I recently got a submission on one of my sci-com spaces. I was taken aback by this person's hatred-guided covid-19 conspiracy theory. Need I tell you, I rejected it? Then an argument ensued and I was made to defend my decision. I was glad I did just that but I want to bring it to the notice of the general public that such misguided information is floating all around the net and one has to be very careful not to get carried away by emotions and believe in them. I was told it was shared on several social media outlets and even on WhatsApp. Oh, my. I want to counter this and that is why I am adding it here. 

Only strict scientific scrutiny must guide you in everything your trust. 

Okay now let me post the submission and my reply to this person and the arguments that followed.

This person's initials are RS. 

RS's submission: Corona virus is a Chinese Bio-weapon

Hello Guys,

It's a lengthy article but it's a eye opener.

COVID-19 a Bioweapon.

Threat things are panning out is indicative that COVID is a bioweapon.

• Initial info curbed by China.

• Then media release that it was caused by eating bats.

• Release in Wuhan where they have a bio weapon facility.

• The game plan was in place.

• Multiple 1000 bed prefabricated hospitals set up in a very short time.

• Thousands of medical personnel mobilized.

• Huge quantity of special equipments mobilized in a very short time.

• Intense measures used to control the population.

• By 20 March COVID Controlled in China.

Obviously, there was a battle plan in place and that was activated. On the other hand rest of the world has been handed a sucker punch in the stomach.

The major economic setback has been inflicted all economic activity has been crushed, as world nations struggle to cope.

Now, China will emerge as a major economic power. At low cost, it has inflicted a major blow and is many steps closer to world dominance, which is its aim. A country which could kill over 5 million of its own people in its cultural revolution, remember Tiananmen square it's not going to bat an eyelid

If it has to sacrifice a couple of thousand, as has happened now.

The Chinese WHO play was to ensure that the export of viruses to other countries carries on unhindered. So no pandemic declaration, no embargo on flights, no screening till it became too late. Now the entire world is locked down, less China.

The Chinese believe in total dominance not co-existence like our civilization. All their actions are oriented towards the projection of hard power, military or economic. Unlike India which has a strong belief in the power of soft power.

Now we wait for the next Chinese moves, as we struggle to overcome the major damage that the CHINESE VIRUS has inflicted on us in terms of morale and confidence current and future economic state.

The world must unite to tackle the contagion and the Chinese game plan . China must pay.

In the army, they teach you to look out for ‘battle indicators’. They are a pointer to the adversary’s intentions and plans. An examination of battle indicators helps to identify enemy’s future steps and in formulating our own counter-plan.

Battle Indicators:

• Unusual suppression of info and execution of a deception plan. All measures were taken by China to suppress info leaks on COVID-19 to include the expulsion of western journalists.

• A deception plan was activated, that it was a bat eating-related issue emanating from the local meat market. China failed to share info with the world until it was too late to prevent spread.

• China leaned heavily on WHO to prevent it from being declared a pandemic.

• Lack of restrictions thereby leads to spread across the world. The delayed declaration is akin to shutting the stable door once the horse has bolted.

• Deployment of multiple 1000 bed hospitals. While it is a commendable feat, it is not possible without deep preparation.

• No country has such prefabricated hospitals lying stored around to be deployed in ten days flat. We in India are struggling to create isolation wards out of soldiers barrack accommodation.

• The Chinese response was with a pattern and army based.

• Special equipment and clothing. No country or army has hazmat suits and other special equipment, robots, etc readily available in the numbers observed on media in China. Even their defogging personnel were in hazmat suits. Compare with the rest of the world.

• Population control measures. Very strict measures were implemented. It was a planned deployment of resources based on police and army. Force was used ruthlessly as what was apparent in media.

• This is not a panic resultant administrative response. There was a plan in place.

• Now that the virus is having a free run across the world, China has stamped it down, is now in pole position. Economies will suffer immensely. China will step in to support and build up markets for its goods.

• If western leadership weakens, they will not be able to resist the Chinese resurgence. Western power projection both military and economic will suffer. China benefits.

There has to be a coordinated counter plan based on mutual support.

This may not be the last bioweapon.

Any plan B???

Could this conspiracy theory be true???

