SURVEY: 30% of Indians believe that COVID is a MYTH

02/24/2022 / By Ramon Tomey

Three in every 10 people in India believe that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is “a myth created by some powerful forces.”

A poll conducted by YouGov in more than 20 countries worldwide revealed this finding. Thirty percent of respondents from India believed that the Wuhan coronavirus “is a myth created by some powerful forces, and the virus does not really exist.” It also found that 41 percent of Indian participants are of the opinion that “the truth about the harmful effects of vaccines is being deliberately hidden from the public.”

Thirty-two percent of respondents said they believe the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) “was created and spread around the world on purpose by a secret group or organization.” The same poll also found that half of Indian respondents believe in the existence of a globalist cabal pulling the strings on everything. Fifty percent said they believe the theory that “regardless of who is officially in charge of governments and other organizations, there is a single group of people who secretly control events and rule the world together.”

In a piece for Statista, data journalist Martin Armstrong pointed out that the theory of COVID-19 being a myth was highest in India. Other developing countries followed – with 23 percent of South Africans believing in the theory, 20 percent of Indonesians adhering to it and 19 percent of Nigerians espousing the idea. Developed countries such as Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Denmark saw lower results – with between three and five percent of respondents saying they believe COVID-19 is a myth.

All in all, the YouGov poll determined that India “has the highest average belief in popular conspiracy theories” among the countries surveyed. A total of 36 percent of respondents believed the 12 conspiracy theories put forward in the poll were true, compared to a mere 27 percent who believed otherwise. (Related: Is a right wing conspiracy theory becoming fact?)

India debunks the myth of COVID-19 using ivermectin, HCQ

India managed to debunk the myth of COVID-19 with the help of common drugs like hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin. Back in April 2021, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare updated its guidelines for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

It urged patients to “consider ivermectin … once a day, to be taken [on an] empty stomach for three to five days.” Caregivers of quarantined COVID-19 cases were also exhorted to “take HCQ prophylaxis as per protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer.”

Dr. Pierre Kory of the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance pointed out the effects of adopting an ivermectin and HCQ protocol on COVID-19 cases. He cited data from the Indian state of Maharashtra and the union territory of Delhi, which showed a decline in caseloads in the two weeks of the protocol’s adoption.

Later, the state of Uttar Pradesh benefited from adopting ivermectin to address COVID-19. The Gateway Pundit reported in October 2021 that the state, home to more than 241 million, experienced a 98.7 percent recovery rate from COVID-19 after using the anti-parasitic drug.

The state government first issued guidelines in August 2021 on how to take ivermectin through a notification. “This medicine is quite effective in protecting [against] COVID-19. Therefore, we appeal [to] each and every citizen to have this tablet,” it stated. COVID-positive patients isolating at home were advised to take one tablet daily for three days, while primary and secondary contacts were advised to take one tablet on the first and seventh day of exposure.

Because of this, 71 of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh reported zero COVID-19 cases 24 hours after the northern Indian state adopted the ivermectin protocol. Forty-two districts in the state remained COVID-free given this development.

Interestingly, Uttar Pradesh has the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate among the 36 states and union territories of India. About 20 percent of adults in the state’s population of 241 million are fully vaccinated. Despite this, it is one of the five areas having the lowest number of COVID-19 cases in the country.