Fact check: Did WHO take a U-turn on coronavirus findings?
June 03, 2021
The Ministry of National Health Services, Pakistan on Thursday debunked a message falsely attributed to World Health Organisation and being circulated on WhatsApp claiming the UN agency has taken a U-turn on its findings on the coronavirus pandemic.
"WHO admitted its mistake completely taking a U-turn, saying that corona is a seasonal virus. It is a cold sore throat [sick] during the season change," the fake message read.
The message further claimed WHO now says coronavirus patients do not need to be isolated, nor do people need to observe social distancing, as it is not transmitted from one person to another.
"See WHO press conference," the message added, in a bid to lend an air of legitimacy to the claim.
The Ministry of National Health Services shared a screenshot of the message after stamping it "FAKE" in big, bold, red letters.
The ministry said the contents of the message are completely misleading and maintained the WHO had never said any such thing.
We have only been able to control the pandemic to a certain extent by following safety measures, the ministry said.
"Always trust the news that comes via reliable sources," it added.