The Chinese president at Wuhan Hospital without a muzzle.

China officially announces victory over the Coronavirus.

Did the Chinese deceive the world with the Corona Virus? And they saved their economy ?

This is what the Americans and Europeans think after they sold their shares in high-value-added technology companies for a minimal price to the Chinese government.

According to them, the Chinese leadership used an "economic tactic" that made everyone swallow the bait easily before they asserted that China did not resort to implementing a high political strategy to get rid of European investors, in support of China's economy, which would bypass the US economy with this step.

And because it teaches the science of certainty that Europeans and Americans are looking for excuses to slow and bankrupt the Chinese economy, China has sacrificed some hundreds of its citizens, instead of sacrificing an entire people.

Through this tactic, China succeeded in "deceiving all", as it reaped about $ 20 billion in two days, and the Chinese president succeeded in deceiving the European Union and the United States of America in the eyes of the world, and played an economic game of a tactical nature, which was unthinkable.

Before the Coronavirus, most of the stocks and stakes in investment projects at "Technology and Chemicals" production plants were owned by European and American investors.

This means that more than half of the profits from the light and heavy technological and chemical industries went to the hands of foreign investors, not to the Chinese treasury, which led to a decline in the Chinese currency, the yuan, and the Chinese central bank could not do something against the continuous fall of the yuan.

There was even widespread news that China was unable to purchase masks to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. These rumors and the Chinese President’s statements that he is “not ready to save the country from the virus” have led to a sharp drop in the purchase prices of shares of technology companies in China, and the empires of “foreign” investors have raced to offer investment shares for sale at very low prices, and with attractive offers, "Never seen before" in history.

The Chinese government waited for foreign share prices to reach their "almost free" minimums and then issued an order to purchase them. And bought the shares of Americans and Europeans.

And when European and American investment financiers realized that they had been deceived, it was too late, as the shares were in the hands of the Chinese government, which in this process nationalized most of the foreign companies erected on its soil in a near-free manner, without causing a political crisis or a single shot.

The same sources confirmed and pointed out that "Corona" is a "real" virus, but it is not a terrible danger that has been promoted across the world.

China began to take out the anti-virus vaccine, this vaccine that it had owned from the beginning on the shelves of refrigerators after it had received its goal.

"REASON FOR HISTORICAL TRAGEDY"

The Italy - Wuhan Connection

Why did the Corona Virus which originated in Wuhan, China cause such widespread outbreak in a distant, country like Italy?

The answer is that Italy has a strong textile garment industry trade relation with China especially with the Wuhan province in China.

1 lakh Chinese Workers work in the Textile Industry in Italy (especially North Italy)

Italy even has direct flights from Wuhan.

Northern Italy has a huge Chinese immigrant population, many of whom traveled from Wuhan. Instead of testing and restricting these people, Italian authorities launched a ‘Hug a Chinese’ campaign in February. They are now paying the price.

"I’m not a virus. I’m human. Eradicate the prejudice.” This was the message of videos released in northern Italy in February this year, urging Italians to hug Chinese people to encourage them in the fight against the coronavirus.

Moreover, Chinese New Year 2020 was celebrated from Jan 25 to Feb 8, 2020. So many of these Chinese immigrants went home from Italy to Wuhan to celebrate the New Year with their families. When they returned after their leave, they were not tested in Italy airports.

The rest, as they say, is history!

CHINESE CHECKMATE

Due to coronavirus Covid-19 when the world’s equity markets have corrected 20% on average, how come China’s is steady ?

OPERATION CHECKMATE

In recent days, China broke many records, and earned absolutely everything, $ 20 billion in the first news and bought about 30% of the shares of companies that belong to the West in China. President Xi Jinping and his team of policy advisors have surpassed sharp policy and global financial leaders... How? China played a wonderful game in front of the eyes of the entire world. Due to the situation in Wuhan, the Chinese currency began to decline, but the Chinese Central Bank took no action to stop this collapse. There were also many rumors that China didn't even have enough masks to fight the Corona Virus.

(Never mind that planeloads of masks and pharma were sent by overseas Chinese origin residents)These rumors and Xi Jinping's statement that he is ready to protect Wuhan residents by blocking borders led to a sharp decline in share prices (44%) in Chinese technology and the chemical industry.

Financial sharks globally began selling all Chinese stocks, but no one wanted to buy them completely devaluing them. China under Xi Jinping made a great move at this time, waiting for a whole week, and smiling at the press conferences as if nothing special had happened. And when the prices fell below the allowed limit, he ordered to buy ALL the shares of Europeans and Americans in Chinese companies at the same time! The "financial sharks" who had gone short (selling shares they did not own at a price to buy later at a lower price and cover their position) then realized that they had been outsmarted and lost heavily and some could even be bankrupt it was too late because all the shares had passed to China, which at this time not only earned $2 Trillion but thanks to the swift execution as per plan, once again becomes the majority shareholder of companies built by Europeans and Americans. The shares now belong to their companies and have become owners of the heavy industry on which the EU, America and the entire world depend.

From now on, China will set the price and the income of its companies will not leave the Chinese borders, but remain at home, and maintain all the Chinese gold reserves. Therefore, the American and European "financial sharks" proved short-sighted and their very greed took them down, and in a few minutes, the Chinese collected most of their shares, which now produce billions of dollars in profits! Do you recall such a bright move in the history of the stock market?

CHINESE CHECKMATE!

Worth pondering!

How come Russia & North Korea are totally free of Covid- 19? Because they are a staunch ally of China. Not a single case reported from these 2 countries. On the other hand, South Korea, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Asia are severely hit. How come Wuhan is suddenly free from the deadly virus? China will say that drastic initial measures they took were very stern and Wuhan was locked down to contain the spread to other areas. Why Beijing was not hit? Why only Wuhan? Kind of interesting to ponder upon.. right?

Wuhan is open for business now. America and all the above-mentioned countries are devastated financially. Soon the American economy will collapse as planned by China.

China knows it can NOT defeat America militarily as the USA is at present the most powerful country in the world. So use the virus to cripple the economy and paralyze the nation and its defense capabilities.

I'm sure Nancy Pelosi got a part in this to topple Trump.

Lately, President Trump was always telling of how great the American economy was improving on all fronts. The only way to destroy his vision of making America great again is to create economic havoc. Nancy Pelosi was unable to bring down Trump throughout impeachment.

So work along with China to destroy Trump by releasing a virus. Wuhan's epidemic was a showcase.

At the peak, China's President Xi Jinping just wore a simple RM1 facemask to visit those affected areas. As President he should be covered from head to toe but it was not the case. He was already injected to resist any harm from the virus which means a cure was already in place before the virus was released.

Some may ask Bill Gates already predicted the outbreak in 2015, so the Chinese agenda cannot be true.

The answer is YES, Bill Gates did predict, but that prediction is based on a genuine virus outbreak. Now China is also telling that the virus was predicted well in advance.

So that its agenda would play along well to match that prediction. China's vision is to control the World economy by buying up stocks now from countries facing the brink of severe ECONOMIC COLLAPSE.

Later China will announce that their Medical Researchers have found a cure to destroy the virus. Now China has other countries stocks in their arsenal and these countries will soon be a slave to their master...CHINA.Now here is an interesting conspiracy theory if you want:

Impact of coronavirus on stock exchanges worldwide, within 1 month:

USA - 26%

UK - 26%

CA - 25%

BRZ - 27%

RUS - 20%

UAE - 19%

SA - 16%

AUS - 24%

IND - 14%

SG - 17%

HK - 12%

SK - 17%

Now, look at this:

CH (China) + 0.3%

China, the creator of the pandemic, has miraculously "recovered", has almost no more cases of coronavirus. The world is now beginning to feel the effects and panic about the disease. Who recovered first ?? China itself! It seems to be that this virus was a move by the Chinese government in response to the loss of the trade war with the United States. The goal: to throw the world into recession !!!

Is the scenario not clear? They are already growing! China bought almost everything it devalued on the stock exchanges around the world, with that the Chinese became owners of the global companies that are in China and without the money leaving China.

Hope you understand all of this.

https://www.quora.com/What-are-your-views-on-Coronavirus-being-a-Ch...

This 's submitted to my space https://www.quora.com/q/sciencecommunication

Krishna: 

You have wasted your time with this ranting. Scientists have already checked and realized it isn’t a biological weapon. Several virologists and microbiologists have vouched for this. SO?!

Don’t imagine things and try to mislead the world.

RS: Ma'am, I respect your opinion. It may be a biological virus. All the indicators and the way it spread is highly doubtable. Now, most of countries are facing problems due to COVID-19 but China is freely performing all its Economic Activities.

Krishna: 

This is not my opinion. Get that right first. This is a scientific fact with evidence. Learn the difference.

You doubt things when you don’t know the facts. Learn them the scientific way to cleAR YOUR DOUBTS.

. There is a way to find out about this.

But first I want to to emphasize that opinions don’t count much in science. If you say something, you have to provide evidence or accept defeat of your argument in the beginning itself and keep quiet.

Never ask a scientist for his or her opinion. Always insist on evidence based facts.

The analysis of public genome sequence data from SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses found no evidence that the virus was made in a laboratory or otherwise engineered to make it a biological weapon.

By comparing the available genome sequence data for known corona virus strains, we can firmly determine that SARS-CoV-2 originated through natural processes.

Shortly after the epidemic began, Chinese scientists sequenced the genome of SARS-CoV-2 and made the data available to researchers worldwide. Scientists in several other research institutions all over the world used this sequencing data to explore the origins and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 by focusing in on several tell-tale features of the virus.

The scientists analyzed the genetic template for spike proteins, armatures on the outside of the virus that it uses to grab and penetrate the outer walls of human and animal cells. More specifically, they focused on two important features of the spike protein: the receptor-binding domain (RBD), a kind of grappling hook that grips onto host cells, and the cleavage site, a molecular can opener that allows the virus to crack open and enter host cells.

The scientists found that the RBD portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins had evolved to effectively target a molecular feature on the outside of human cells called ACE2, a receptor involved in regulating blood pressure. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was so effective at binding the human cells, in fact, that the scientists concluded it was the result of natural selection and not the product of genetic engineering. This evidence for natural evolution was supported by data on SARS-CoV-2's backbone—its overall molecular structure. If someone were seeking to engineer a new coronavirus as a pathogen, they would have constructed it from the backbone of a virus known to cause illness. But the scientists found that the SARS-CoV-2 backbone differed substantially from those of already known coronaviruses and mostly resembled related viruses found in bats and pangolins.

"These two features of the virus, the mutations in the RBD portion of the spike protein and its distinct backbone, rules out laboratory manipulation as a potential origin for SARS-CoV-2.

This research is crucially important to bring an evidence-based view to the rumors that have been circulating about the origins of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19.

So scientists concluded that the virus is the product of natural evolution ending any speculation about deliberate genetic engineering.

You yourself can find this research paper as scientific evidence:

Kristian G. Andersen et al, The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2, Nature Medicine (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-0820-9

(My answer too is based on this paper)

Other papers on this:

Fact Check: 5 Reasons Why The Coronavirus Is Not ‘Man-made’ : Fact Check: 5 Reasons Why The Coronavirus Is Not ‘Man-made’

Here, we examine the scientific evidence surrounding the origins of the coronavirus and spell out five reasons that support its natural origins.

Its purported genetically engineered sequences are also found in other organisms By the end of January, a sinister theory that SARS-CoV-2 was deliberately engineered from HIV made its way into the mainstream. The theory was traced back to a now-withdrawn preprint uploaded on bioRxiv. Analyzing just four inserts in SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein, the bioRxiv pre-print claimed that these inserts bore an “uncanny” resemblance to sequences also found in HIV’s gp120 and Gag proteins. Because the sequences could not be found in other coronaviruses, the authors asserted that similarities were “unlikely to be fortuitous,” and that they may have been intentionally introduced into the virus. But the truth is that the sequences the team looked at are so short that it is easy to find them just about anywhere. A quick run through the BLAST database, which compares nucleic acid and protein sequences, reveals that they can be found even in organisms like spiders (Araneus ventricosus) and the malaria parasite (Plasmodium malariae). In summary, the sequences are too short and too common to be significant.

