New research has found that people who believe conspiracy theories about covid-19 are more likely to be infected with the virus.

The findings published in the scientific journal Cambridge University Press by the Free University of Amsterdam, revealed that those in the conspiracy field were less likely to undergo covid-19 tests, and those who were tested were more likely to be already infected.

The study also notes that there is a greater chance of this It also says that this group is more likely to break coronavirus rules, resulting in social rejection, job losses, lower-income, and a general decline in well-being.

“One basic property of conspiracy theories is that they are consequential, even if a conspiracy theory is extremely implausible according to logic or scientific evidence, if it seems real to a perceiver, it has a genuine impact on attitudes, emotions, and behavior,” says the study author.

The study’s researchers surveyed 5,745 people in April and December 2020, led by the first author and social psychologist Jan-Willem van Prooijen, to give a wide sample from a cross-section of Dutch society.

“Conspiracy beliefs predict how well people cope with the challenges of a global pandemic and therefore has substantial implications for private and public health, as well as perceivers’ economic and social well-being,” they conclude.

According to Geoffrey Dancy, a conspiracy theory scholar, conspiracy theories are commonly adopted at times of heightened anxiety to explain occurrences beyond our control.

He described that it is often comforting to have something, or someone, to blame for a vast problem, like a pandemic.

“The great power of conspiracy theories is that you can offer them quickly, and you can point to somebody to blame for problems,” he said.

“So, if you’ve got a pandemic, it’s actually a ‘plan-demic,’ people planned it. Either it was Anthony Fauci or Bill Gates that planned this with their research, or they caused it with their research in China.”

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