No reliable sources on supposed international health concern - DOH

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) dismissed reports of an international health concern” that have gone viral without support from authorities.

“Reliable sources currently do not support circulating posts on social media about an alleged international health concern,” the DOH said in a statement on Friday, Jan. 3. “There is no confirmation from either the cited country or the World Health Organization (WHO).”

The agency said the Philippines is part of a network of WHO member states following the International Health Regulations (IHR), a system which gives reliable updates on international health concerns.

According to the IHR, a binding international legal agreement last revised in 2005, a public health emergency of international concern refers to “an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response.”

The DOH released the advisory on a viral story that a new epidemic has been overwhelming hospitals and crematories in China, involving influenza A, Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19. These four could cause flu-like symptoms.

The Chinese embassy in Manila called it “fake news.”

The DOH said the country’s disease surveillance systems are “in place and working,” adding that it is verifying all information and will update the public.

“Please do not share questionable websites or online sources. Let us not spread misinformation and confusion,” the DOH cautioned the public.