U.S. Senator Tom Cotton has continuously amplified the narrative that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has claimed the lives of around 2,870 people as of February 28, 2020, may have originated in a biosafety lab in Wuhan: a theory that has been “strongly condemned” by scientists closely studying the virus outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the spread of damaging online information as an infodemic, a false information virus that spreads faster than a real virus does. Disinformation, misinformation, and incomplete information can spread via influencers and media amplification far more quickly than a virus can spread from one person to another. With over 208,000 Twitter followers and over 159,000 Facebook followers, as well as being a frequent guest on cable television where he made this claim, Cotton has the ability to spread his ideas to hundreds of thousands of people, who in turn spread the ideas further.

The theory that the virus started in the Wuhan lab has been picked up primarily by fringe sites and social media pages dedicated to conspiracy theories and further amplified by people with large public profiles online, such as Cotton. Cotton, who has fought to curb China’s relationship with the United States since being elected to the Senate in 2015, has been criticized for playing fast and loose with facts about the novel coronavirus. Even Fox News referred to Cotton’s unverified claims as “startling.” As an influential and outspoken public figure, his statements on the origin of the novel coronavirus hold weight, and his verified status on Twitter lends him a degree of authority that the average user might not have. The DFRLab tracked the origin of the conspiracy theory to see where the theory originated, where it spread, and which groups or individuals amplified the narrative.

The Wuhan lab and unsupported claims around it

In January 2018, China opened the country’s first level-four biosafety laboratory (BSL4-Lab). Located in Wuhan, the lab has the authority to experiment with easily transmitted deadly pathogens such as Ebola and coronaviruses. In order to operate at the highest level of biocontainment, the lab filters its air and purifies waste before it exits the testing space. Researchers are also required to change their clothing and shower before and after using the facility.

As a result of its proximity to the epicenter of the origin of the novel coronavirus, rumors have spread online that the virus may have been released or escaped from the lab itself. These rumors have been amplified by Cotton, who has repeatedly mentioned the BSL4-Lab in relation to the novel coronavirus in interviews and in official Senate convenings, suggesting that the virus may have originated in the lab. His tweet amplifying the conspiracy was retweeted more than 2,000 times and liked 3,800 times.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton noted that China’s only biosafety lab is located in Wuhan while speaking in a Senate committee meeting. (Source: @SenTomCotton/archive)

A timeline of the lab and the novel coronavirus outbreak

According to a DFRLab query using Brandwatch, the first time the biosafety laboratory was mentioned in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak in English on Twitter was January 4, with two tweets that garnered little attention. Both tweets highlighted the lab’s location in Wuhan, implying there may be a correlation between the lab and the outbreak.