NOSTRADAMUS predicted the coronavirus pandemic nearly 500 years ago, according to bizarre conspiracy claims made online.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has killed more than 24,000 people since November, fueling countless conspiracy theories about its origin. The coronavirus has already infected more than half-a-million people globally, appearing on every single continent save for Antarctica.
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Conspiracy theorists have claimed the new coronavirus strain (SARS-CoV-2) was created in a Chinese laboratory.
Others have said famed psychic Sylvia Browne had a vision of the pandemic back in 2008.
Many people have also taken to social media in recent months to draw links between the coronavirus and the 16th-century French physician Nostradamus.
Nostradamus is hailed by his followers as a great prophetic mind who foresaw many history-changing world events.
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Nostradamus is said to have predicted the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the assassination of John F Kennedy in 1963.
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But why are people now saying Nostradamus predicted the coronavirus crisis?
One person said on Twitter: “I thought Nostradamus’ viral words ’bout the prediction of a plague was faked but as I surf and searched for it on the internet, I find out those words really exist.
“A lot of credible sites posted about this. Yes, it implies the coronavirus and its freaking people out.”
Joel Hazeldene, a former actor on the BBC series Boom Town, said: “We should pay more attention to 16th-century mystic Nostradamus. #Coronavirus #Nostradamus #COVID19 #covid19UK”
A third person said: “Um yeah this was all predicted by Nostradamus #coronavirus #COVID #Q #Quarantine”
Nobody has ever used Nostradamus’ writings to predict a future event
Nostradamus penned most of his supposed prophecies in the form of four-lined poems known as quatrains.
The quatrains are extremely vague and rarely mention specific locations or events.
Nostradamus sceptics agree the writings are too vague to be considered genuine prophecies.
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But there are a few quatrains in which Nostradamus did mention plague.
In Century 2, Quatrain 53, he wrote: “The great plague of the maritime city
“Will not cease until there be avenged the death
“Of the just blood, condemned for a price without crime,
“Of the great lady outraged by pretence.”
And in Century 5, Quatrain 63, he wrote: “From the vain enterprise honour and undue complaint,
“Boats tossed about among the Latins, cold, hunger, waves,
“Not far from the Tiber the land stained with blood,
“And diverse plagues will be upon mankind.”
But there is no evidence to support claims any of these passages are a direct reference to the coronavirus.
Much deadlier plagues have haunted the world in the years since Nostradamus’ death in 1566.
Brian Dunning, a science writer and host of the Skeptoid podcast, is convinced Nostradamus did not have the power to predict the future.
He said: “How accurate are his predictions? You could fill a library with books claiming to match quatrains with major events in world history — all, of course, deciphered and published after those events occurred.
“The straight fact is that nobody has ever used Nostradamus’ writings to predict a future event in specific terms which later came true.”
Sourse: www.express.co.uk
