access-date=25 March 2020 |archive-date=24 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324192244/https://abcnews.go.com/US/white-supremacists-encouraging-members-spread-coronavirus-cops-jews/story?id=69737522 |url-status=live }}</ref>
====In Germany====
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===NCMI intelligence report===
In April 2020, [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] reported that, in November 2019, "U.S. intelligence officials were warning that a contagion was sweeping through China's Wuhan region, changing the patterns of life and business and posing a threat to the population". The article stated that the [[National Center for Medical Intelligence]] (NCMI), had produced an intelligence report in November 2019 which raised concerns about the situation. The director of the NCMI, Col. R. Shane Day said "media reporting about the existence/release of a National Center for Medical Intelligence Coronavirus-related product/assessment in November 2019 is not correct. No such NCMI product exists".<ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Margolin J, Meek JG |title=Intelligence report warned of coronavirus crisis as early as November: Sources |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/intelligence-report-warned-coronavirus-crisis-early-november-sources/story?id=70031273 |access-date=29 June 2021 |work=ABC News |date=9 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425101816/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/intelligence-report-warned-coronavirus-crisis-early-november-sources/story?id=70031273 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |vauthors=Casiano L, Griffin J |title=Defense official says media reports about November coronavirus intel assessment are false |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/defense-november-coronavirus-intelligence-assessment-reports-false |access-date=29 June 2021 |work=Fox News |date=8 April 2020 |archive-date=3 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503175505/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/defense-november-coronavirus-intelligence-assessment-reports-false |url-status=live }}</ref>
==<span class="anchor" id="Polymerase chain reaction testing"></span> PCR testing==
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Also in October 2021, the fact-checking organisation [[Logically (company)|Logically]] found that antisemitic conspiracy theories related to the pandemic were being promoted on one of the largest COVID-19 conspiracy groups on [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]], including posts highlighting Jewish people in leadership positions at [[Moderna]], [[Pfizer]], the CDC and US President [[Joe Biden]]'s White House, and claims that mask and vaccine mandates were similar to the [[Holocaust]].<ref name=":2" />
===
At the beginning of the pandemic, [[Philippine]] President [[Duterte]] had sought Chinese assistance for vaccines, easing claims in the South China Sea, and improving relations between the two countries. To counter China's influence in the Philippines, under [[Donald Trump]]'s presidency, the US military conducted a covert operation aimed at spreading doubts about the safety of Chinese aid, including vaccines. This campaign of misinformation has contributed to low vaccination coverage and increased death rates from COVID-19 in the Philippines. Health experts condemned these actions, pointing out the damage done to public trust and global health. The operation involved the creation of fake social media accounts posing as Filipinos and spreading anti-vaccine messages. The campaign was described by then-Defense Secretary [[Mark Esper]] as "payback" for [[COVID-19 misinformation by China|COVID-19 disinformation by China]] directed against the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Toropin |first=Konstantin |date=2024-06-14 |title=Pentagon Stands by Secret Anti-Vaccination Disinformation Campaign in Philippines After Reuters Report |url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/14/pentagon-stands-secret-anti-vaccination-disinformation-campaign-philippines-after-reuters-report.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614223757/https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/14/pentagon-stands-secret-anti-vaccination-disinformation-campaign-philippines-after-reuters-report.html |archive-date=2024-06-14 |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=[[Military.com]] |language=en}}</ref>
The operation spread to other regions such as in the Middle East and Central Asia like [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]] and [[Uzbekistan]], where the Pentagon aimed to intensify fears that the Chinese vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech contained pork derivatives, and could be considered "haram", i.e. forbidden by Islamic law.<ref name="reutersUsNovax">{{Cite news |title=Pentagon ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during pandemic |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/pentagon-ran-secret-anti-vax-campaign-undermine-china-during-pandemic-2024-06-14/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/14/pentagon-ran-secret-anti-vax-campaign-to-undermine-china-during-pandemic|title=US ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China's COVID efforts: Report}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2024/06/14/pentagon-launched-secret-anti-vax-campaign-to-discredit-china-during-covid-pandemic-report-says/|title=Pentagon Launched Secret Anti-Vax Campaign To Discredit China During COVID Pandemic, Report Says|website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref>
The operation ended in mid-2021, when the Biden administration banned the anti-vaccine campaign.<ref name="reutersUsNovax"/>
==Efforts to combat misinformation==
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==Scams==
The WHO has warned of criminal scams involving perpetrators who misrepresent themselves as representatives of the WHO seeking personal information from victims
Cybersecurity firm [[Check Point]] stated there has been a large increase in [[phishing]] attacks to lure victims into unwittingly installing a computer virus under the guise of emails related to COVID-19 containing attachments. Cyber-criminals use deceptive domains such as "cdc-gov.org" instead of the correct "cdc.gov", or even [[Website spoofing|spoof the original domain]] so it resembles specific websites. More than 4,000 domains related to COVID-19 have been registered.<ref name=vox21164745>{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/5/21164745/coronavirus-phishing-email-scams |title=Coronavirus email scams are trying to cash in on your fear |work=vox.com |vauthors=Morrison S |date=5 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306153955/https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/5/21164745/coronavirus-phishing-email-scams |archive-date=6 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
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