Scientific journalism in the times of pandemic and conspiracy theories

Abstract

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced the state of the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. This has contributed to the deepening of feelings of fear, anger, frustration and dissatis-faction in many people, as well as the emergence of numerous conspiracy theories related to the new coronavirus. These concepts are socially dangerous because, without bringing any positive reactions, they deepen the feeling of fear, panic or even hysteria. Thus, they hinder rational thinking, taking care of one’s own mental health and acting reasonably. This article discusses the most frequently repeated conspiracy theories in public discourse: corona-virus as a Chinese biological weapon, SARS-CoV-2 as an American biological weapon, the coronavirus created by the USA for profit, SARS-CoV-2 created or developed by Jews, the virus as an element of spy action, the pandemic as a population control program, and 5G as the cause of the pandemic.