Ministry of Health & Wellness Cautions about COVID Misinformation

On Thursday, a WhatsApp message circulated across Belize regarding the COVID-Omicron XBB subvariant which has been detected elsewhere. The message advised everyone to wear a mask because the subvariant was characterised as different, deadly and not easy to detect correctly.  It spoke to symptoms including joint pain, pain in the neck pneumonia and no appetite. But as it turns out that message was erroneous and the Ministry of Health and Wellness cautions against the spread of COVID-19 misinformation. In a release issued late Thursday evening, the ministry says that the information is false and causes unnecessary panic. It qualifies this statement by saying that (Quote) “the World Health Organization has advised that the XBB subvariant is not more deadly than the previous dominant omicron subvariants, and has confirmed that the symptoms of XBB remain mild or similar to that of the flu.” (Unquote)  The release goes on to say that the ministry remains vigilant in its monitoring of this virus and other infectious diseases and urges persons who develop flu-like symptoms to get tested at the nearest health facility. The ministry also urges the public to get vaccinated and/or a booster shot as soon as possible.