Quick Take
A social media post claims that COVID-19 was a planned wealth transfer, not a real pandemic. After fact-checking, we found this claim to be false.
The Claim
According to an Instagram post, the COVID-19 pandemic was intentionally engineered or grossly exaggerated as a pretext for a conspiracy involving governments, major pharmaceutical companies (such as Pfizer and Moderna), large financial institutions (such as BlackRock and Vanguard), and global health organisations (such as the WHO). The primary goals were allegedly to transfer trillions in wealth to elites and establish greater control over the global population.
Fact Check
Was the COVID-19 virus engineered based on pre-existing patents?
No, this is false. The overwhelming scientific consensus, supported by extensive genomic analysis, indicates that SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, originated naturally. This can be most likely through zoonotic spillover (transfer from animals to humans). Scientists have studied coronaviruses for decades, leading to patents on related viruses or vaccine technologies. However, there is no credible evidence that SARS-CoV-2 itself was engineered or patented before the outbreak. Claims of “200+ pre-pandemic patents” proving engineering are vague, unsubstantiated, and misrepresent the nature of scientific patenting, which often covers methods or unrelated discoveries, not the specific novel virus.
This misunderstanding often extends further. Numerous social media posts are now raising the question, “Why are vaccines patented?” suggesting that patents on viruses indicate they were created or manipulated. However, this is misleading.
Did Moderna patent mRNA vaccines to prepare for COVID-19?
No. Moderna filed patents related to mRNA technology years before COVID-19, but that’s common in research and not proof of a conspiracy. The company was founded in 2010 to explore mRNA as a new platform for various diseases. Patents filed in 2015 were part of general research, not specific to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus behind COVID-19). mRNA vaccine research has been ongoing for decades. Scientists began developing COVID-specific vaccines only after the virus was identified in early 2020.
Was the pandemic response primarily a $100 trillion wealth transfer driven by Big Pharma and finance?
No, this is misleading. It is true that pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna saw substantial revenues from their COVID-19 vaccines and treatments (Pfizer reported significant global revenue, though figures vary). The pandemic also caused massive economic disruption globally, worsening wealth inequality and benefiting certain sectors and individuals. However, characterising this complex situation solely as a planned “$100 trillion wealth transfer” orchestrated by specific entities is a significant distortion.
Moreover, the “$100 trillion” figure appears vastly inflated and lacks credible sourcing. Governments worldwide spent trillions, but largely on public health responses, economic support programmes (like furlough schemes), and aid to mitigate the pandemic’s devastating impact, not simply funnelling money to corporations.
Large investment firms like BlackRock and Vanguard do hold shares in pharmaceutical companies, as they do in many other sectors. They manage assets on behalf of clients. Claiming they “seized control” of the pandemic response is misleading. Furthermore, suggesting that CDC advisory members shaped policy for personal profit ignores regulatory checks, conflict-of-interest rules, and the complex nature of public health decision-making during a crisis.
Along the same lines, some posts spread misleading claims about basic medical tests. For example, they suggest that routine checks like HbA1c and blood pressure monitoring exist purely for profit, which distorts their critical role in preventive healthcare.
Were pandemic policies like lockdowns designed solely for control?
No, this is incorrect. Public health measures such as lockdowns, mask mandates, and social distancing were implemented worldwide based on scientific advice available at the time. Their main goal was to slow the spread of a new and dangerous virus. They aimed to prevent healthcare systems from being overwhelmed. Another key aim was to reduce deaths. These steps also helped buy time to develop treatments and vaccines. While the necessity, effectiveness, and socio-economic costs of specific measures remain subjects of legitimate debate and research, attributing them purely to a desire for authoritarian “control” dismisses the genuine public health emergency faced globally.
Did NIH funding and DARPA’s mRNA interest indicate a link to bioweapons?
No, this is again false. It’s documented that the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has funded virology research globally, including collaborations in Wuhan studying coronaviruses. This is standard practice to understand and prepare for potential infectious disease threats. The term “gain-of-function” research is often misused. While some NIH-funded research involved modifying viruses, there is no credible evidence linking this funding directly to the creation or release of SARS-CoV-2.
Similarly, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) explored mRNA technology. But in the context of rapid vaccine development and medical countermeasures for pandemic preparedness – a defensive, not offensive, application. Linking these research streams to suggest a bioweapon conspiracy is speculative and not supported by available evidence.
Yet despite the life-saving impact of these vaccines, misinformation continues to circulate. Some social media posts now claim that COVID-19 vaccines are causing increased neurological and heart-related risks.
THIP Media Take
The claim that COVID-19 was a planned wealth transfer, not a real pandemic is false. It mixes unrelated facts, stretches timelines, and misrepresents the roles of scientific and public health institutions. While financial inequalities deepened during the pandemic, the virus and its impact were very real. COVID-19 killed millions, disrupted economies, and led to unprecedented public health challenges—not a pre-planned wealth grab.
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