DES Ministry confirms new coronavirus strain found in Thai bats, says outbreak risk remains low
Thailand’s DES Ministry has confirmed reports of a new coronavirus strain detected in Thai bats as true, but says there are no human infections and the risk of an outbreak remains low.
Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, or DES Ministry, has confirmed that reports of a new coronavirus strain found in Thai bats are true, but health authorities say there have been no human infections and the current risk of an outbreak is low.
Wetang Phuangsap, spokesperson for DES Ministry, said the information was verified by the Anti-Fake News Center Thailand (AFNC) as part of the ministry’s ongoing monitoring of online misinformation.
The work is being carried out under the policy of Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob, who has called for stronger public awareness of false and misleading information online.
More than 8,700 messages flagged for verification
According to DES Ministry, monitoring on May 9 found more than 160,000 online messages, of which 8,714 required verification. Most of the flagged items were identified through social listening tools.
The issue attracting the greatest public attention was the reported discovery of a new coronavirus strain in bats in Thailand.
Wildlife surveillance confirms finding
DES Ministry said it had coordinated with the Department of Disease Control under the Ministry of Public Health to verify the report.
Authorities confirmed that the discovery was made through a wildlife surveillance system operating under the “One Health” approach, which monitors links between human, animal and environmental health.
Officials stressed that no human cases have been detected.
Preliminary studies also suggest the virus has significantly lower disease-causing and transmission potential than Covid-19.
DES Ministry added that existing Covid-19 vaccines remain effective in reducing the severity of illness, while the overall risk of an outbreak is currently assessed as low.
Fake and distorted claims continue to spread online
Wetang said the new virus report was among the seven most-discussed issues monitored by the AFNC. DES Ministry also identified several fake and distorted claims that continued to circulate online.
The seven key issues were:
- True: A new coronavirus strain has been discovered in Thai bats.
- True: Security has been tightened in 31 border provinces to intercept illegal goods and narcotics.
- Fake: Claims that all types of driver’s licences can be processed via TikTok.
- Fake: Claims that laws allow casino construction and 99-year land leases in Special Economic Zones.
- Distorted: Claims that internal organ diseases can be diagnosed from the appearance of the tongue.
- Distorted: Claims that Thailand is cancelling MOU44 to divert bilateral negotiations.
- Fake: Claims that the Department of Skill Development is recruiting people to pack paper bags from home.
Public urged to check official sources
Wetang said DES Ministry remained concerned about the impact of fake news on the public, warning that poor media literacy and the sharing of distorted information could cause misunderstanding and financial losses.
He urged people to verify information with official government agencies before believing or sharing online content.
