UAE debunks myths about Ebola, says it is not a global pandemic

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) called for reliance on official sources for reliable health information, warning against the circulation of rumours and inaccurate information related to the Ebola virus, which increases during public health events.

The UAE continues to implement monitoring, preparedness, and readiness measures at airports, health facilities, and laboratories, in addition to following health developments and applying necessary preventive precautions, MoHAP affirmed.

MoHAP debunked several common misconceptions about the virus, clarifying that "Ebola" is not transmitted through the air like COVID-19, but rather through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials, and that international travel does not mean a high risk of contracting the virus, as the infection is not transmitted through ordinary contact, which makes the risk level low for most travellers.

Individuals infected with the Ebola virus do not usually transmit the infection before symptoms appear, MoHAP affirmed, refuting claims which suggest the disease can be transmitted before symptoms appear in infected individuals.

The Ebola virus has not been classified as a global pandemic yet, and the current World Health Organization (WHO) assessments consider the risk level to global public health to be low, MoHAP added.

It stressed the necessity to get accurate updates by following official health authorities and reliable sources, including the MoHAP, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DOH), the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), the Emirates Health Services (EHS), Dubai Health Centre and Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre.