After the initial outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),
conspiracy theories and misinformation emerged online regarding the origin, scale, and various other aspects of the disease.[1][2] Various social media posts claimed the virus was a bio-weapon with a patented vaccine, a population control scheme, or the result of a spy operation.[3][4][5] Medical misinformation about ways to prevent, treat and self-diagnose coronavirus disease also circulated rampantly in social media.[6] weki
A number of provincial-level administrators of the #CommunistPartyofChina (CPC) were dismissed over their handling of the quarantine efforts in Central China, a sign of discontent with the political establishment's response to the outbreak in those regions. Some experts believe this is likely in a move to protect Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping from people's anger over the #coronavirusoutbreak .[674] In early March, the Italian government criticized the European Union's lack of solidarity with coronavirus-affected Italy.[675][676] On 22 March 2020, after a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Russian president Vladimir Putin arranged the Russian army to send military medics, special disinfection vehicles and other medical equipment to Italy.[677] The planned NATO “Defender 2020” military exercise in Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states,[678] the largest NATO war manoeuvres since the end of the Cold War, will be held on a reduced scale.[679]
The Iranian government has been heavily affected by the virus.[680][681] Iran's President Hassan Rouhani wrote a public letter to world leaders asking for help on 14 March 2020, saying that his country doesn't have access to international markets due to the United States sanctions against Iran.[682] The outbreak has prompted calls for the United States to adopt social policies common in other wealthy countries, including universal health care, universal child care, paid family leave, and higher levels of funding for public health.[683] #Politicalanalysts anticipated it may negatively affect Donald Trump's chances of re-election in the 2020 presidential election.[684] The outbreak has also led to bipartisan praise for both Republican and Democratic Governors.[685] Diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea worsened due to the pandemic.[686] South Korea criticized Japan's "ambiguous and passive quarantine efforts".[687]
