Roughly 3 in 10 Americans believe COVID-19 was created in a lab, survey says

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World Health Organization debunks coronavirus myths

In addition to whether the virus can spread from mail or packages, the WHO notes if certain remedies or treatments are effective in preventing infection.

Scientists say COVID-19 is a result of natural evolution, but according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, nearly a third of Americans don’t believe them.

The survey, conducted between March 10 and March 16, found 29% of Americans believe the disease was created in a lab — either intentionally or accidentally.

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Though not a majority, a plurality of respondents (43%) said it came about naturally while a quarter of them weren’t sure.

Education seems to be the biggest variable in determining this train of thought. Sixty-one percent of college-educated respondents believed COVID-19 came from nature. Only 31% of those with a high school diploma or less held the same belief.

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When gender was analyzed, 30% of men thought COVID-19 was made in a lab, slightly higher than the 29% of women with the same belief. Men (46%) were more likely to believe it came from nature than women (41%).

Minorities were more likely than whites to say the disease came from a lab, with 39% of Hispanics and 34% of blacks holding this belief.

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At 50%, whites were most likely to call the disease is a natural occurrence. Blacks, at 41%, were most likely to be unsure.

The young were most likely to believe COVID-19 was a lab creation while the elderly were the least likely. Thirty-five percent of people between 18 and 29 years old said it came from a lab while people 65 and older believed the disease is natural.

This story was reported from Atlanta.