Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Medical staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus approach Lei Muk Shue care home in Hong Kong on August 23, 2020. May James, AFP/File

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China

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173587042634420200823-covid19-hongkong-AFP.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Medical staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus approach Lei Muk Shue care home in Hong Kong on August 23, 2020. May James, AFP/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Medical staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus approach Lei Muk Shue care home in Hong Kong on August 23, 2020. <em>May James, AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED)</strong>  — The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said social media posts about an alleged &quot;international health concern&quot; were unverified and asked Filipinos to refrain from spreading potential &quot;misinformation and confusion.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2024/12/16/five-years-on-from-the-pandemic-long-covid-keeps-lives-on-hold-0943">Five years on from the pandemic, long COVID keeps lives on hold</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TN8qwTE2d3s?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>&quot;Reliable sources currently do not support circulating posts on social media about an alleged international health concern. There is no confirmation from either the cited country or the World Health Organization (WHO),&quot; the DOH said in a statement, without naming China.</p><p>Several social media posts circulating in the past days claimed that a new epidemic was supposedly overwhelming hospitals in China.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/11/timeline-the-coronavirus-disease-crisis-in-the-philippines-1450">TIMELINE: The coronavirus disease crisis in the Philippines</a></div><p>But, according to DOH, the Philippines relies on WHO&#x27;s International Health Regulations (IHR) to confirm outbreaks.</p><p>&quot;This established system is what gives reliable updates about international health concerns... Please do not share questionable websites or online sources. Let us not spread misinformation and confusion,&quot; the agency said.</p><p>Department of Health spokesperson Albert Domingo said there has been no confirmation from the WHO about such claims, which according to posts is now overwhelming hospitals in China.</p><p>“Hindi po namin pinapangalanan ang bansa at ang sakit dahil hindi nga po ito verified,” Domingo said.</p><p>(We are not naming the country because this has not been verified)</p><p>He added that one website sharing the claims has been caught sharing false information in the past.</p><p>“So, hindi po totoo iyan, kung mayroon man pong nangyayari ay malalaman kaagad namin at mag-a-update po kami.&quot;</p><p>(There is no truth to that. If anything does happen, we will find out about it quickly and will issue an update on that)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2024/12/30/five-years-on-who-urges-china-to-share-covid-origins-data-0742">Five years on, WHO urges China to share Covid origins data</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/12/20/21/timeline-key-moments-of-covid-19-pandemic">TIMELINE: Key moments of COVID-19 pandemic</a></div><p>It has been nearly 5 years since the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China forced the world into a lockdown. In 2023, the WHO chief declared the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency. <strong>— with Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5D7Bm8Y3P2M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said social media posts about an alleged "international health concern" were unverified and asked Filipinos to refrain from spreading potential "misinformation and confusion."</p>

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said social media posts about an alleged "international health concern" were unverified and asked Filipinos to refrain from spreading potential "misinformation and confusion."

DOH says alleged 'international health concern' still 'unverified'

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DOH says alleged 'international health concern' still 'unverified'

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Published January 03, 2025 10:35 AM PHT

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Updated January 03, 2025 04:03 PM PHT

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