Coronavirus survivors have hit out after leaflets were sent through people’s letterboxes in Tayside claiming the global pandemic is a hoax.
The leaflets appeared through doors and letterboxes in Perth earlier this week and were titled “19 truths your government won’t tell you about Covid-19”, quoting Dr Vernon Coleman, a discredited former doctor and conspiracy theorist.
The leaflets claim the government has manipulated death figures, that coronavirus tests are “useless” and says the government is “openly employing military psychological warfare experts to terrify and mislead the population with brainwashing techniques”.
It also claims that billionaires such as Bill Gates are behind the hoax and states the world is overpopulated and needs to be cut by around 90%.
Iain Garthley, who had coronavirus at the very beginning of the pandemic, said: “It is pretty disgusting.
“They will not be coming round to my door, they will not be allowed to drop anything through my letterbox.
“This is a real thing and it can be dangerous.
“It is despicable on the back of all the people who have died for people to think it is not real or not of any importance, and there are nurses and doctors trying to help those who have had it and then end up dying from it themselves.
“People think it will never happen to them.
“They have nothing to say and are saying it too loudly.”
Lynda Oswald, who was off work with coronavirus for five weeks back in May, said: “I think it is a very dangerous thing to do – as well as having Covid-19 I am a nurse working in a care home where we are being very careful.
“I know people are getting fed up of all the restrictions but at the same time this is very real.
“I was quite unwell with it and six months down the line I am still feeling the effects of it.
“It was horrible and it is very, very real, I can assure you.
“I was off work for five weeks and I don’t get paid when I am off work and no one would do that voluntarily because of a rumour.
“My biggest symptom was a sore throat and I have never had anything like it before – nothing would help the pain, it was like having a raw throat and having something hanging inside it dragging it down and pulling on every nerve.
“I would not wish it on anyone and it is not worth taking the risk because it is not like the flu or a bad cold, it is horrendous.”
Another man who survived after being put on a ventilator back in March said: “It is definitely not a hoax.
“With what my family has been through the word ‘hoax’ is laughable, how can people think that?
“They are off their heads, they would not say that if they had been through it themselves.
“If people get a leaflet I would just put it straight in the bin.”
The Scottish Government was approached for comment.
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