Fake COVID-19 circular ‘did not come from BVI Gov’t’- Dr Ronald E. Georges
Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronald E. Georges has advised against a fake circular on an XBB variant of the COVID-19 virus, where persons have been advised to wear a mask over an alleged new variant of the COVID-Omicron XBB considered deadly and not easy to detect correctly.
The fake circular claimed that COVID-Omicron XBB is 5 times more virulent than the Delta variant and has a higher mortality rate than it. It also claimed that this strain of the virus is not found in the nasopharyngeal region and directly affects the lungs for a relatively short period of time. It said several patients diagnosed with Covid-Omicron XBB were classified as afebrile and pain-free, but x-rays showed mild chest pneumonia.
“The original WhatsApp message clearly did not come from any BVI Government entity or any Governmental entity for that matter,” Dr Georges told Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) in an invited comment and indicated that the message is misinformation.
Internationally, India’s Health Ministry has also called misinformation, the circular on the alleged coronavirus variant and labeled it as "fake" and "misleading."
'The original WhatsApp message clearly
did not come from any BVI Government entity or any Governmental entity
for that matter,' Dr Ronald E. Geroges told Virgin Islands News Online
(VINO) in an invited comment indicating that the message is
misinformation.
Currently, the Omicron sub-variant BF.7 is the COVID strain driving China's current surge of cases and this has since fueled some misinformation spreading on the internet leading to the Indian Ministry of Health taking to Twitter to debunk the particular message about the Covid XBB variant.
Currently, the BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5, and has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and has a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated, news agency PTI reported.
The high degree of spread in Chinese cities - including the capital city of Beijing - is also being attributed to a "low level of immunity", possibly due to previous infections.
“The original WhatsApp message clearly did not come from any BVI Government entity or any Governmental entity for that matter,” Dr Georges told Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) in an invited comment and indicated that the message is misinformation.
Internationally, India’s Health Ministry has also called misinformation, the circular on the alleged coronavirus variant and labeled it as "fake" and "misleading."
'The original WhatsApp message clearly
did not come from any BVI Government entity or any Governmental entity
for that matter,' Dr Ronald E. Geroges told Virgin Islands News Online
(VINO) in an invited comment indicating that the message is
misinformation.
Omicron sub-variant BF.7 fueling China's cases
Currently, the Omicron sub-variant BF.7 is the COVID strain driving China's current surge of cases and this has since fueled some misinformation spreading on the internet leading to the Indian Ministry of Health taking to Twitter to debunk the particular message about the Covid XBB variant.
Currently, the BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5, and has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and has a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated, news agency PTI reported.
The high degree of spread in Chinese cities - including the capital city of Beijing - is also being attributed to a "low level of immunity", possibly due to previous infections.
