How QAnon became a Covid conspiracy cult in Australia

The families of our frontline medical heroes are being torn apart by conspiracy theories that began in the US and have mutated in Australia.

QAnon burst from the sewers of the internet to infect the minds of countless Australians — now the conspiracy theory has mutated and is tearing apart families of our pandemic first responders.

QAnon is a cult conspiracy that believes Donald Trump and the US military are fighting a holy war against paedophiles in the satanic ‘deep state’.

President Trump’s defeat and a mass ban on outspoken accounts put QAnon on the ropes, but in Australia the fading fringe thinkers found a new captive audience thanks to Covid-19.

NSW surgical and emergency nurse, Emma, said her father is among those now lost to the broadening anti-government, Covid-denying conspiracy.

“Dad started out saying the Chinese deliberately released the virus and no one should wear masks — he said he heard it on podcasts with American doctors,” Emma told The Daily Telegraph.

“Now he says none of it’s true — it’s just fear mongering and population control. And he keeps talking about celebrities being paedophiles.”

Emma was one of numerous healthcare workers who spoke under a pseudonym about losing a loved one to the disinformation pandemic.

Her father will not speak to her, calling the virus a lie even as she works in Covid-19 wards.

Frontline worker Emma says her father has been caught up in the QAnon conspiracy cult.

The final straw in their relationship was Emma’s decision to get vaccinated.

“It just feels like everything you do is for nothing. It’s all completely disregarded,” Emma said.

Her story is not unique.

Dr Sarah works in a Sydney hospital witnessing the worst of the pandemic.

But her mother has gone down an anti-vax rabbit hole after becoming interested in alternative health.

“We had to lay down an ultimatum that we wouldn’t be seeing my parents until they are vaccinated,” Dr Sarah said.

“That’s where it’s come to. It’s caused a rift that I hope will be bridged but we don’t see or talk to my parents much right now.”

As with Nurse Emma, Dr Sarah’s mother trusts obscure podcasts, books and online figures over her own medically trained child.

“People don’t want to believe experts,” Dr Sarah said.

“What you saw on Facebook is not the same as 20 years of study.“

Dr Sarah’s mother does not have social media so has not been exposed to QAnon’s global paedophile theory.

But “alternative health”, fears of “big pharma”, anti-vaccination and scepticism around official health advice has become a major entry ramp for the conspiracy community, researchers warn.

“The anti vaxxers and holistic medicine groups out there are often associated with the hippie movement,” Queensland University of Technology disinformation researcher Axel Bruns said.

“They’re now wrapped up in QAnon which has connected them with far right groups that heavily promote white supremacy.”

A Sydney "Freedom Day" protester in September 2020 holds up a sign bearing QAnon’s slogan. Picture: David Swift

Professor Bruns called it a “meta-conspiracy theory” that has few borders and many entry points. It’s acting as a “glue” between the normally disparate groups.

ASIO has warned far right groups, which it considers a major domestic terror threat, are seizing on the pandemic conspiracy movement to recruit new members.

Both left and right-wing conspiracy networks have gone into overdrive alleging “elites” are using the military, police and lockdowns to control people for nefarious purposes in Sydney’s latest lockdown.

Last month thousands descended on Sydney claiming they were marching against lockdowns before clashing with police.

Among the crowd were slogans about the “new world order”, vaccine microchips, Sovereign Citizens — and of course QAnon symbols.

The protest was so large, in part, because QAnon conspiracy peddling “influencers” had urged their frenetic followers to attend.

Professor Bruns said it was difficult to combat disinformation shared by these powerful figures because banning them makes them “martyrs” in conspiracy movements.

“They can turn around and say ‘the establishment is against me, I’m trying to give you information and I’m being cancelled and silenced by the woke brigade’,” Professor Bruns said.

Experts also agree the algorithms of websites like YouTube and Facebook push people down these rabbit holes by suggesting emotionally charged content.

A protester in June holding up signs about the “NWO” or “New World Order”. Picture: Matrix Media

“If you click anti 5G videos they show you more and they get more and more extreme,” Professor Bruns said.

Josh said that happened to his mate who became convinced an anti parasite drug — which has not been proven effective against the virus — was being “covered up” by the government.

“He writes to people things like ‘don’t worry I’ve got the lawyers on this, we‘re about to file in the High Court so everything will be exposed’,” Josh said.

“He says it like he’s in control of something and I just think mate, you’re the one being controlled here.”

Josh describes the process as “radicalisation” and compared it to radical religious groups like al-Qaeda.

“I’m so upset, he’s brainwashed,” Josh said.

“And the metadata, the algorithms just push him further into it.”

Surveys find 10 to 15 per cent of Australians are anti-vax. Up to 30 per cent are hesitant.

Politicians insist 70 to 80 per cent of the population must be vaccinated to return to normal.

What’s unclear is the impact the new broad church of QAnon-Covid conspiracy will have on final vaccination rates.

What is known is Q’s believers are virulent and constant spreaders of vaccine disinformation.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro has slammed QAnon “keyboard warriors” and Covid denying conspiracy theorists warning their “negligence” will see the Delta death toll continue to rise.

Mr Barilaro told The Daily Telegraph anyone with questions about vaccines should be speaking only to a doctor “and not listen to Covid-denying keyboard warriors.”

“Those Covid deniers who are spreading misinformation are putting our most vulnerable at risk and their continued negligence will see more suffering and the death toll continue to rise,” he said.

There have been 29 deaths as a result of the latest outbreak which, this week, took hold across regional NSW.

“I encourage everyone to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their family and their community, and those saying anything to the contrary should be ashamed of themselves,” Mr Barilaro said.

The latest Newspoll data shows more than 10 per cent of Australians will refuse vaccinations and one third of the population would rather “wait for Pfizer”.

Significant numbers of older Australians are among those waiting - despite being at the most risk from Covid-19 and at least risk from already extremely unlikely AstraZeneca complications.

“Don’t get caught up in the ‘vaccination brand war’,” the Deputy Premier urged.

“When we get a flu shot, nobody ever asks what brand it is. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get jabbed.”

Professor Bruns said and the most hardcore members are effectively in a “cult” and may never be deradicalised.

“Some (believers) will remain extreme and will spread what we now see are potentially deadly messages,” Professor Bruns said.

He has called for a response to disinformation that is familiar; “lockdown” disinformation spreaders by banning their accounts before they reach vulnerable Australians.

Then “vaccinate” by rolling out deradicalisation programs that would treat the most ardent conspiracy theorists like religious extremists who need help readjusting to normality.