What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
Position‹5 of 6›: COVID-19 is linked to alcohol consumption
Argument: Corona started COVID-19

The virus was named after the famous brewery, following accidental contamination of its beer.

The argument

The proof is in the name - Corona beer is the cause of COVID-19. Why else would the names be so similar? The beer was accidentally contaminated and subsequently spread from there. The similarity of corona beer and coronavirus made people begin to believe that the two may be linked when coronavirus started to reach the United States in mid-March. This has led to people distancing themselves from the drink. Corona beer can no longer continue to be a successful business due to its relation and role in the coronavirus pandemic. Grupo Modelo, which is the producer of corona beer, halted production in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Modelo claimed that these actions were done, as their production is not deemed to be essential work. They did in a statement say that if their work was deemed to be essential then they would continue production. They also said in another statement that coronavirus has not affected their sales. When a person is intoxicated and exposed to a viral infection such as coronavirus, it can make a person more susceptible. This is because alcohol seems to slow the immune system.

Context

(ALERT: Visit the WHO for accurate information about the coronavirus pandemic)

Premises

[P1]The striking similarity between the names 'Corona beer' and 'coronavirus' suggests a connection between the two. [P2] Corona beer was accidentally contaminated and spread the virus from there, prompting consumers to distance themselves from the drink. [P3] Alcohol consumption weakens the immune system, making intoxicated people more susceptible to viral infections like COVID-19. [C] Therefore, COVID-19 is linked to alcohol consumption, with Corona beer playing a role in starting the pandemic.

Counter-arguments

There is no scientific link between Corona beer and COVID-19. This theory was based solely on the similarity of the two names; this belief was spread through social media. This was not helped by the fact that the Grupo Modelo halted production in April. The name corona however means crown in Latin. The virus received this name, as under a microscope it has a crown-like appearance.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] The names carry no connection to infer from: 'corona' is the Latin word for crown, and the virus was so named because it presents a crown-like fringe under a microscope, so the resemblance is a coincidence of vocabulary rather than evidence of a shared origin. [Rejecting P2] No contamination has been established at any point; the claim circulated on social media on the strength of the name alone, and the brewer's suspension of production in April followed the pandemic rather than seeded it. [Rejecting P3] Even if alcohol consumption affected susceptibility, that would say nothing about where the virus originated, so the premise cannot support a conclusion about one brand starting the outbreak.