There were pictures and diagrams of the virus. There was even art made in the virus’ likeness.

But there were people who couldn't seem to associate that it comes from friends and neighbors and that they could spread it, and seem to think it is all about a laboratory or 'people die in hospitals'.

There have been many claims that it’s a manmade bioweapon

Yes, exactly, in a laboratory, not in friends and neighbors who carry it around and spread it peer to peer.

The same thing with computer virus, many users I have had to remove virus on their computer claim it magically jumped on their computer. When computers were not even networked. You often had to go track down who they got a floppy disk from.