Right up front: I'm not a conspiracy theory person. Whenever I hear "conspiracy theory" on anything, my yawn reflex triggers. With more conspiracy chatter, I start shying running away. My number one premise as to why conspiracy theories are bunk: the government is just not competent enough to run a first-rate conspiracy without blowing it.
Anyhoo, here's what I'm thinking...you could easily argue for a link between COVID, government finance, big pharma, and pretty-obvious-vote-buying using some rather stupid-simple logic. This isn't a covert conspiracy theory, but just a good ol', out in-the-open, back-scratching theory.

Step 1 - cov
So, everyone is minding their business and covid-19 pops up. You can insert your favorite conspiracy theory here on how that happened. But, regardless of how it came about, it emerged. People got sick. People died.
Step 2 - fin
Governments shut down nearly everything, from personal liberties to economies. People were hurting financially, because, well, governments essentially shut down economies. So, at least in the U.S., Big Government decided to send direct payments to person X to the tune of trillions of dollars. Free money courtesy of the money printer doing what it does. Person X is happy!
Step 3 - phar
Big Government spends billions (trillions?) to Big Pharma for vaccines. Vaccines are made. Vaccines are jabbed. Person X likes the vax. Person Y did not (he didn't get the vax). Either way, Big Pharma gets billions (trillions?). They are happy!
Step 4 - vot
Soon, it will be time to vote. Person X has a decision to make. That free money sure looks good. So, he votes for the politicians who sent the free money to him. "Big Government give me money, me give Big Government me vote," he thought. Big Government is happy!
Cycle
Rumors emerge of new strains of coronavirus. The rumors say the new strains are new and they're meaner and scarier. There are rumors of rumors that there may need to be new lock-downs and new shut-downs. That would mean new financial burdens for Person X which would mean the need for new direct payments. It would also mean a need for new vaccines from Big Pharma. And new votes. And away we go!
Summary
Maybe this is too cynical or just completely wrong. I don't know.
Yawn.

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:)