COVID-19 Is Caused by a Virus, Not Snake Venom
SciCheck Digest
The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a novel coronavirus, first isolated in January 2020. But a viral video has been spreading a conspiracy theory that the pandemic has actually been a plot to poison people with snake venom.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is spread from person to person through respiratory droplets or particles when infected people cough, sneeze, talk or breathe.
Most often, transmission occurs when such droplets or particles are breathed in or land in or on a person’s eyes, nose or mouth. As a result, risk is thought to be highest when people are in close contact with one another, typically within 6 feet or so of an infected person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Especially in places with poor ventilation, however, SARS-CoV-2 can be spread through small respiratory particles that linger in the air and can reach those who are further than 6 feet away. Such airborne transmissions have occurred in enclosed spaces without adequate ventilation and have often involved exercising,, raises the risk of such spread.
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