CAN COVID-19 BE A BIOTERRORISM ATTACK?: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Year 2024, Volume: 27 Issue: 3, 547 - 560, 26.09.2024

Pınar Yalçın Balçık , Burak Tekerek

https://doi.org/10.61859/hacettepesid.1452258

Abstract

Bioterrorism is a concept with a long history dating back to ancient times. It is defined most clearly in the literature as the use of microorganisms or toxins to cause disease or death in humans, animals, or plants. In this context, the aim of this study is to investigate whether Covid-19, which rapidly spread from the city of Wuhan, China to the whole world in December 2019, is a biological attack. Accordingly, studies examining Covid-19 within the framework of bioterrorism have been systematically reviewed. This systematic review is based on English articles published between December 2019 and April 2023. Searches were conducted using keywords such as "Bioterrorism, covid 19", "Biological Weapon, Covıd 19", "Bioweapon, Covıd 19", "Biological Attack, Covid 19", "Biological warfere, Covıd 19", and "Biowarfere Covıd 19" in electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed (including MEDLINE), Cochrane, and EBSCOhost between May 1, 2023, and May 30, 2023. In the reviewed articles, studies suggesting that Covid-19 is a bioterror attack mainly support their findings with clinical trials and community opinions, while studies denying that Covid-19 is a bioterror attack often emphasize conspiracy theories. Additionally, there are studies indicating the need for detailed investigations. The majority of studies examined in this systematic review indicate that Covid-19 is not the result of a bioterror attack. However, it is believed that further comprehensive studies conducted by health authorities are needed to prove the hypothesis that coronavirus is not a biological attack.

Keywords

Bioterrosim, Covıd 19, Pandemic, Biologic weapon

COVID-19 BİYOTERÖR SALDIRI OLABİLİR Mİ?: SİSTEMATİK DERLEME

Abstract

Biyoterörizm, geçmişten günümüze kadar uzanan tarihi çok eskilere dayanan bir kavramdır. Literatürde birçok tanımı bulunan biyoterörizmin en net tanımı insan, hayvan ve bitkilerde hastalık veya ölüm oluşturmak maksadıyla mikroorganizmaların ya da toksinlerinin kullanılmasıdır. Bu doğrultuda bu çalışmanın amacı Aralık 2019 tarihinde Çin’in Wuhan kentinden tüm dünyaya hızlı bir şekilde yayılan Covid-19’un biyolojik saldırı olup olmadığını incelemektir. Bu amaçtan hareketle Covid-19’u biyoterörizm kapsamında inceleyen çalışmalar sistematik olarak incelenmiştir. Sistematik derleme niteliğinde olan bu çalışma, Aralık 2019 ile Nisan 2023 tarihleri arasında yayınlanan İngilizce makalelere dayanmaktadır. 1 Mayıs 2023-30 Mayıs 2023 tarihleri arasında, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane ve EBSCOhost elektronik veri tabanlarında “Bioterorism, Covid-19”, “Biological Weapon, Covid-19”, “Bioweapon, Covid-19”, “Biological Attack, Covid 19”, “Biological warfere, Covid 19”, “Biowarfere Covid 19” anahtar kelimeleri kullanarak taramalar yapılmıştır. İncelenen makalelerde, Covid-19’un biyoterör saldırı olduğunu ifade eden çalışmaların, daha çok klinik deneyler ve toplum görüşleri ile bulgularını destekledikleri görülürken, Covid-19’un biyoterör saldırı olmadığını ifade eden çalışmaların çoğunlukla komplo teorilerine vurgu yaptıkları görülmektedir. Bunun yanı sıra ayrıntılı çalışmaların yapılması gerektiğini ifade eden çalışmalar da vardır. Bu sistematik derlemede incelenen araştırmaların çoğunluğu, Covid-19'un bir biyoterör saldırı sonucu olmadığını ifade etmektedir. Ancak, koronavirüsün biyolojik bir saldırı olmadığı hipotezinin kanıtlanması için sağlık otoriteleri tarafından yapılmış daha fazla kapsamlı çalışmaya ihtiyaç olduğu düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

