Photo: Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population official facebook page
In a press conference on Monday, Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said his ministry had observed a surge in misinformation circulating across social media platforms in recent weeks regarding respiratory diseases and supposed viral mutations.
He warned that the distortion and uncontrolled dissemination of unverified information have fueled unnecessary anxiety among citizens, particularly as winter approaches and schools return.
The Health Minister clarified that claims of a “mysterious respiratory virus,” reports of a so-called “Corona-25,” warnings of lethal mutations, and allegations of unreported deaths in hospitals are “entirely unfounded and lack any scientific basis.”
He added that accusations that authorities are concealing information about infections are “baseless and logically inconsistent,” noting that no country has an interest in hiding the spread of a virus it did not create, and that transparency is essential for public safety.
The Minister reaffirmed that Egypt’s preventive medicine system operates on three pillars: comprehensive prevention, disease control, and surveillance and early detection, with more than 5,500 health facilities participating in an internationally recognized event-based surveillance network supported by the World Health Organization.
From January to date, the Ministry has monitored over 424,000 circulating health signals, of which more than 95 percent were determined to be rumors or inaccurate information.
Abdel-Ghaffar noted that routine fluctuations in influenza cases are expected between October and January each year and remain consistent with global patterns.
Although the number of recorded influenza infections has increased compared to the past two years, he emphasized that the severity of illness has not risen, nor have complication or mortality rates escalated.
Abdel Ghaffar confirmed that the seasonal influenza vaccine currently available in Egypt is effective, particularly for higher-risk groups including older adults, individuals with chronic medical conditions, children under five, and the immunocompromised.
By contrast, the mRNA influenza vaccine discussed abroad is not available in Egypt, and reports suggesting otherwise are “misleading and incorrect.”
The Health Minister added that this season’s influenza symptoms may persist slightly longer, five to six days instead of three to four, but remain within mild to moderate severity and respond to standard care. “Simple preventive measures such as hand hygiene, proper ventilation, and avoiding close contact when symptomatic remain fully sufficient,” he said.
Abdel-Ghaffar urged citizens to rely exclusively on official communications for health information and to avoid amplifying unverified social-media content shared by non-specialists, which he said was contributing to public confusion and unnecessary alarm.
He stated that his Ministry remains committed to transparency and proactive communication. It continues to counter misleading claims online and encourages vaccination among high-risk groups.
“The current epidemiological situation in Egypt is reassuring,” the minister said, underscoring that there is no evidence of a new or unusually severe virus circulating in the country.
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