PETA erects coronavirus billboards saying ‘tofu never caused a pandemic’

Animal-rights organisation claims viruses including Covid-19 could be prevented with veganism

The animal-rights organisation PETA has called on Americans to try tofu amid the Covid-19 crisis, with advertisements across the US claiming the soy-bean product “never caused a pandemic”.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) placed four billboards in California, Iowa, New Jersey and Nebraska, which have together seen almost 270,000 cases and 17,000 deaths from Covid-19.

One PETA billboard was located near the Tyson meat processing plant in Black Hawk County, Iowa, which has been tied to some 90 per cent of confirmed local coronavirus cases.

While the advert tells people that “Tofu never caused a pandemic. Try it today!”, PETA says the coronavirus could have originated in the live animal market in Wuhan, China, at the centre of the worldwide pandemic.

“Deadly outbreaks of mad cow disease, swine flu, avian flu, SARS, HIV, hoof-and-mouth disease, and other zoonotic diseases have all stemmed from capturing or farming animals,“ said PETA in a post.

The organisation also suggested that after infections in Iowa, animal markets and meat manufacturers were “one and the same” when it came to spreading viruses.

“The novel coronavirus may have originated in a Chinese live-animal market — but when it comes to spawning dangerous pathogens, animal markets and slaughterhouses are one and the same,” said PETA.

Chinese authorities closed Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market last week and imposed a ban on wild animal consumption, amid concerns around hygiene.

Investigations continue into the exact cause of the Covid-19 virus, which some scientists claim passed between an animal and human.

Some Americans, however, have described PETA’s billboards as “disrespectful” and “racist”.

One Twitter user said: “PETA, take down your ‘eating tofu never caused a global pandemic’ billboard on the New Jersey turnpike. not only is it racist but it’s incredibly disrespectful to everyone who has died or is fighting for their life to insinuate that it’s because they eat meat”.

PETA maintains that going vegan can prevent other pandemics, as well as Covid-19’s spread.

“With hundreds of thousands dead from a pandemic linked to eating animals, the national ‘meat shortage’ is cause for celebration, not complaint,” said PETA president Ingrid Newkirk in a statement last week.