Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) has issued an alert regarding the spread of misinformation about a purported hybrid of Covid-19 and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in China, marking it as the most widely circulated piece of fake news for the week.
Wetang Phuangsup, secretary general of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission, said that between January 10 and 16, the Anti-Fake News Centre monitored more than 837,172 messages, with 510 requiring verification.
"After consulting with the Department of Medical Sciences, we can confirm there is no evidence of any hybridisation between hMPV and Covid-19," he said.
He explained that while hMPV can spread through coughing, sneezing, or close contact, it typically results in mild symptoms that resolve naturally within one to two weeks.
The monitoring centre detected fake news across five primary categories:
Social-media monitoring accounted for the majority of detected cases, with 474 instances flagged through social listening tools. Additional reports came through the centre's official Line account (30), website (3), and Facebook (3).
Among other prominent false claims was a fabricated announcement about nationwide school closures due to extreme heat in the 2025 academic year. The Basic Education Commission promptly...
Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) has issued an alert regarding the spread of misinformation about a purported hybrid of Covid-19 and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in China, ...