The tensions between Russia and NATO and the US and China have turned the coronavirus pandemic into another front in a long-running information war.
Image: Imago Images/ZUMA Press/A. M. Chang
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As world leaders are inclined to say lately, humanity is at war. Against an invisible and yet powerful foe, whose size is probably best measured in micrometers.
But even though the coronavirus has turned billions of lives upside down with unprecedented restrictions on personal freedoms, economic activity and public life, COVID-19 has not put the world's existing political differences on ice.
The tensions between the US and China, the diverging interests of the West and Russia, the seemingly endless crisis in the Middle East — the pandemic has merely provided all of these with a new battleground in long-running wars of information.
This is all the more intense because so many people are cooped up at homes during this crisis, spending more time on social media. As early as February 2, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a massive coronavirus "infodemic," describing this as "an over-abundance of information — some accurate and some not — that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it."
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Munich Security ConferenceImage: picture-alliance/dpa/AA/A. Hosbas
Sputnik News wrote on January 22 that the virus was man-made, a weapon created by NATO. This was the first piece of false information concerning COVID-19 to appear on the EUvsDisinfo database. The service at the EU's foreign affairs office has been logging Russian disinformation in 15 languages since 2015.
For instance, the disinformation on the virus being made in a US laboratory was also published by Sputnik in its Arabic service. This target audience tends to be more critical of the US and therefore more susceptible to such conspiracy theories. Dozens of other Arabic websites took on the supposed story themselves, including one bogus site seeking to imitate the BBC.
Experts at EUvsDisinfo have tracked a stream of disinformation from Russian media and other outlets close to the Kremlin. They all tend to follow rather similar tropes: the Pentagon was behind it all, the ruling elites are at fault, it's all a ploy to prop up US global hegemony, the real goal is a new, tyrannical world order.
An internal EU document seen by news agency Reuters speaks of a comprehensive disinformation campaign from Russia, allegedly aimed at increasing coronavirus' impact, creating panic and sowing doubts. Moscow swiftly rejected all accusations.
The lines peddled by media close to the Kremlin tend to contradict each other these days. Sometimes the pandemic is all a big ruse, then suddenly we're contemplating apocalyptic scenarios like the disintegration of the Schengen Zone, the break-up of NATO or even the collapse of Baltic states. According to the conclusions of EUvsDisinfo, the disinformation arm of the Kremlin aims to undermine solidarity during a crisis that calls for trust and cooperation.
The US State Department's answer to EUvsDisinfo is the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which also pays close attention to Chinese, Iranian and Islamist propaganda.
The GEC's Lea Gabriel, formerly a CIA agent, warned in a video briefing last week that disinformation was flourishing in its own "ecosystem." For instance, if a Russian outlet publishes a falsehood, it is often picked up next by Chinese media. These subsequent reports would then be retweeted by Russia, as if they had come directly from China.
Another example of recycled disinformation can be found in the mid-March tweets from a Chinese diplomat. Beijing's foreign minister spokesman Zhao Lijian wrote on March 12 that the virus had broken out in the US, demanding information on "Patient Zero."
The next day, Zhao posted a story from Global Research, urging his followers to pass it on. The website, based in Montreal, portrays itself as a think tank and yet traffics primarily in conspiracy theories. In this instance it claimed that US participants smuggled the coronavirus into Wuhan in China during last October's Military World Games sports event.
Global Research, in turn, cites a report from the Global Times in China, the communist government's English-language mouthpiece. In the Global Times original, the theory was put forward by Chinese scientists — but via Global Research they get to air their coronavirus conspiracies without immediately appearing to have an axe to grind.
At least a dozen Chinese ambassadors around the world heeded Zhao's call to share the bogus post; it wound up with more than 12,000 retweets and 20,000 likes.
But now, the GEC notes, the Chinese propaganda has changed tack. No longer is it seeking to portray the US as the virus' secret source. Instead, it is trying to put the comparative success of China's containment strategies in focus, all while criticizing the US for stigmatizing China unfairly as the virus' source. And of course Zhao is keeping up with the disinformation order of the day on his feed.
Corona virus or China virus?
