Good old Cummings boss, Putin has been at it again (according to the USA)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/22/coronavirus-russia-disinformation-campaign-us-officials
Coronavirus: US says Russia behind disinformation campaign
- Thousands of fake social media accounts promote conspiracies
- Campaign seizes on international health concerns, say officials
Thousands of Russian-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread misinformation and alarm about coronavirus, disrupting global
efforts to fight the epidemic, US officials have said.
The disinformation campaign promotes unfounded conspiracy theories that the US is behind the new coronavirus outbreak, in an apparent bid to damage America’s image around the world
State department officials tasked with combatting Russian disinformation told the AFP false personas were being used on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to advance Russian talking points 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.
Some accounts have falsely claimed the US is waging “economic war on China” and that the virus is a biological weapon manufactured by the CIA.
There was a time when "Conspiracy theories" were the remit of crackpots
There's a case for thinking they still are