A nuclear satellite will fly over South Africa to take everyone's temperature.

South Africa's Health Department said the message claiming a satellite will fly over South Africa to record the temperature of its citizens is fake.

South Africa's Health Department said the message claiming a satellite will fly over South Africa to record the temperature of its citizens is fake.On May 27, 2021, a post went viral, which read, "Tonight at 9:30 pm a nuclear satellite will fly over South Africa to take everyone's temperature. Please stand naked outside your rooftops and hold your passport open towards the sky."

The Health Department of South Africa, on its Twitter account, declared it to be fake. It proclaimed that "anyone that creates or spreads fake news about COVID-19 is liable for prosecution" under the "terms of the National State of Disaster regulations."

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa retweeted the warning.

Amid the pandemic, there is widespread misinformation and fake news spreading globally. Countries have advised people to be aware of the contents being shared.

A similar type of claim was circulated in May 2012, December 2012, and May 2020. The posts are also shared on satirical websites. In addition, the posts with the same content, but with a different country name, where South Africa has been replaced with other countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, and change in time have also been identified.

Hence it can be noted that the content shared is fake, and it has been reposted several times with a baseless narrative.