Nature designed SARS-CoV-2 far better than humans ever could To bolster evidence that the coronavirus evolved naturally, researchers turned to the spike protein—used by SARS-CoV-2 to bind to and penetrate the outer walls of its host’s cells. One notable feature they examined was the spike protein’s receptor-binding domain (RBD), which helps the virus initially bind onto host cells. Laboratory experiments have so far shown that SARS-CoV-2’s RBD binds strongly to the host cell’s ACE2 receptor. And yet, computer simulations of the RBD’s mutations predict that this shouldn’t even be possible. In fact, the interaction is far from ideal; a different RBD mutation displays even better binding. If the coronavirus was genetically engineered, then logic dictates that scientists would have chosen the best RBD mutation. However, in this scenario, it is clear that nature has outsmarted us all—SARS-CoV-2 has evolved to be far better than humans could have ever imagined. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Or in this case, the spike protein.

Its evolutionary history tells us so Compared to common laboratory coronavirus strains, SARS-CoV-2’s evolutionary tree shows that it is more closely related to coronaviruses isolated from wild bats and pangolins. The bat coronavirus RaTG13, for instance, shares about 96 percent of its genome with SARS-CoV-2. Given their similarities, there’s been speculation that the novel coronavirus could’ve been derived from RaTG13. Though a genetic difference of four percent seems small, it’s huge in evolutionary terms. According to virologist Edward Holmes from the University of Sydney, this divergence is equivalent to an average of 50 years of evolutionary change. Generating SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory would require a progenitor virus with even greater genetic similarity—certainly not one with half a century’s worth of divergence! Mutations in SARS-CoV-2’s RBD are also nearly identical to those found in pangolin coronaviruses, and not RaTG13. This provides stronger evidence that SARS-CoV-2 likely made the jump from bats to humans through a pangolin intermediate, instead of having been created in a laboratory.

Experimental tools to engineer such a virus do not exist SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein has two other features that suggest its natural origin: the cleavage site and O-linked glycans. Its cleavage site allows the coronavirus to open and enter host cells, while glycans help shield it from antibodies. While viruses could evolve cleavage sites in laboratory conditions over long periods of time, it is just not possible for SARS-CoV-2’s O-linked glycan to have developed under a typical cell-culture setting. Developing the glycan shield requires evolutionary pressure from an intact immune system, which cells in petri dishes obviously lack. Could the coronavirus have been created in animal models, then? Fortunately, there are no known animal models that could have allowed SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein to develop both a glycan shield and a high affinity for the human ACE2 receptor. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 could not have been created in a laboratory because the tools we have at the moment are inadequate for doing so.

It is highly unlikely the virus escaped from a lab Whispers that the virus supposedly escaped from the laboratory date back to a preprint uploaded to ResearchGate in early February. Providing only the flimsiest of evidence to substantiate their claim, the authors cited the close proximity of the Wuhan Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, once considered as the outbreak’s ground zero. As the WIV was known to study bat coronaviruses, the authors suggest that the outbreak could have begun as a laboratory mishap. However, none of the COVID-19 patient samples match the coronavirus strains they had taken from bat caves, said Professor Shi Zhengli, head of the laboratory studying bat coronaviruses at WIV. Since then, scientists around the world have voiced their support for the WIV’s high standards for biocontainment. “I have worked in this exact laboratory at various times for the past two years. I can personally attest to the strict control and containment measures implemented while working there,” stated Assistant Professor Danielle Anderson, scientific director of Duke-NUS Medical School’s Animal Biosafety Level-3 laboratory, in a review on Health Feedback. As compelling evidence against the man-made virus theory mounts, it is worth noting that there hasn’t been any viable counterclaim against SARS-CoV-2’s natural origin so far. With all the uncertainty surrounding the virus, applying Occam’s razor is surely prudent in this scenario. The simplest explanation is likely the best one: the virus is not man-made. 

And

https://www.sciencealert.com/the-new-coronavirus-could-have-been-pe...

and 

How we know the COVID-19 coronavirus wasn't made in a lab

https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/how-we-know-the-covid-1...

RS: OK! Ma'am, I respectfully agree to the facts & data because they can't be argued.

Fact is a fact, a true information. COVID-19 originated from natural process. I agree and I went through all the sources you linked.

But the way it spread, the way the Chinese government used it.

