FALSE: DO NOT SHARE
Claim:
COVID-19 comes from a comet.
Answer:
False. Whilst neither the origin nor patient zero have been identified, COVID-19 is thought to have originated from wildlife.
FURTHER INFORMATION
A video on YouTube states that there numerous conspiracy theories”including that Covid-19 could have originated from a comet.
This is false. Covid-19 is caused by a coronavirus (SARS-COV-2), genetically related to SARS and MERS which caused previous outbreaks in 2003 and 2012.
As we have previously written, whilst the origin of the virus (SARS-COV-2) has not been confirmed, it is thought to be a natural virus and was not engineered in a lab.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) this coronavirus probably has an ecological reservoir in bats. As the Lancet concludes, ‘Scientists from around the world overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus originated in wildlife.’
SOURCES
WHO: Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)
Origins of Claim
FULL TEXT OF CLAIM
“I am working on a new video I recently posted to Twitter. I want to get some opinions from you regarding the Covid-19 virus. There have been a lot of conspiracy theories that I found and it’s getting back into it. A lot of people believe that the virus was created in a Chinese lab and released. Other people believe that it came in on a comet. Others believe that it’s just a regular, typical, variation of the flu. And that there’s a lot of hype around it. So, I wanted to get your guy’s opinions video. And that way we could discuss it. And put forward the opinions of you guys. Let me know what you think down in the comments below regarding this virus. And I will see you guys all just in a bit. And as the end of my video always goes, I don’t think it’s more important than it could be right now. Stay safe, stay at home, only do essential things, and I will see you guys in just a bit. Stay safe.”
