Covid conspiracy theory is putting our lives at risk

And it’s surprising how many of them there are.

From those who firmly believe in the Da Vinci Code bloodline of Jesus and that the moon landings were all faked in a TV studio, to suggestions that the earth is flat and that the Royal Family are all lizards.

Some ideas, including claims that Elvis faked his death or that moon isn’t real, seem so crazy to be completely harmless.

But today’s conspiracy theories have a far more sinister element – because they’re actually putting our lives at risk.

An alarming number of people believe that the covid 19 outbreak is a hoax and that efforts to contain it, like lockdown and wearing masks, are needless controls put upon us by an elite, authoritarian government – presumably controlled by their alien overlords.

Holding crackpot ideas is one thing, but when these people actively stop using measures to control the spread of a killer virus – and encourage other people to follow their lead – they suddenly seem a lot less laughable.

Conspiracy theories are comforting, because they place order on a world of chaos and uncertainty. They tell us that there is meaning behind the things we’re powerless to control.

That if it wasn’t for the illuminati or Alpha Draconians meddling in our lives, everything would be so much better.

There have always been illiterates who tried to read the runes – from the ‘obvious’ clues on the Abbey Road album cover telling us Paul McCartney is dead to the satanic, murderous messages revealed when Judas Priests records are played backwards.

But now amplified by the echo chamber that is social media, these ideas take on a life of their own. They become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the fact they’re shared more and more is used as evidence of the truth behind them.

We all have a duty to stop the spread of these dangerous mistruths. The idea of hidden meaning in a frightening, random universe may be a comforting one, but it won’t stop the virus – or stop it killing us.