Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks prompt raft of conspiracy theories in divided US | US news
theguardian.com
Every outbreak now arrives pre-packaged with "plandemic" narratives — here's why conspiracy thinking thrives in exactly the kind of social division and institutional distrust America has right now.
Conspiracy TheoryProportionality BiasInstitutional DistrustMoral Panic
Theory Briefing
- Hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks in the US are rapidly spawning 'plandemic' conspiracy theories, echoing patterns seen during COVID-19.
- Institutional distrust theory explains why fragmented, polarised societies are most vulnerable to misinformation filling the credibility vacuum left by official sources.
- Proportionality bias drives believers to reject mundane explanations for scary outbreaks, making grand orchestrated plots feel psychologically more satisfying.