Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 have swirled since it first appeared at the end of 2019, but social media users have taken the claims to new heights.
“Corona was NEVER a virus,” read an April 12 Facebook post that was shared more than 50 times within two weeks. “(It) is Cobra venom.”
The theory has spread widely in the wake of a documentary called “Watch the Water,” which claims that COVID-19 is actually snake venom that is contracted through drinking water, vaccines and remdesivir, a Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for the virus. The film has racked up hundreds of thousands of views since it was released on April 11.
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But this is nonsense.
Researchers around the world have confirmed COVID-19 is caused by a virus spread mainly through close contact with other people. Vaccines and treatments used to combat the virus have publicly-available ingredient lists, none of which indicate venomous additives.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who posted the claim for comment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus discovered in 2019. The virus spreads primarily from person to person through respiratory droplets.
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