An unknown disease deadlier than COVID-19 is spreading in Kazakhstan.

Health ministry acknowledged the presence of viral pneumonias of unspecified etiology but denied that the outbreak was new or unknown.

On July 9, 2020, the Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan had warned its citizens about the outbreak of unknown pneumonia in the country. The statement published by the embassy read that 1,772 people had died in the first half of 2020 and 628 in June alone from the reported pneumonia outbreak.

However, on July 10, 2020, Kazakhstan health ministry clarified that the claim regarding the outbreak of new pneumonia was baseless and acknowledged the presence of viral pneumonia of unspecified etiology but said the warning issued by the Chinese embassy did not correspond with the reality.

World Health Organization also asserted that the reported pneumonia is being examined and stated that the pneumonia cases might reflect the undiagnosed cases of COVID-19 infection.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.