State Department blasts Russia for 'spreading disinformation' that America is responsible for coronavirus - as South Korea, Singapore and Iran report 'untraceable' new infection clusters in sign that virus spread is uncontrollable

Daily Mail ^ | Published: 12:00 EST, 22 February 2020 | Updated: 09:32 EST, 23 February 2020 | Afp and Associated Press

[Zhang Fei]

Thousands of Russian-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm about the new coronavirus, disrupting global efforts to combat the epidemic, U.S. officials say.

The disinformation campaign promotes unfounded conspiracy theories that the United States is behind the COVID-19 outbreak, in an apparent bid to damage the U.S. image by seizing on international health concerns, they said.

State Department officials tasked with combating Russian disinformation told AFP that false personas are being used on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to advance Russian talking propaganda about coronavirus in multiple languages.

'Russia's intent is to sow discord and undermine US institutions and alliances from within, including through covert and coercive malign influence campaigns,' said Philip Reeker, the acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia.

'By spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Russian malign actors are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response,' he said.

The claims that have been circulating in recent weeks include allegations that the virus is a US effort to 'wage economic war on China,' that it is a biological weapon manufactured by the CIA or part of a Western-led effort 'to push anti-China messages.'

US individuals including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, a philanthropist who has spent billions on global health programs, have also been falsely accused of involvement in the virus.

The disinformation campaign was identified by US monitors in mid-January after Chinese officials announced a third death from the new coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Several thousand online accounts -- previously identified for airing Russian-backed messages on major events such as the war in Syria, the Yellow Vest protests in France and Chile's mass demonstrations -- are posting 'almost near identical' messages about the novel coronavirus, according to a report prepared for the State

[Zhang Fei]

Russians taking up where they left off with Operation Infektion decades ago, when they blamed the CIA for creating AIDS to kill black people. Needless to say, China's propaganda organs will be recycling these new Russian claims.

[null and void]

Eeeeeep!

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

[camle]

I thought we were told that coronavirus only spread by contact with the tears of an infected person. has this changed?

[libertylover]

This is the Russians trying to help Bernie.

[oldasrocks]

Has china been reading the democrats play book?

[KittyKares]

But I thought Russia wanted Trump to win? (per the Democrats)

[mass55th]

"Has china been reading the democrats play book?"

You mean Mao's Little Red Book"?

[Grampa Dave]

NY Times Opinion Piece:

Let’s Call It Trumpvirus!

If you’re feeling awful, you know who to blame.!!

Gail Collins

By Gail Collins

Opinion Columnist

Feb. 26, 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/opinion/coronavirus-trump.html

[mosesdapoet]

Taiwanese professor says Wuhan coronavirus likely man-made
Taiwan News ^ | 02/25/2020 | By Keoni Everington

Posted on 2/27/2020, 2:51:48 PM by SeekAndFind

As the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire across the globe, a National Taiwan University (NTU) professor on Saturday (Feb. 22) said the virus is likely man-made, based on its unusual structure .a professor at NTU’s College of Public Health, addressed the many theories circulating that the virus somehow leaked from or was released from the Wuhan Institute of Virology biosafety level 4 laboratory (BSL-4 Lab). He said that what is known is that there are many deadly viruses being researched in the facility, such as SARS and Ebola, and that China’s track record with safety standards and laboratory management has been questioned in the past.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3820054/posts

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Zhang Fei.

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