FALSE: DO NOT SHARE

Claim:

That there are US and EU pharmaceutical patents on COVID-19.

Answer:

False. The patent numbers given are for different diseases.

FURTHER INFORMATION

In a video entitled ‘Corona virus:Doctor exposes covid-19/watch before it gets deleted again’, a man claims that COVID-19 is a pharmaceutical conspiracy as patents were taken out by a US company called Kyron. It claims that a US patent ‘US2006257852’ was taken out in 2006. This company was further purchased by GlaxoSmithKline which specialises in vaccines. He further claims that a European patent was taken out in November 2019, it states the number as ‘EP3172319B1’. The AFP factchecked both these claims as false, the US patent number pertains to an application for a different coronavirus and the European patent number refers to a poultry disease.

The video also refers to a number of false treatments, many of which Infotagion has already factchecked and identified as false:

Regarding the claim that stomach acid kills the virus, this is also false – the World Health Organization (WHO) states that there “is no evidence that drinking lots of water flushes out the new coronavirus or the stomach acid kills the virus.”

Finally, the video also wrongly claims that

Regarding the claim that stomach acid kills the virus, this is also false – the World Health Organization (WHO) states that there “is no evidence that drinking lots of water flushes out the new coronavirus or the stomach acid kills the virus.”

Finally, the video also wrongly claims:

  • That coronavirus only survives on your hands for 5-10 minutes: WHO says, “It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.”
  • That only 15% of people have symptoms, and of them, only 5% need medical attention: the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says that in EU/EEA countries with available data, 42% of diagnosed COVID-19 cases were hospitalised and 2% had severe illness as of 22 April 2020.
  • That there is a 2% death rate in people with compromised immune systems: it is unknown exactly what the death rate of COVID-19 is for immuno-compromised individuals.

SOURCE

WHO: Q&A on coronavirus

World Health Organization (Nepal), ‘Rumours and Facts on COVID-19’

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ‘Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the EU/EEA and the UK – ninth update’

Agence France-Presse (AFP), ‘False claims on patents fuel novel coronavirus conspiracy theories online’

Origins of Claim

FULL TEXT OF CLAIM

Let’s talk about what’s really going on. Now that, Coronavirus is actually effecting my family by shutting schools down. Something, just seems the beginning hasn’t seemed right with this Coronavirus. And now looking at the recommendations on how to kill it, it’s a weak-arse virus. Like, 80 degrees kills the virus? I haven’t really heard of a virus that weak. Just drinking hot water can kill it. Drinking water without ice. Vitamin C can kill it – no problem. Just being in the sun can kill it. Laundry detergent kills it. The second it hits your stomach – your stomach acid kills it. I’m like: WOW, that’s like the weakest virus I’ve ever seen. And really the symptoms it can only live on your hands 5-10 minutes. On metal: it lasts longer. It doesn’t cause a sneeze. The survival rate is great among people who are healthy. Only 15% of people who have symptoms, only 5% of the people need medical attention. Only 2% death rate in people with compromised immune systems. I remember my wife telling me, there’s actually a patent on the Coronavirus. I was like that figures, because the drug companies, I wouldn’t put it pass them. Then I look a little further, there is a patent going. This patent, US2006257852, a US patent on the Coronavirus. And it was applied for, it’s called severe acute respiratory syndrome, Coronavirus. And that was applied for in 2006! By a company called Kyron. Not into like the conspiracy stuff. But when it starts affecting my family, I wanna know what the hell is going on. This company Kyron applied for it. And was granted this patent on this virus. Which was then bought by GlaxoSmithKline, one of the ten largest pharmaceutical companies in the world which happens to specialise in vaccines. And so, a vaccine usually takes two to two and a half years to get approved. Because of safety testing and stuff like that. And so now I’m looking into maybe there’s a Coronavirus vaccine. And sure as shit, there’s a European patent on a Coronavirus vaccine. European patent EP3172319B1, that was applied for in 2014, and what d’ya know, it was just granted in November 2019. What perfect timing!? So now, my mind is racing into what the hell is the whole plan here? And now they’re starting to shut schools down, I may just be hypothesising, and I feel like they’re gonna shut down the schools and a big pharmaceutical play to – all of a sudden they’re gonna – here comes the saviour with the vaccine, and then in order for your kids to go back to school, they’re gonna have to get this Coronavirus vaccine, that they all of a sudden came up with six years ago. So, just some food for thought. Do your own research. I wouldn’t fall into the hype. People with good immune systems have got nothing to really worry back. Don’t be stupid, don’t take precautions. I would look into it a little bit. And spread the word.

FALSE: DO NOT SHARE