Fact Check: Did Nostradamus predict the coronavirus outbreak in the 16th century?

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak is evidently one of the biggest threats faced by people on a global scale. The pandemic has affected over 4,86,000 people and claimed more than 20,000 lives. Amidst all the confusion and paranoia, various conspiracy theories have also found their way to the internet. The latest conspiracy theory surrounding the coronavirus outbreak suggests that the French astrologer Nostradamus had actually predicted the current pandemic in the year 1551 itself.

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Claim - 

The photo of Nostradamus going viral on social media claims that the French philosopher had predicted the ongoing pandemic in the 16th century. 

Rating -

No evidence suggests whether Nostradamus actually put forward such a prophecy thus the information making rounds on social media is indeed False.

Origin - 

Amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many Twitter users shared a photo claiming that Nostradamus had predicted the ongoing coronavirus back in the 16th century. The photo does not claim in which book Nostradamus wrote the following prophecy. The events written down in the photo have reportedly not featured in any of Nostradamus' philosophy books either. Check out the photo doing rounds on social media below - 

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Google Trends analysis of Nostradamus' prophecy for the coronavirus pandemic

Ever since the Nostradamus conspiracy theory started doing the rounds on social media, people flocked over the internet in order to check the credibility of the story. This has resulted in a surge of search volumes for the same. Check it out below - 

Image courtesy - Google Trends

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Nostradamus wrote a book named Les Prophéties which is believed to be a culmination of various prophecies which have reportedly come true from time to time. But, this specific prophecy has not been noted in the book. No other written work by Nostradamus speaks about the prophecy in question, which indicates that Nostradamus predicting the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 is indeed fake. 

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