[tim333]

I thought the first example they gave:

>Conspiracy theories undermined global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus during the pandemic

was maybe ironic. Listening to the people at the start who said it was likely a lab screw up rather than dismissing them as conspiracy theorists might have led to better efforts to contain it.

(for those interested here's the then head of the US CDC talking about being blocked from going over to help contain it and similar things https://youtu.be/oMlhvnMpRU0?t=119)

[mrtesthah]

There are many conspiracy theories besides the one you cited. A conspiracy that covid is not real or does not kill people very obviously undermines compliance with public health directives.

[adleyjulian]

1. I don't see how a zoonotic vs lab leak origin should really impact containment efforts. If it had been a lab leak and Chinese officials knew, I don't see how or why they would have been more open to outside help.

2. The first death from the virus was in January and it was less than 2 weeks later the first confirmed case was in the US. I think we forget how fast this thing went from novel pneumonia in Wuhan to potential world-wide pandemic. Maybe a head start on shutting down the borders would have delayed things a bit, but there would have been zero appetite to shut down everything in January 2020.

3. There absolutely were conspiracy theories that undermined efforts to contain Covid. E.G. the vaccine heralded end times and was the mark of the beast, or people would start dropping dead from the vaccine and it was part of the Great Reset etc. Or that the bans on gatherings were intended to stop religion, Covid didn't even really exist and it was part of a plan to institute a new world order, etc.

[tim333]

I'm not sure it really a good example but the Chinese authorities who I'm guessing knew it was a lab leak went for a zero covid elimination strategy while the non Chinese governments were a bit like it's just the flu bro. I remember one of the top Chinese scientist saying if other countries had followed their policies the whole thing could have been stopped in a few months. I think if it had been announced it was a lab virus and nasty the non Chinese politicians may have followed the Chinese policies. But who knows.