Do Not Cover This Easy Story: Corona Virus Conspiracy Theories are Almost All Robots

Corona virus news is everywhere. Yet, it is less of a problem than influenza. In many ways the reaction to the virus is more problematic than the virus itself, linking the hypertrophied sense of skepticism of the hoax with ostensibly scientific rationality. Racist ideas appear rational during the time of the outbreak. Ed Yong has framed this in compelling terms in The Atlantic. The end game is that protectionist measures that would ban travel or racialize the response to a medical situation destroy the bonds that…