A naturally originated virus can also be used as a bioweapon. Do you understand ?

COVID-19 is naturally originated but the Chinese government may have used it for its diplomatic and economic gains.

There are many true indicators that Chinese diplomats have curbed the information on virus outbreak and actual number of patients.

So there is still a doubtful situation.

You said it right. Opinions don't matter much in front of facts and data. So, there are also many indicators that Chinese government used it for there filthy gains.

Keep all aside.

I am feeling very blessed to exchange few words with a personality like you.

Like you have really achieved a lot in your life.

Ph. D in Microbiology. You are a Bio-scientist.

Just keep progressing in your life. I feel really proud when there are people like you to help others.

Krishna: 

People who believe in ‘conspiracy theories’ never give up. They come up with one argument or the other.

However, there is a tremendous reputation cost for raising such a complaint on bio-weapon in the absence of proof for any country. Just speculation won’t do. Provide evidence. “can’, ‘if’ ‘but’s won’t do. If the subsequent investigation finds there is no foul play, the political and diplomatic fallout for the complainant will be massive. Thus, no country will actually use this mechanism unless there is substantial proof of a deliberate attack. Gathering such proof for a biological outbreak is much more difficult than for other weapons. Since a virus can come from almost anywhere, there may be no one definite characteristic of the outbreak that can determine if it was deliberate or natural.

Currently, scientists scattered across the world have studied the viruses, and in the absence of a global authority, this allows some people to create and disseminate ‘alternative information’ as they find suitable. Second, there does not seem to be credibility assigned to scientific studies, and political interests have overshadowed scientific claims. Third, if there was ever a bioweapons attack, the chances of it being thoroughly investigated depends more on political whims than biosecurity impact.

Influential countries might even subotage any inquiry. This uncertainty is used by people like you to propagate misinformation.

These concerns can be tackled by setting up a scientific advisory board that can assess novel pathogens, investigate their source and coordinate actions between WHO and the BWC, independent of any one country’s influence or misguided emotion embedded arguments like these.

Think about this: In a global economic situation, no country can remain unaffected. If China decides to attack other countries, it will also suffer a lot because it’s economy depends a lot on its exports. Even if China strengthens its economy internally, it must cope with a lack of demand for its goods from abroad. In the last few days, the amount of orders that have been canceled is staggering. As factory orders have dried up for exports and abroad, many manufacturing employees no longer work overtime.

While the world spends on coronavirus bailouts, China holds back

Chinese economy suffers record blow from coronavirus

Industrial output falls while urban unemployment rises

Subscribe to read | Financial Times

Coronavirus hits China’s economy twice as financial contagion spreads across the globe

Coronavirus hits China's economy twice as financial contagion sprea...

Coronavirus deals China's economy a 'bigger blow than global financial crisis'

Factory production plummets at the fastest pace seen in three decades, as first-quarter figures emerge

Coronavirus deals China's economy a 'bigger blow than global financ...

China too suffered a lot. If it controlled the situation better than us, it is because of a socialist republic run by a single party.

Accept that and stop misleading people now.

There is no use in arguing like this. Either provide evidence for your silly ‘conspiracy theory’ or just keep quiet. Just opinions have no place in a scientific world.

                                                                                    ----

After reading this post, one person sent me this message : Ma'am you are highly qualified. Therefore you can differentiate between conspiracy theories and evidence based facts. But how can we, the common people  do that?

This is Krishna's reply to him: Right. I understand. That is why we try to help you. 

One thing you should remember is enmity shouldn't decide what is right and what is wrong done by a person or a country. This RS is an Indian. So as China is hostile towards India and America, many Indians and Americans might propagate and believe in these   conspiracy theories that malign it. That should not the way facts should be established. Science shows us a way to come out of these biases: That way is Critical Thinking

Then how do you trust science stories? Here is the way: how-to-trust-science-stories-a-guide-for-common-man

Once again my request is please don't trust these conspiracy theories that originated from hatred, strange imaginations, creative stories that lack evidence. 

Trust only genuine science. 

Updates: 

The paper you mentioned is very low grade and is not worth considering. The authors used words like 'belief'. In scientific papers if one uses the word, it is a gone case.