Ebola Virus Conspiracy Theories Myths

Almost two years have passed with unimaginable loss in history due to the coronavirus. Since we are still on the verge of the coronavirus, I would also like to discuss some of the past viruses in order to create more awareness about the conspiracies that emerged around them. The Ebola virus created an outbreak in 1976 in the Republic of Congo, which again caused the deadliest outbreak from 2014 to 2016. Even when the history of the virus seemed to calm down, conspiracy theories about it never died. As conspiracy theorists love to create more interest in the topic, they introduce new theories to the public without any evidence. Let us discuss some of the debunked theories with the facts.

• Conspiracy Theory – Ebola virus is not real:

Fact: No, it is not true

This is a fake theory. Unlike the coronavirus, the Ebola virus only affected people in certain countries. Thus, conspiracy theorists and others believed that the Ebola virus is not real and was made by the government. Since there is always a distrust between the government and the people, many started to accept this theory. However, the Ebola virus is real and has taken many lives. Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a viral hemorrhagic fever with symptoms of fever, sore throat, muscular pain, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. It also impairs the function of the kidney and liver. Within a certain period of time, it has a high risk of killing 25 to 90% of those who are infected.

• Conspiracy Theory – Ebola virus is highly contagious:

Fact: No, it is not true

When there was an outbreak of the Ebola virus, many people isolated themselves. In many places, transport was banned. Yet, it is not found to be a highly contagious disease like tuberculosis, malaria, the coronavirus, smallpox, or polio. Scientists and researchers found that it requires a lot of direct contact to get infected with the virus. The common modes of transmission are through contact with body fluids such as saliva, urine, vomit, and sweat. Proper protective equipment may decrease the spread of the virus. And finally, this theory has been debunked.

• Conspiracy Theory– Ebola could be infected when we talk to African people:

Fact: No, it is not true

This is one of the nonsensical theories involving racism and political issues. This theory was debunked, as talking with infected people will not spread the virus. Unless there is physical contact, people can easily stay away from the virus. This applies not only to African people but to all people who are infected.

• Conspiracy Theory – The ebola virus has 100% death rate:

Fact: No, it isn’t true

It is true that more than 50 to 90% of people died in Africa during the initial stages, as there were no proper healthcare units and the immune systems were weak. Thus, many people and conspiracy theorists believed that it was a death sentence. However, in many areas, the confirmed death rate was found to be lower than 25%. The confirmation of Ebola virus survivors has debunked this theory.

• Conspiracy Theory – Ebola virus can be transmitted from food, water and sewage:

Fact: No, it is not true

Ebola is not a waterborne disease and is not transmitted through food. Many people were scared that eating meat-related foods could increase the risk of contracting the Ebola virus. Since the Ebola virus requires live pathogens to cause infection, this theory has been debunked.

• Conspiracy Theory – The USA cannot deal with the Ebola virus:

Fact: No, it is not true

The United States of America surpassed all other countries in the development of healthcare and almost all other aspects, even though it may seem absurd to deal with this theory. This theory was debunked, as the country has well-equipped hospitals and healthcare practitioners capable of treating many diseases.

• Conspiracy Theory – Ebola virus was spread by NGOs and health personal:

Fact: No, it is not true

This is one of the examples of how false rumors can kill people. People who are unaware that this theory is fake may take extreme actions in anger. In September 2014, eight relief workers, including two doctors, were murdered in Guinea. This occurred due to the gap and mistrust between the people and the government.

• Conspiracy Theory – Ebola virus is man made virus:

Fact: No, it is not true

Researchers have found that the spread of the Ebola virus may be caused by direct contact with infected wild animals, such as fruit bats. Although it is not fully clear, it is not a man-made virus. Conspiracy theorists and some people around the world believed that it was intentionally created by the USA to exterminate Africans. Though many accepted this theory, it was debunked due to the lack of evidence.

• Conspiracy Theory – Government created the ebola virus:

Fact: No, it is not true

This is the common theory put forward by conspiracy theorists when dealing with controversial topics. It is nothing new for conspiracy theorists to blame the government, and they made people believe that the government created the virus for population control. This particular theory gained huge attention when a hip-hop artist tweeted, “I don’t know … But I think this Ebola epidemic is a form of population control.” Other conspiracy theorists believed it was created to profit from the virus through pharmaceutical companies.

• Conspiracy Theory – Vaccinations are given to spread ebola:

Fact: No, it is not true

People in many countries believed that flu shots and vaccinations given to the public cause Ebola. Although much research has been done to prove that vaccinations are an effective method for treating the disease, many people failed to believe it. Vaccinations are always intended to create cures, not new diseases. According to UNICEF, vaccinations can prevent almost 2 to 3 million deaths.

• Conspiracy Theory – Ebola virus can be cured by home remedies:

Fact: No, it is not true

Many people believed that Ebola could be treated at home by taking raw onions. As a result, many started taking onion mixtures, hot chocolate, coffee, milk, sugar, and other random remedies they heard from others, hoping to cure the Ebola virus. However, this theory was debunked as trained health workers with proper protective equipment are needed to treat the disease effectively and to prevent its spread.                    

• Conspiracy Theory – Body parts are taken in ebola isolation units:

Fact: No, it is not true

People believed that healthcare workers were taking healthy body parts to sell for organ donation. This conspiracy theory emerged because corpses were not returned to family members to avoid infection. This theory was debunked, as no such actions were taken, and there is no evidence to support it.                        

• Conspiracy Theory – Ebola treatment speeds your death:

Fact: No, it won’t

As many misconceptions arose during the Ebola outbreak, many people refused to seek treatment. They believed that rejecting treatments might save their lives. However, this was found to be false, as the severity of the virus is more important to determine how it should be treated.

Rumors are as harmful as the virus itself, as they may lead to death. Spreading rumors without evidence should be severely addressed during outbreaks. Conspiracy theorists add more pressure by introducing new theories, making it difficult to control the virus and handle these fake outbreaks. It is necessary for people to believe in facts rather than fake theories.