Biyoterörizm, Covid-19, Pandemi, Biyolojik silah

References

• Aslam, M. (2021). Covid-19 plague, a biological weapon or retribution of nature: struggle of mankind against ınvisible might. Rashhat-e-Qalam, 1(1), 32-54.
• Atlas, R. M. (2002). Bioterrorism: from threat to reality. Annual Reviews in Microbiology, 56(1), 167-185.
• Altun, A. (2022). Covid 19, biyolojik silahlar ve biyoterörizm. Academıc Socıal Resources Journal, 7(34), 129-137.
• Bossi, P., Garinb, D., Guihot, A., Gay, F., Crance, J.-M., Debordc, T., Autrand, B. and Bricaire, F. (2006). Bioterrorism: management of major biological agents. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 63(19-20), 2196-2212.
• Das, S., & Kataria, V. K. (2010). Bioterrorism: a public health perspective. Medical Journal Armed Forces India, 66(3), 255-260.
• Dehghani, A., & Masoumi, G. (2020). Could SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 be a biological weapon?. Iranian journal of public health, 49(Suppl 1), 143.
• Dökmeci, A. H., & Çavlan, B. (2020). Biyolojik silah; biyolojik savaşlar, pandemiler ve Covid-19. Journal on Mathematic, Engineering and Natural Sciences (EJONS), 4(16), 841-859.
• Farkas, C. B., Dudás, G., Babinszky, G. C., & Földi, L. (2023). Analysis of the virus SARS-COV-2 as a potential bioweapon in light of international literature. Military Medicine, 188(3-4), 531-540.
• Glatter, K. A., & Finkelman, P. (2021). History of the plague: An ancient pandemic for the age of COVID-19. The American journal of medicine, 134(2), 176-181.
• Gulati, I., Khan, S., Gulati, G., Verma, S. R., Khan, M., Ahmad, S., ... & Haque, S. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 origins: zoonotic Rhinolophus vs contemporary models. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews, 1-34.
• Gupta, M. L., & Sharma, A. (2007). Pneumonic plague, northern India, 2002. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 13(4), 664.
• Gupta, V., Bankar, N., & Chandankhede, M. (2021). The COVID-19-An agent for bioterrorism?. Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, 33(40B), 279-284.
• Haque, A., Maimunah, I., & Wargadinata, W. (2022). Is corona virus an extraordinary biological weapon?(Indonesian media perspective in the early COVID-19 pandemic). Media Komunikasi FPIPS, 21(1), 1-17.
• Hick, J. L., Hanfling, D., Burstein, J. L., Markham, J., Macintyre, A. G., & Barbera, J. A. (2003). Protective equipment for health care facility decontamination personnel: regulations, risks, and recommendations. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 42(3), 370-380.
• Hüşan U. H. (2010) Biyolojik terör riskine karşı tıbbi müdahalenin etkinliğinin irdelenmesi ve yerel yanıtın geliştirilmesi. Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Doktora Tezi, Çanakkale.
• Imhoff, R., & Lamberty, P. (2020). A bioweapon or a hoax? The link between distinct conspiracy beliefs about the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and pandemic behavior. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(8), 1110-1118.
• Jormakka, J. (2020). Is Covid-19 a bioweapon?. Erişim Tarihi:14.03.2024, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jorma-Jormakka/publication/340916582_Is_Covid-19_a_bioweapon/links/5ea3d73245851553faace328/Is-Covid-19-a-bioweapon.pdf
• Khan, A. S., Levitt, A. M., & Sage, M. J. (2000). Biological and chemical terrorism; strategic plan for preparedness and response: recommendations of the CDC Strategic Planning Workgroup. ISO 690.
• Khokhlova, O., Lamba, N., Bhatia, A., & Vinogradova, M. (2021). Biowarfare conspiracy, faith in government, and compliance with safety guidelines during COVID-19: an international study. Mind & Society, 20, 235-251.
• Knight, D. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic origins: bioweapons and the history of laboratory leaks. Southern Medical Journal, 114(8), 465.
• Kolhekar, S., Sawkharwade, P., & Meshram, K. (2021). COVID… 19 is it an agent for bioterrorism?. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 15(2), 970-972.
• Lakshmi, C.H. (2020). COVID-19-Bioterrorism. International Journal of Law Management & Humanities, 3(2), 104-112.
• Lippi, G., Sanchis-Gomar, F., & Henry, B. M. (2020). COVID-19: unravelling the clinical progression of nature’s virtually perfect biological weapon. Annals of translational medicine, 8(11),1-6.
• Mansour, B. M., Alsoleman, D. M., & Alghanem, S. H. (2022). An Overview of Biological Warfare and SARS-CoV-2 as a Potential Biological Agent. Middle East Journal of Family Medicine, 20(3),43-51.
• Nattrass, N. (2023). Promoting conspiracy theory: from AIDS to COVID-19. Global Public Health, 18(1), 2172199.
• Neil, S. J., & Campbell, E. M. (2020). Fake science: XMRV, COVID-19, and the toxic legacy of Dr. Judy Mikovits. AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 36(7), 545-549.
• Nie, J. B. (2020). In the shadow of biological warfare: conspiracy theories on the origins of COVID-19 and enhancing global governance of biosafety as a matter of urgency. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 17(4), 567-574.
• Paquette, L. (2004). Bioterrorism in medical and healthcare administration. Routledge, USA.
• Paull, J. (2020). Science versus public sentiment:“Covid-19 is not a bioweapon created in a laboratory, say UK scientists”,“nope, don’t believe ıt”, say UK public. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine Research, 4(3), 93-100.
• Petrović, M., & Žeželj, I. (2023). Both a bioweapon and a hoax: the curious case of contradictory conspiracy theories about COVID-19. Thinking & Reasoning, 29(4), 456-487.
• Ryan, R. (2013). Cochrane consumers and communication review group: data synthesis and analysis. Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review. 1–5.
• Ryan, R., Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group. (2013). Cochrane consumers and communication review group: data synthesis and analysis. [Online], http://cccrg.cochrane.org, (Erişim Tarihi:14.03.2024).
• Snilstveit, B., Oliver, S., Vojtkova, M. (2012). Narrative approaches to systematic review and synthesis of evidence for international development policy and practice. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 4(3):409–429.
• Talay, H. (2021). Korku ve biyoterörizm ekseninde covid-19’u anlamak. Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2(1), 42-58.
• Tiwary, S. & Chakole, S. (2021). A review of pandemics from the viewpoint of bioterrorism. Bioscience Biotechnology Research Communications, 14(6), 237-241.
• WHO, (2024). WHO Covid-19 dashboard. Erişim: 14.03.2024, https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths?n=c
• Yüksel, O., & Erdem, R. (2016). Biyoterörizm ve sağlık. Hacettepe Sağlık İdaresi Dergisi, 19(2), 203-222.