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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Does a fictional pandemic exercise scenario conducted at Johns Hopkins prove that COVID-19 is a globalist plot for world domination?

By Sarah Thompson
NO

Conspiracists are misrepresenting the design of this 2017 exercise about a fictional global health emergency as proof that the COVID-19 pandemic was created for the benefit of some individuals and agencies.

The scenario was an exercise about a fictional coronavirus -- SPARS -- in the future, and how it could be treated globally.

On page 6 of the 89-page SPARS scenario book from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security is a disclaimer: "This is a hypothetical scenario designed to illustrate the public health risk communication challenges that could potentially emerge during a naturally occurring infectious disease outbreak requiring development and distribution of novel and/or investigational drugs, vaccines, therapeutics, or other medical countermeasures."

Everything about SPARS was, as the disclaimer said, "entirely fictional."

This type of scenario exercise is used in a wide variety of recreational and vocational settings, not just in public health.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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