The spread of omicron, the latest variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, around the world has caused the reimposition of travel restrictions by several countries, including the United States. But it has also reignited an old conspiracy theory on social media.
The latest mutation of the virus, which was first detected in South Africa in late November, has now been confirmed in more than a dozen countries, including the United States.
Some social media users have taken the opportunity to spread an image rooted in a conspiracy theory about the virus being planned.
The image, versions of which have spread across social media since July, shows a chart written in Spanish with purported "launch" dates for the different COVID-19 variants. It references omicron with a date of May 2022.
"Check their websites they got variants already named till (sic) 2023," reads the image's caption.
The image shows the logos of three organizations, alluding to them being in charge of the chart's creation: Johns Hopkins University, the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum.
The list includes currently-unidentified variants, and the purported release dates are attached to each month until February 2023.
But there's no evidence supporting claims that the pandemic was planned. And the organizations whose logos appear in the image say it is in no way connected to them.
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