Former US President Donald Trump has sparked widespread criticism and fact-checks after peddling a thoroughly debunked COVID-19 conspiracy theory during a recent rally. The ex-President erroneously touted a non-existent 'Stratus' variant while making inflated claims about his administration's role in vaccine development.
Addressing supporters, Trump asserted, "You probably have the Stratus variant or you have some other variant... nobody even knows about the Stratus variant." This statement was promptly contradicted by medical experts and journalists who confirmed no such variant exists in any official records from the World Health Organization or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccine Claims Under Scrutiny
Trump's misinformation extended to vaccine development, where he claimed personal credit for the rapid creation of COVID-19 vaccines. "I came up with a vaccine with three different companies... all done in less than nine months," he told the crowd. However, this narrative overlooks critical facts about the scientific process.
The groundbreaking mRNA technology behind Pfizer and Moderna vaccines resulted from decades of prior research, including crucial work by scientists Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. Operation Warp Speed, while accelerating distribution, built upon existing global scientific efforts rather than originating the vaccines.
Expert Reactions and Fact-Checks
Medical professionals and fact-checking organisations have uniformly dismissed Trump's 'Stratus' comments. The term appears to be either a misstatement or complete fabrication, with no evidence supporting its existence in virology databases or scientific literature.
Health experts warn that such misinformation could potentially undermine public health efforts by creating confusion about genuine variants and vaccination benefits. The incident highlights ongoing challenges in combating health misinformation within political discourse.
This isn't the first time Trump has made questionable claims about the pandemic. His presidency was marked by controversial statements about COVID-19 treatments and transmission, often contradicting scientific consensus.
