DOH warns against believing in posts about 'alleged international health concern'
The Department of Health (DOH) on Jan. 3, Friday, warned against believing in unsubstantiated posts about an alleged "international health concern."
"Reliable sources of information currently do not support circulating social media posts about an alleged international health concern," the DOH said in a statement on Facebook. "There is no confirmation from either the cited country or the World Health Organization (WHO)."
The DOH noted that the Philippines is an "active participant in the network of WHO member states that follow the international health regulations."
"This established system is what gives reliable updates about international health concerns," it said.
The agency assured Filipinos that the local disease surveillance systems "are in place and working."
"The DOH is actively verifying all information, and will keep all the Filipino public updated," it said. "Please do not share questionable websites or online sources. Let us not spread misinformation and confusion."
There have been social media posts claiming without proof that a new epidemic has overwhelmed hospitals and crematories in China due to influenza A, HMPV, mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19.
For its part, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines called such posts "fake news."
