DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DISMISS FAKE NEWS OF COVID-19 OMICRON VARIANT.

The Department of Health has issued a statement on the 10th of December 2022, dismissing false information that is circulating all over social media platforms, regarding the Covid-19 Omicron Varaint.

Health Department warns the public about misleading Covid-19 Omicron Variant message. It has come to the department’s attention that there is a misleading message, circulating through social media platforms attributed to the Ministry of Health, calling for everyone to wear a mask because of the alleged detection of a new variant of concern.

The department has declared this as fake news by faceless sources whose sole intention is to create unnecessary panic. In October this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a notification on the Omicron sublineages BQ.1 and XBB which were detected around the world as part of ongoing work to track variants by Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE).

The Department of Health explained the role of the TAG-VE, which is to alert WHO if a variant that can cause a more severe disease or lead to large epidemic waves causing increased burden to the healthcare system is emerging and likely to pose a significant threat. The department has ensured the public that at the moment, there is no epidemiological evidence that these sublineages will be of substantially greater risk compared to other Omicron sublineages.

The department, working with the NICD (National Institute for Communicable Diseases) and other scientists, to continue to monitor all Covid-19 lineages.

“We appeal to South Africans to continue to be vigilant as they embark on festive season activities,” Department of Health.

The department added, “Known Covid-19 virus variants are still in circulation, and we are not off the hook from the pandemic, hence people are urged to vaccinate and take boosters shots that they qualify for to enhance their level of immunity.”