Screenshots of a report published in November 2021 are circulating on social networks. In particular, we see projections according to which an epidemic of monkeypox would begin in May 2022. Explanations.
It must be said that it is disconcerting. A report, published in November 2021, offers simulations for an exercise in which an epidemic would occur. Except that it turns out that the scientists based their projections on the emergence of a new strain of… monkeypox.
In screenshots relayed on Twitter, we see in particular that the virus is mentioned on the date of May 15, 2022 for the first time and that the scenarios envisage a rapid spread of monkeypox, giving rise in particular to certain conspiracy theories. .
The monkeypox outbreak scenario was planned over a year ago, in March 2021, by The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) (p 12) – https://t.co/IZZMkaievO.. .
Coincidence?
Accurate day to day.
Extremely suspicious. pic.twitter.com/hFGMEKebhv— #Eric #Dystoshowu00aeufe0f (@dystoman) May 20, 2022
What is this report?
This is the report of a simulation exercise conducted in March 2021 and published in November by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). This NGO works for “the reduction of nuclear and biological threats threatening humanity”, specifies Checknews which was interested in this document.
In the intro of the reportthe purpose of the latter is specified from the outset: “NTI has associated itself with the Munich Conference on Security to conduct a tabletop exercise on reducing high-consequence biological threats”. This study comes in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“While national and world leaders are rightly focused on immediate demands for COVID-19 responses, the international community cannot delay implementing the measures necessary to protect against future biological threats,” the authors say. of the report.
Why is monkeypox mentioned?
In this report, the scientists explain that they have implemented a simulation exercise in which the scenario is as follows: “A deadly global pandemic involving an unusual strain of monkeypox virus that emerged in the fictional nation of Brinia and spread around the world over 18 months.”
Except that the choice of this virus, put in parallel with its recent emergence constitutes a disturbing coincidence. Very singled out in such a context, the NTI has decided to put a page of questions and answers online in order to offer more transparency on this report.
When asked why monkeypox was selected for study, the answer is then: “One of the monkeypox selection factors was the value of selecting a pathogen with different characteristics than the SARS-CoV-2 virus.which encouraged exercise participants to consider issues beyond those already highlighted by the current pandemic.”
What is Bill Gates doing in this story?
Among the conspiracy theories relayed on social networks, the name of Bill Gates comes up regularly. With this scenario that imagines a pandemic of monkeypox, some Internet users have made a shortcut pointing to the WHO, while others accuse Bill Gates of being behind it all.
The monkeypox diary has existed since March 2021 in the NTI simulation report.
We are facing a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY fomented by Bill Gates Biden Macron & consorts. Objective: to reduce the world’s population through natural selection#BillGatesBioTerrorist pic.twitter.com/1OwHVxhRQb— Eric Naish (@ERIC_MINOT) May 22, 2022
Why: because the Gates Foundation is one of the financial contributors to NTI, Jaime Yassif, one of the institution’s officials, confirmed to AFP.
On the place occupied by the WHO, or even Bill Gates in the development of this scenario, it specifies that “although a member of each of these organizations participated in the simulation as individual experts, none of these organizations played a role in its organization or funding.t”. “Neither the Gates Foundation nor the WHO played an official role in the exercise”.
Should we fear the scenario envisaged?
On May 7, the first confirmed case of monkeypox was found in Great Britain. Quickly, new cases emerged in various European countries, and on May 21, the WHO confirmed the presence of the virus in twelve countries outside of Africa, where monkeypox usually circulates. In France, it is announced that a first suspected case was detected on May 19.
Gold in the imagined scenario by scientists, the first cases of this modified monkeypox appear on May 15. “We have no reason to believe that the current outbreak involves a modified pathogen, as we have seen no compelling evidence that would support such a hypothesis,” NTI says in its Q&A.
For the institution, this is a coincidence, which is not suspicious given the fact that this virus is already very well documented, that it has already been the subject of similar scenarios and that it is “listed on the U.S. Selected Agents and Toxins List based on its potential to pose a serious threat to human and animal health.”
The WHO wants to be reassuring
Asked this Monday, May 30 as part of a press briefing, Rosamuld Lewis, monkeypox expert within the organization, made reassuring remarks about the current situation.
“At this time, we are not concerned about a global pandemic. It is still possible to stop this epidemic before it spreads.” To date, seventeen cases of monkey pox have been confirmed in France, including two in Occitania.
#Monkey #pox #report #scientists #simulate #epidemic
