FALSE: DO NOT SHARE
Claim:
A televangelist pastor can call on God to cure the coronavirus outbreak.
Answer:
False, there is no known cure for COVID-19.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Televangelist pastor Kenneth Copeland claims in a video that he is ‘curing’ the coronavirus outbreak by calling on divine intervention, ‘blowing the wind of god’ on the virus during his sermon. Televangelists like Copeland preach from the ‘prosperity gospel’, asking their followers to send them money in exchange for blessings of wealth and claims to cure ailments like the Covid-19 illness. Copeland has been shown to spend this money on mansions and has an estimated personal wealth of hundreds of millions of dollars.
This is false. Whilst having a faith can be a comfort during difficult times, there is no proof that Copeland can cure anyone of illness. There is no known cure for COVID-19 as the coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) is a new virus, previously unknown to science.
An international group of scientists is working to develop a vaccine, but it may be many months away. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock MP has announced that human trials of a potential coronavirus vaccine developed at the University of Oxford are to begin on Thursday 23 May 2020.
SOURCES
WHO, ‘Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disease advice for the public‘
Origins of Claim
FULL TEXT OF CLAIM
“Wind! Almighty, Strong south wind. Burn this thing in the name of Jesus. Satan you bow to your knees, you fall on your face.
Covid-19.
I blow the wind of God on you. You are destroyed forever, and you will never be back.”
