THE National Department of Health has noted with concern that some old fake news about the Covid-19 Omicron XBB variant is circulating on social media platforms, advising people to wear face masks because of an alleged deadly and not easy-to-detect variant. 

The department has declared this as a misleading message which first resurfaced during the peak of the pandemic without a traceable source.

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 “We urge members of the public to be vigilant and ignore this malicious social media content whose intent is to cause unnecessary panic and confusion, especially as the country is entering influenza season.

“The fact of the matter is that Covid-19 remains circulating at relatively low levels around the country just like in other parts of the world. Thus, there is no need for the public to panic because many people have developed some level of immunity from both vaccines and infections. The current strain or variant in circulation is less severe and less transmissible,” said the department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale. 

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The department advised the public to take protective measures in their daily lives, including non-pharmaceutical interventions such as hand hygiene, which will help to prevent the spread of other respiratory infections, including influenza. 

The department said they will keep the public abreast if and when there is a surge in cases of illness caused by any virus of concern or outbreak of any disease.

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