DE Warns: NB.1.8.1 COVID Variant Spread Claim is False, Check Info

Matichon•Economy•6h ago

Reader Briefing

Thailand's DE Ministry refutes viral claims about the NB.1.8.1 COVID-19 variant, clarifying that while it's a prevalent strain, the reported 70% infection rate and severity are distorted, urging the public to verify information from official sources.

•The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) warns the public against believing a viral news claim about the NB.1.8.1 COVID-19 variant spreading in Thailand.
•DE, in collaboration with the Department of Disease Control, confirmed that NB.1.8.1 is a main circulating strain but disputed the claim that 70% of infected individuals experience severe sore throats.
•While NB.1.8.1 shows increased transmissibility and immune evasion, there is no evidence it causes more severe illness.
•The public is urged to share only information from official sources and to fact-check before disseminating any news.

Overview

•The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) issued a warning regarding fake news about COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1.
•The warning stemmed from the Anti-Fake News Center's (AFNC) monitoring, aligning with the DE Minister's policy on combating technological crime and disinformation.
•On May 28, AFNC reviewed 160,883 messages, initiating verification on 7,125, with social listening being the primary source.
•The specific false claim identified as a distortion was that "COVID variant NB.1.8.1 is spreading in Thailand, with over 70% of infected individuals having severe sore throats."
•The DE Ministry, in coordination with the Department of Disease Control, confirmed NB.1.8.1 as the main circulating variant between January 1, 2025 – April 23, 2026 at 50.95% of detected samples.
•Between January 1, 2025 – April 23, 2026, NB.1.8.1 accounted for 50.95% of detected COVID-19 samples, followed by JN.1 (24.97%) and XEC (9.14%).
•During May 10-16, 2026, Thailand recorded 12,700 COVID-19 cases, an increase from the preceding week's approximate 8,000 cases, with NB.1.8.1 being the dominant strain.
•The DE Ministry urged the public to verify information and only share content from official sources, emphasizing the risks of believing and spreading fake news.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Wethang Puangsub

"The Ministry of DE is concerned about the public's awareness of fake news spread online. Failing to be aware and forwarding fake news leads to belief, causing damages to assets or personal data, and may widely impact the public."

กระทรวงดีอี มีความห่วงใยประชาชน เรื่องความตระหนักรู้เท่าทันข่าวปลอมที่ถูกแพร่กระจายบนสื่อออนไลน์ โซเชียล หากขาดความรู้เท่าทัน ส่งต่อข้อมูลข่าวปลอม ทำให้เกิดการหลงเชื่อ สร้างความเสียหายต่อทรัพย์สิน หรือข้อมูลส่วนบุคคล และอาจส่งผลกระทบต่อประชาชนในสังคมเป็นวงกว้าง

Wethang Puangsub

"We ask the public to choose to believe and share only useful information disseminated by official agencies and to verify the facts of news or website links clearly."

ขอให้ประชาชนเลือกเชื่อ เลือกแชร์ข้อมูลที่เป็นประโยชน์ ซึ่งได้รับการเผยแพร่จากหน่วยงานที่เป็นทางการเท่านั้น และควรตรวจสอบข้อเท็จจริงของข่าวหรือลิงก์เว็บไซต์ให้แน่ชัด

Key Entities

Organization

Ministry of Digital Economy and Society(กระทรวงดิจิทัลเพื่อเศรษฐกิจและสังคม)ℹ️

Thai government ministry responsible for combating fake news and technological crime.

Anti-Fake News Center of Thailand (AFNC)(ศูนย์ต่อต้านข่าวปลอมประเทศไทย)

A center under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society responsible for monitoring and verifying news.

Department of Disease Control(กรมควบคุมโรค)ℹ️

A department under the Ministry of Public Health that collaborates on verifying public health information.

Ministry of Public Health(กระทรวงสาธารณสุข)ℹ️

The government ministry responsible for public health in Thailand, collaborating on COVID-19 variant information.

Person

Wethang Puangsub(นายเวทางค์ พ่วงทรัพย์)

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) for permanent officials, commenting on fake news.

Chaiwatcharon Chidchob(นายไชยชนก ชิดชอบ)

Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DE) of Thailand, whose policy emphasizes awareness of technological crime and fake news.