 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho |
#14,523
Late yesterday local media erroneously reported on a `confirmed' Ebola case in the Kingdom of Lesotho, which as you might expect, started quite the flap on social media.
Even though the story was `corrected' this morning (see HERE), the original (false) report continues to be retweeted as if it were still true.
Apparently, this `Ebola case' was part of an exercise testing Lesotho's ability to respond to an imported case. This from AllAfrica.com.
South Africa: Ficksburg 'Ebola' Crossing Was a Simulation Exercise
14 November 2019
News24Wire
(Cape Town)
By News24
Reports that a woman who displayed symptoms associated with the Ebola virus crossed the Ficksburg border in the Free State have been revealed to have been a simulation exercise.
Eyewitness News earlier reported that health officials had "confirmed its first case of Ebola".
According to the report, the woman was rushed to hospital where tests "confirmed she had contracted the virus".
However, the International Health Regulations (IHR) in Lesotho said in a statement that there had been an Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) exercise simulation on November 13 between the borders gates of Ficksburg and Maputsoe.
(Continue . . . )Exactly how this exercise morphed into a 12+ hour-long social media circus isn't clear - but it is a reminder how quickly rumors can spread online - and that even mainstream media outlets can get it wrong and start a panic.
None of which bodes particularly well for us during the next severe pandemic or global emergency.As always, Caveat Lector.
