Most travellers face a low likelihood of catching Ebola, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has stressed, pushing back against the notion that crossing borders sharply raises a person’s chances of infection. Because the virus does not spread through casual interaction, ordinary international travel carries little danger for the average passenger, the ministry explained.
MoHAP went further in separating fact from fiction, taking aim at the widely held belief that Ebola behaves like COVID-19 in the way it moves between people. The pathogen does not travel through the air, the ministry said. Instead, transmission happens when someone comes into direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual or with materials that have been contaminated.
Another claim the ministry rejected concerns the timing of contagion. According to MoHAP, people carrying the virus typically cannot pass it on until symptoms have surfaced, contradicting suggestions that infected individuals spread the disease while still appearing healthy.
On the broader picture, the ministry pointed to the World Health Organization, whose latest evaluations rate the threat to global public health as low. Ebola has not reached the threshold of a worldwide pandemic, MoHAP noted.
The warnings arrived alongside an appeal for the public to lean on credible channels for health updates, particularly during periods when public health concerns tend to fuel the spread of rumours and false reports. MoHAP urged residents to verify information through recognised authorities rather than circulating unverified material.
To that end, the ministry listed the bodies it considers trustworthy for accurate guidance: MoHAP itself, the Dubai Health Authority, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Health Authority, the Emirates Health Services, the Dubai Health Centre and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre.
The ministry also reaffirmed that the country has kept up its surveillance and preparedness work across airports, medical facilities and laboratories, while tracking the situation and enforcing the precautions deemed necessary.
