Fact Check: Advisory on Covid-Omicron XBB variant on WhatsApp is FAKE

The WhatsApp message reads: “Singapore News! Everyone is advised to wear a mask because the new COVID-Omicron XBB variant of the coronavirus is different, deadly and not easy to detect properly:-

Symptoms of the new virus COVID-Omicron XBB are as follows:-

1. No cough.

2. No fever.

There will just be a lot :-

3. Joint pain.

4. Headache.

5. Neck pain.

6. Upper back pain.

7. Pneumonia.

8. Generally no appetite.

Of course, COVID-Omicron XBB is 5 times more virulent and has a higher death rate than the Delta variant.

The condition takes a shorter time to reach extreme severity, sometimes without obvious symptoms.

Let’s be more careful!

This type of virus does not reside in the nasopharyngeal area and directly affects the lungs, namely the “window”, in a relatively short time.

Several patients diagnosed with Covid Omicron XBB were finally classified as having no fever, no pain, but X-ray results showed mild chest pneumonia.

Nasal swab tests frequently provide negative results for COVID-Omicron XBB, and cases of nasopharyngeal tests providing false negative results are increasing.

This means that the virus can spread in the community and directly infect the lungs, causing viral pneumonia which can cause acute respiratory stress.

This explains why Covid-Omicron XBB is very contagious, very virulent and deadly.

Please note, avoid crowded places, keep a distance of 1.5 m even in open spaces, wear a two-layer mask, use a suitable mask, and wash your hands frequently if everyone is asymptomatic (not coughing or sneezing).

Covid Omicron “WAVE” is more deadly than the first wave of Covid-19. So we have to be very careful and take all kinds of coronavirus precautions.

Also maintain vigilant communication with your friends and family.

Don’t keep this information to yourself, share it with as many other relatives and friends as possible, especially your own family and friends.”

Fact Check

The claim is false.

We noticed that the WhatsApp forward pertains to the Omicron XBB variant, while the JN.1 variant is recognized as a descendant of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2.86, also known as Pirola, initially detected in Luxembourg in August 2023. The XBB variant is classified as a recombined subvariant, specifically a sub-lineage of the Omicron variants BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75, first identified in August 2022. This information suggests that the viral forward is outdated.

We conducted a targeted keyword search that directed us to a tweet from the Ministry of Health dated December 22, 2022. The tweet explicitly refuted the circulating message in certain WhatsApp groups concerning the XBB variant, labeling it as fake and misleading.

Numerous media outlets also covered the ministry's response, debunking the viral assertion that the XBB sub-variant of Omicron is "5 times more virulent than the Delta variant and has a higher mortality rate”.

In Singapore, social media users are widely sharing a text post cautioning about the COVID-19 Omicron XBB variant, first identified in August, claiming it is five times more "toxic" and carries a higher mortality rate than the Delta variant.

Nevertheless, Singapore's Ministry of Health has asserted that there is no evidence supporting these claims. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the current data does not indicate that the XBB variant is more lethal than the Omicron variant, which itself is reported to be less deadly than the Delta variant. A Reuters fact-check on the WhatsApp forward, published on November 11, 2022, supports these refutations.

Hence, the viral WhatsApp advisory stating the Omicron XBB variant has higher mortality rate, or is five times more ‘toxic’, is false. In fact, the Omicron XBB variant is an old one identified last year.