In Washington, President Donald Trump seems rather fond of calling COVID-19 the "China virus."
His Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, prefers to be a little more specific with "Wuhan virus." Last Wednesday, a G7 bid to reach a joint statement faltered over a dispute on what to call the virus.
The US wanted to place focus on China's failings when the virus first emerged, despite resistance from Europe. Pompeo accused China of withholding information on the virus and of knowingly spreading false information on the source of the pandemic.
"China was the first country to know about the risk to the world from the virus," Pompeo said. "And they repeatedly delayed sharing that information with the globe."
Pompeo went on to allude to activities of officials like Zhao Lijiang, saying that senior representatives of China's communist party had propagated "crazy talk" about the virus being a US bioweapon.
Plenty of blame to be shared
Admittedly, the US criticism of China for failing to recognize the virus' scope would ring a little less hollow if the Trump administration had not spent weeks playing down the threat.
What's more, some senior Republicans are by no means averse to espousing wild conspiracy theories on television. In February, for instance, Senator Tom Cotton told Fox News that a biological weapons facility in Wuhan was the likely source of the virus.
Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claims the coronavirus is a US bioweaponImage: picture-alliance/dpa/Iranian Supreme Leader's Office
But things get truly tragic when the legacy of disinformation ends up having very real effects. For instance, when Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US offer of assistance during an address to the nation, saying the virus was a US bioweapon. "Nobody trusts you," he said of the US in the address.
NGO Doctors Without Borders also had to pull out of Isfahan, shuttering its hospital for 50 patients. Iranian hardliners had objected to their presence, alleging that the medical expert operation was in fact a cover for western spies. Some Iranians are liable to pay for this controversial appraisal with their lives.
Coronavirus: Timeline of the global spread of COVID-19
Since the first cases were confirmed in December 2019, the flu-like COVID-19 virus exploded into a global pandemic, killing tens of thousands of people and infecting around 800,000. Scientists scramble for a vaccine.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/SOPA Images/A. Marzo
Pneumonia-like virus hits Wuhan
On December 31, 2019, China notifies the World Health Organization of a string of respiratory infections in the city of Wuhan, home to some 11 million people. The root virus is unknown and disease experts around the world begin working to identify it. The strain is traced to a seafood market in the city, which is quickly shut down. Some 40 people are initially reported to be infected.
Image: Imago Images/UPI Photo/S. Shaver
First death in China
On January 11, China announces the first death from the coronavirus — a 61-year-old man, who had shopped at the Wuhan market, dies from complications with pneumonia. Like SARS and the common cold, scientists identified that the new virus is in the coronavirus family. It is temporarily named 2019-nCoV. Symptoms include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.
Image: Reuters/Str
Virus reaches neighboring countries
In the following days, countries such as Thailand and Japan begin to report cases of infections in people who had visited the same Wuhan market. In China, a second fatality is confirmed in the city. By January 20, three people have died in China and more than 200 are infected.
Image: Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Millions under lockdown
China places Wuhan on quarantine on January 23 in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus. Transportation is suspended and workers attempt to quickly build a new hospital to treat infected patients, which total over 830 by January 24, as the death toll climbs to 26. Officials eventually extend the lockdown to 13 other cities, affecting at least 36 million people.
Image: AFP/STR
A global health emergency?
More and more cases are confirmed outside of China, including in South Korea, the US, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. As the number of infections rises, the World Health Organization on January 23 determines that it's "too early" to declare a global public health emergency.
Image: Getty Images/X. Chu
Coronavirus reaches Europe
On January 24, French authorities confirm three cases of the new coronavirus within its borders, marking the disease's first appearance in Europe. Hours later, Australia confirms four people have been infected with the respiratory virus.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Mortagne
First cases confirmed in Germany
On January 27, Germany announces its first known case of the virus — a 33-year-old in Bavaria who contracted it during a workplace training with a visiting Chinese colleague. He is put under quarantine and observation at a Munich hospital. The following day, three of his colleagues are confirmed infected. The death toll in China reaches 132, with around 6,000 infected worldwide.
Image: Reuters/A. Uyanik
WHO declares global health emergency
On January 30, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) declares coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern in a bid to protect countries with "weaker health systems." However, WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus does not recommend trade and travel restrictions, saying these would be "an unnecessary disruption."
