MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday disowned an alarmist message about an alleged "Upper Respiratory Infection" in China and reminded the public to get information from legitimate sources.

The DOH had to issue a statement because aside from the scaremongering, it also "maliciously" used the agency's name.

"The DOH would like to clarify that the message did not come from any verified platforms of the Department," it said in the advisory along with the blurred-out screen grab of the chain message.

The health department said that respiratory diseases can generally be prevented "by employing layers of protection such as sanitation, masking, distancing, good ventilation, and vaccination."

"The Department reminds everyone that any form of disease can be prevented by practicing healthy habits such as proper diet and exercise," it added.

The circulating message appears to have taken advantage of a huge COVID-19 surge in China, which is sparking concern among some countries because of the outbreak's alleged lack of data and transparency.

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— with a report from Agence France-Presse