# Alternative theories of COVID-19: social dimensions and information sources

## TL;DR

This study explores how alternative theories about COVID-19 relate to people's demographics and information sources.

## Contribution

The study identifies sociodemographic and informational predictors of belief in alternative theories about the pandemic.

## Key findings

- Belief in alternative theories was associated with being right-leaning, religious, young, male, and unvaccinated.
- Social media was a strong predictor of holding alternative theories about the pandemic.
- Information sources significantly influenced the likelihood of holding such beliefs.

## Abstract

While scientific understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic increased, conspiracy theories undermined the foundations of public health policy, making it significantly more difficult both to discuss and to implement. Popular alternative narratives include the claim that government was using restrictions to control people's behavior, and that the pandemic was caused by 5G cellular technology. We examine the extent to which alternative beliefs were associated with sociodemographic characteristics and the sources through which people acquired information during the pandemic. Our analysis uses a demographically balanced online survey of 10,022 participants from 50 US states, collected during August of 2021. Results indicate that those holding alternative theories tended to be right leaning, religious, young, male, and unvaccinated individuals. Sources of information were also strong predictors of such beliefs, specifically the extent to which social media were considered reliable.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1057/s41271-025-00560-2.