Claim: DOH warned about a new respiratory infection in China.
Rating: FALSE
Facts: A circulating chain message in messenger allegedly coming from DOH asked Filipinos to be wary of a virus that affected China causing “The Upper Respiratory Infection” which may be on its way to the country.
The Department of Health has already posted on Facebook debunking that this message did not come from them.
The DOH clarified that the information in the said message applies to any disease and that the public should take care of their health at all times. They also urge the public to source information only from legitimate sources.
Why we fact-checked this: While the information in the chain message isn’t necessarily false, it creates unnecessary tension and scares its readers. Furthermore, using the name of the DOH for spreading unreliable news can be considered as a form of disinformation.
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