Conspiracy Narratives About the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Origins of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus: A Contribution to Polish-Czech Comparative Research

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.22.2025.98.17

Keywords:

COVID-19 pandemic, infodemic, conspiracy theories, vaccinations, Czechia, Poland, health policy

Abstract

This article presents the results of a comparative research study on belief in COVID-19-related conspiracy theories among social science students in Poland and the Czech Republic. The study investigates the relationship between susceptibility to disinformation and factors such as religiosity, trust in science, and the evaluation of institutional responses to the pandemic. Using a quantitative approach (CAPI survey), the authors identify notable differences between the two national groups, with Polish students showing a greater inclination toward conspiracy narratives. The article also explores correlations between such beliefs and negative assessments of the EU’s actions. The findings highlight the role of cultural context and psychological predispositions in shaping attitudes toward health-related misinformation, underlining the need for further research into the social and political consequences of the infodemic. The study contributes to political science by linking disinformation susceptibility with systemic trust and civic attitudes in Central Europe.

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Author Biographies

  • Tomasz Marcinkowski, The Jacob of Paradies University

    PhD in social sciences in the field of political science, assistant professor at the Faculty of Law and Security of the Jacob of Paradies University, deputy director of the Academic Center for German and European Studies of the AJP, since 2019 secretary of the Main Board of the Polish Society for European Studies. Research interests: European integration, crises in Europe, health policy in the EU, foreign policy, international security, climate crisis.

  • Juliusz Sikorski, The Jacob of Paradies University

    PhD in humanities, assistant professor at the Faculty of Law and Security of the Jakub of Paradyż University in Gorzów Wielkopolski; head of the Asymmetric and Hybrid Threat Research Lab, head of the Security and Criminology Department; president of the Gorzów Wielkopolski Branch of the Polish Political Science Society (since 2022). Research interests: asymmetric and hybrid threats, information warfare, cognitive warfare, disinformation campaigns, data protection and information security, infodemic and political communication.

  • Lukáš Vomlela, Silesian University in Opava

    PhD in political science, assistant professor at the Faculty of Public Policies in Opava (Czech Republic). Research interests: political parties, party politics and problems of political, economic and social transformation of central and Eastern Europe after 1989.

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Politeja-98-cover

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Published

21-10-2025

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Vol. 22 No. 4(98) (2025): Nowe idee w naukach o polityce

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How to Cite

“Conspiracy Narratives About the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Origins of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus: A Contribution to Polish-Czech Comparative Research”. 2025. Politeja 22 (4(98): 317-38. https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.22.2025.98.17.