Image: picture-alliance/KEYSTONE/J.-C. Bott
First death outside China
The first death linked to the novel coronavirus outside of China is reported in the Philippines on February 2. A 44-year-old Chinese man had traveled from Wuhan to Manila before falling ill and being taken to hospital, where he later died of pneumonia.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. Aljibe
Bad ending to a cruise
Also on February 3, the cruise ship Diamond Princess is quarantined off Yokohama in Japan after cases of the new coronavirus were found on board. As of February 17, the number of people infected has grown to more than 450, the largest cluster of cases outside of China. Several of the 3,700 passengers and crew onboard the ship are being or have been flown back to their home countries.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/kyodo
Italy under quarantine
Cases in Italy rise dramatically, with 77 deaths and thousands of confirmed cases by March 3. Many countries instigate travel restrictions to northern Italy and tourist numbers plummet. On March 8, the Italian government put the entire Lombardy region into quarantine, affecting 16 million people. March 10 sees 168 fatalities in Italy, the highest in a single day.
Image: Reuters/R. Casilli
Economic woes
European and US stock markets slump on March 6, leading to the worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The effect on global business has been significant, with many companies reporting losses and the tourism industry and airlines badly hit. The EU pledge €7.5 billion ($8.4 billion) on March 10 in an investment fund to try to stop the Eurozone falling into a recession.
Image: picture-alliance/Jiji Press/M. Taguchi
WHO declares outbreak as pandemic
As worldwide cases top 127,000 and deaths pass 4,700, the World Health Organization designates the global outbreak as a "pandemic" on March 11. US President Donald Trump announces a travel restriction on people coming from the Schengen Zone in Europe, annoying the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that in Germany, 70% of the population could get the virus.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
Public life on hold in Europe
On March 14, Spain joins Italy in imposing a near-total nationwide lockdown to prevent the virus spreading. The population of 46 million is told not to leave their homes unless for essential tasks. In France, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops are closed as of March 15. Many public events in Germany are cancelled and schools close.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AAB. Akbulut
International travel severely restricted
As of March 15, many countries impose strict travel bans or restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. For example, New Zealand and Australia require all international passengers to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in the country. The US extends a European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
Germany imposes partial lockdown
In a landmark televised address German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces far-reaching restrictions on everyday life on March 22, banning meetings between more than two people not from the same household outside of the workplace. The country has a surprisingly low death rate, a phenomenon attributed to a high level of testing, and a high number of intensive care beds.
Image: picture-alliance/EibnerT. Hahn
Virus strikes at top as UK locks down
On March 23rd Britain becomes the latest country to impose restrictions on personal freedoms, with people only allowed to leave their homes in a limited number of circumstances. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is diagnosed with the viruson March 27, as well as heir to the throne Prince Charles on March 25. Meanwhile, there are complaints that not everyone is taking social distancing seriously.
Image: picture-alliance/R. Pinney
Grim milestone for the US
On March 27 the US overtakes China in terms of the number of people infected, making it the country with the most cases of COVID-19. This came as President Donald Trump claimed that the nation would get back to work "pretty quickly." At the same time, it emerged that more than 3 million Americans had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. New York is worst-hit, with a hospital ship sent to help out.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot/J. Fischer
Spain's surging death toll
Spain also overtakes China in the number of COVID-19 cases on March 30, as the government toughens the severity of its lockdown. All non-essential activities are halted. Only Italy has a higher death toll than Spain. Most affected is the capital, Madrid. With funeral services overwhelmed, officials turn the Palacio de Hielo ice skating rink into a temporary morgue.
Image: picture-alliance/Geisler-Fotopress
More than a million
On April 2nd the Johns Hopkins University announced on Thursday that there were more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world. The US is the most affected with three times the number than China, where the virus emerged in December. Over 50.000 people have died — and the outlook remains grim.
Image: Reuters/J. Redmond
UK PM Boris Johnson hospitalized
The 55-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at London's St Thomas hospital on Monday evening (6.4.) and was given oxygen treatment after his condition worsened. He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27.
