Bill Gates draws extreme fire in coronavirus conspiracy theories

Bill Gates has apparently end up being a prime target for conspiracy theories and false information associated to the coronavirus pandemic. Posts on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter about the Microsoft co-founder and benefactor wrongly declare he produced COVID-19, is seeking to make money from a vaccine or lags a “plot to use the illness to cull or surveil the global population,” according to a report Friday from The New York Times. 

Misinformation that links Gates to the coronavirus consists of more than 16,000 posts on Facebook this year that resembled and talked about almost 900,000 times, according to the Times, in addition to popular YouTube videos published in March and April that have actually been seen almost 5 million times. Misinformation associated to Gates is the “most widespread of all coronavirus falsehoods” tracked by media analysis company Zignal Labs, according to the Times. 

Gates has actually been outspoken about the coronavirus pandemic, requiring an across the country shutdown in the United States and slamming President Donald Trump’s choice to stop financing to the World Health Organization. 

“Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds,” Gates tweeted on Wednesday. “Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.”

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has actually dedicated $250 million to assist with the international reaction to the infection. In an emailed declaration Friday, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman stated conspiracy theories being spread out online might harm public health. 

“At a time like this, when the world is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis, it’s distressing that there are people spreading misinformation when we should all be looking for ways to collaborate and save lives,” stated Suzman. “Right now, one of the best things we can do to stop the spread of COVID-19 is spread the facts.”

COVID-19, the breathing illness brought on by the coronavirus, has quickly spread out around the world. The World Health Organization on March 11 stated the break out a pandemic. There are now over 2.1 million validated cases worldwide, with more than 671,000 in the United States since Friday.

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