evidence: CLAIM: Nobel prize winner Dr. Tasuku Honjo said that the coronavirus is not natural and is completely artificial. [...] THE FACTS: Posts with the fabricated quote were shared thousands of times on Facebook and WhatsApp in English and Spanish. The claims suggested that Dr. Honjo’s words had "caused a sensation" by saying that the new coronavirus is not natural. [...] The theory that COVID-19 was created in a laboratory has been circulating on social media for months. However, scientists from around the world have carried out various analyses that have concluded that it is of animal origin.