Table 5.
Endorsement of coronavirus conspiracy beliefs (OCEANS coronavirus conspiracy scale).
| Do not agree | Agree a little | Agree moderately | Agree a lot | Agree completely | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The virus is a hoax. | 3682 (72.0%) | 355 (6.9%) | 388 (7.6%) | 216 (4.2%) | 197 (3.9%) | 276 (5.4%) |
| 2. The virus is manmade. | 1542 (30.2%) | 772 (15.1%) | 741 (14.5%) | 645 (12.6%) | 746 (14.6%) | 668 (13.1%) |
| 3. The spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt to reduce the size of the global population. | 2604 (50.9%) | 607 (11.9%) | 584 (11.4%) | 402 (7.9%) | 427 (8.3%) | 490 (9.6%) |
| 4. The spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt by governments to gain political control. | 2799 (54.7%) | 569 (11.1%) | 544 (10.6%) | 372 (7.3%) | 386 (7.5%) | 444 (8.7%) |
| 5. The spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt by a group of powerful people to make money. | 2794 (54.6%) | 536 (10.5%) | 512 (10.0%) | 372 (7.3%) | 415 (8.1%) | 485 (9.5%) |
| 6. The spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt by one nation to destabilise another. | 2539 (49.6%) | 642 (12.6%) | 538 (10.5%) | 400 (7.8%) | 455 (8.9%) | 540 (10.6%) |
| 7. The spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt by global companies to take control. | 2882 (56.4%) | 493 (9.6%) | 461 (9.0%) | 397 (7.8%) | 382 (7.5%) | 499 (9.8%) |
| 8. COVID-19 is a bioweapon developed by China to destroy the West. | 2321 (45.4%) | 701 (13.7%) | 538 (10.5%) | 395 (7.7%) | 439 (8.6%) | 720 (14.1%) |
| 9. The virus is a biological weapon manufactured by the United States. | 3277 (64.1%) | 345 (6.7%) | 350 (6.8%) | 314 (6.1%) | 207 (4.0%) | 621 (12.1%) |
| 10. The United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO) have manufactured the virus to take global control. | 3358 (65.7%) | 350 (6.8%) | 393 (7.7%) | 246 (4.8%) | 212 (4.1%) | 555 (10.9%) |
| 11. Jews have created the virus to collapse the economy for financial gain. | 3730 (72.9%) | 214 (4.2%) | 308 (6.0%) | 242 (4.7%) | 165 (3.2%) | 455 (8.9%) |
| 12. The elite have created the virus in order to establish a one-world government. | 3357 (65.6%) | 312 (6.1%) | 343 (6.7%) | 300 (5.9%) | 272 (5.3%) | 530 (10.4%) |
| 13. Bill Gates has created the virus in order to reduce the world population. | 3572 (69.8%) | 246 (4.8%) | 308 (6.0%) | 268 (5.2%) | 239 (4.7%) | 481 (9.4%) |
| 14. Big Pharma created COVID-19 to profit from the vaccines. | 3333 (65.2%) | 342 (6.7%) | 346 (6.8%) | 288 (5.6%) | 256 (5.0%) | 549 (10.7%) |
| 15. COVID-19 is being used by the government to implement a police state. | 2992 (58.5%) | 611 (11.9%) | 473 (9.2%) | 307 (6.0%) | 300 (5.9%) | 431 (8.4%) |
| 16. COVID-19 is caused by 5 G and is a form of radiation poisoning transmitted through radio waves. | 3698 (72.3%) | 236 (4.6%) | 358 (7.0%) | 270 (5.3%) | 164 (3.2%) | 388 (7.6%) |
| 17. The virus is a smokescreen for a global conspiracy that swapped the real world with a simulation. | 3546 (69.3%) | 322 (6.3%) | 358 (7.0%) | 261 (5.1%) | 205 (4.0%) | 422 (8.3%) |
| 18. COVID-19 was created to force everyone to get vaccinated. | 3393 (66.3%) | 373 (7.3%) | 333 (6.5%) | 306 (6.0%) | 291 (5.7%) | 418 (8.2%) |
| 19. The vaccine will be used to carry out mass sterilisation. | 3470 (67.9%) | 275 (5.4%) | 323 (6.3%) | 296 (5.8%) | 284 (5.6%) | 466 (9.1%) |
| 20. The World Health Organisation (WHO) already has a vaccine and are withholding it. | 3278 (64.1%) | 372 (7.3%) | 338 (6.6%) | 299 (5.8%) | 242 (4.7%) | 585 (11.4%) |
| 21. Antibody testing is a plot to harvest our DNA. | 3355 (65.6%) | 310 (6.1%) | 356 (7.0%) | 301 (5.9%) | 282 (5.5%) | 510 (10.0%) |