False claims about a “health emergency” in China, supposedly triggered by a viral outbreak, have been circulating on social media, fueled by misleading photos from previous COVID-19 waves. A Facebook post, written in Tagalog, claimed that China had declared a state of emergency due to the rapid spread of four viral infections—Influenza A, Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19—in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The post suggested that the outbreak was causing medicine shortages and overwhelming crematoriums.
The post, which was shared on January 2, 2025, included two images of crowded hospital hallways, one showing patients with oxygen tanks lined up, and the other a busy corridor with a patient on a stretcher. The post further claimed that international health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), were preparing to control the outbreak and prevent another global pandemic.
Many Facebook users seemed to believe the claim, with some expressing concern over possible new lockdowns, while others called for restricting entry from China. The post spread widely among Facebook pages in the Philippines, amassing tens of thousands of views and shares.
However, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on January 9, 2025, that while several viruses, including influenza, HMPV, rhinovirus, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, were circulating in China, the situation did not warrant an emergency declaration. The CDC’s report indicated a rise in acute respiratory infections, but it also noted that COVID-19 was at a low epidemic level. No official announcement from Chinese authorities or international health bodies indicated that China had declared a state of emergency.
The Philippine Department of Health swiftly debunked the rumors, clarifying on January 3, 2025, that the claims were unsubstantiated by credible sources. “There is no confirmation from either the cited country or the World Health Organization (WHO),” the department stated on its official Facebook page.
A reverse image search revealed that the photos used in the misleading post were not recent. The first photo, showing patients in a hospital hallway, was originally published by Reuters on January 4, 2023, during a surge of COVID-19 cases in Shanghai. The image depicted patients lying in a hallway of Zhongshan Hospital amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, which had followed China’s abrupt end to its zero-COVID policy.
The second image shared in the false post was taken by AFP photographer Noel Celis in December 2022. The photo shows a COVID-19 patient on a stretcher in the emergency ward of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. At that time, Chongqing was grappling with a surge in COVID-19 cases, and local crematoriums were overwhelmed by the high death toll.
Both images, which were used to support the false claims about a health emergency in China, were originally published in reputable news outlets but had been misattributed in the viral Facebook post.
Related topics
