Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

FEMA Alert Test Sparks Bizarre Conspiracy About Vaccine-Induced Zombie Apocalypse

FEMA text alert of the emergency broadcast system
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Conspiracy theorists now think a routine test of the national emergency broadcast system will actually activate 'nanoparticles' in anyone who got the COVID-19 vaccine.

Conspiracy theories and misinformation circulated widely ahead of FEMA's national Wireless Emergency Alert System test, leading to unwarranted fears and bizarre explanations for the routine test.

The test, which took place on Wednesday, prompted baseless concerns and disinformation, often tied to conspiracy theories surrounding 5G networks, COVID-19 vaccines, and mistrust of the federal government.


Online platforms, including X, formerly Twitter, were flooded with misinformation about the test. Some posts urged individuals to wrap their phones in tinfoil or turn them off to avoid receiving the alert.

But perhaps the strangest conspiracy theory about the alert is one that claimed the alert would activate "nanoparticles" linked to the Marburg virus—a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever which affects both people and non-human primates—in vaccinated individuals or cause bizarre reactions, such as turning people into zombies.

That particular claim appears to have originated from statements attributed to anti-vaxxer Todd Callender, who said that a 5G broadcast would cause “liquid nanoparticles to swell” and trigger a "Marburg epidemic."

But Callender's conspiracy theories are far from the only ones that emerged in response to the emergency broadcast alert.

Clips of a sermon by Hawaii-based pastor J.D. Farag, who asserted that the "tests and exercises or drills, if you prefer, are always preceding of, or simultaneous with, an actual created crisis," quickly circulated on social media.

Farag, who has nearly 300,000 subscribers on his “End Times news and global events” YouTube page, claimed that crises are "simulated and created," adding:

"They create the crisis in order to control the reaction and activate the Final Solution just as they did with [the terror attacks of September 11, 2001] and subsequently what we call COVID-19."
"Did you already forget? That's being biblical, not being mean or snarky." ...
"All of these operations were exercises and drills that were simulated prior to that which is created. ... They can't wait for us to be out of the way because we're in the way right now."
"Did you know that? We're in the way of their evil plan and they hate us and they can't wait for us to leave so they can get on with it, but they can't get on with it until we're taken out of the way."

Similarly, Jason Shurka, a spirituality influencer with about 170,000 followers across YouTube and Instagram, claimed the emergency broadcast would send a high-frequency signal to devices “with the intention of activating graphene oxide and other nanoparticles that have been inserted into billions of human beings around the world through the obvious mediums."

Shurka later removed videos of his remarks from his social media channels. He urged his followers not to fear the emergency broadcast because "You may want to take a step to the left so you don’t get shot."

Still more individuals interpreted the test as a positive development related to the QAnon conspiracy theory, with one influencer declaring that people's bodies "have been continuously assaulted by every poison, bioagent, medication, and criminal warfare device (millimeter, x-rays, and microwaves) conceivable, for your entire lives.”

Many couldn't help but roll their eyes—and condemn the blatant misinformation.


FEMA addressed these false claims on its website, emphasizing that the alerts are not harmful:

“The national test and tones will be the same as those sent by more than 1,700 local, state, territorial and tribal authorities who use IPAWS to send alerts. FEMA is not aware of any adverse health effects caused by the audio signal."

Sadly, anti-vaccine conspiracy theories are nothing new and they've become all the more prominent amid an ongoing and widespread disinformation campaign that's capitalized on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, one social media user went viral after she posted a questionable video of her shaky legs, which she attributed to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine despite clearly pretending to show side-effects.

The woman in question, claimed she was once "a very healthy 45 year old who managed a surgery center" but she is "still having major issues" since receiving one dose of the Pfizer vaccine in January 2021—a claim that was immediately debunked by fact-checkers.

Republicans like Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene have also seized on anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories to stir up their base. Greene, perhaps the most prominent QAnon adherents in Congress, has likened vaccine mandates to segregation and suggested getting a vaccine is on par with the Holocaust.

More from Trending

Dad playing with son on a sunset beach
Jhonatan Saavedra Perales/Unsplash

People Break Down The Most Unforgettable Things Their Dad Ever Said To Them

The wisdom imparted to us from our fathers can resonate with us long after they've gone.

Their advice based on acquired life experiences may not register with kids, but over time, once they start adulting, they'll realize in retrospect that dad's valuable lessons should never be taken for granted.

Keep ReadingShow less
A couple arguing
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

People Explain The Past Relationship Red Flags They Now Regret Ignoring

When we're dating someone, emotions run high, and we focus on all of the good and fun things that are happening, with little regard for the things that might not work out in the end.

But looking back, we might realize just how much we ignored in the name of love.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ralph Fiennes
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Oscar Voters Spark Outrage After Revealing Why They Didn't Vote For Ralph Fiennes For Best Actor

A lot of movies come out every year, and for the 10,000+ industry members eligible to vote, the number can be overwhelming.

It can also be overwhelming to keep track of previous awards, which many have in mind when casting votes for individuals in categories like Best Actor or Best Actress.

Keep ReadingShow less
Luigi Mangione
Curtis Means - Pool/Getty Images

Luigi Mangione Is Begging Obsessive Fans To Stop Sending Him So Many Photos

Being America's number one folk hero apparently has its downsides if Luigi Mangione's recent statements are any indication.

Mangione, the accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has issued a statement begging fans to stop bombarding him with photos, which have been flooding in so intensely he's asked fans to adhere to a five-photo limit from now on.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

RFK Jr. Slammed For Calling Measles Outbreak 'Not Unusual' After Child Died Of Measles

During President Donald Trump's first cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a well-known anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist—downplayed the measles outbreak that has killed a child in Texas, and people online swiftly called him out.

His comments came right after state officials confirmed the death of an unvaccinated child in a measles outbreak in rural West Texas — the first U.S. death from the highly contagious but preventable disease since 2015.

Keep ReadingShow less