Covid and the Conspiracies

When covid started and it was, for those of us in the US, just drone videos of silent and abandoned Chinese cities, many of us, me included, sensed that things would be placed under control as we had some ideas about what this virus was and how to stop the spread. Sure, there would be some push back and some arguments about what exactly had to be done (lockdown being complete, or partial and what kinds of places should be shutdown) [1], but it wouldn't be that bad. Then I rethought it and figured our health system wouldn't be able to handled this and would make the poor suffer, but let's try not to. I did not expect so many conspiracies to be roiling about. This has happened before in previous pandemics, but that it has happened now when we know so much about the virus (it isn't some unknown agent causing death) has made me re-calibrate my priors. And it's not just in the US. In the EU it's the 5G is causing it tripe and in Latin America it's anywhere from 5G to things like ginger can save you from it. 
And here, is one example from S. Asia that shows it really feeds on prior pathologies of the mind (and hatreds). 

In April, when two Muslim women accidentally dropped money on the road, rumors on social media alleged that they were COVID-19 positive and had spit on the bills. Poorly-sourced speculation about the role of Muslims in spreading the virus and accusations of using COVID-19 as a “suicide bomb” became common on social media and traditional media alike.

 Like the memes we all know and love, these fake news pieces tend to follow a similar rut in the mind. take any photo and ascribe any story you wish to it. (yeah I did this a while back[2]) The crazier the story (making sure it plays to old hatreds) the better chance you have of having a viral hit. Sigh. 
Of course, some conspiracies are not like others. Some of these blame a downtrodden group for bringing it in, while others are claiming it's a purposeful spread. Others give a kind of manifest destiny vibe (we're immune bc of our religion or fake remedies and cures) but that all seems a different tier than "Soros plan for culling" or what have you.  All this is in stark contrast to what East Asia and some Western countries have managed to do with this very basic virus. 
Your thoughts on why this is?
 [1] And this is much like Climate Change, in that I expected the GOP to go all in on carbon capture while arguing with Dems about carbon limits, and such an argument is needed, but instead we got full on bat shit crazy it doesn't exist.  
[2] I enjoyed doing this for fiction but now that it's so easy for fake news it too makes me wonder about my place in the fictional and real world.
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