COVID-19 nothing more than flu in every way: Turkish health minister

By Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish health minister said on Monday that there is no need to be concerned about the once-fatal COVID-19 virus, urging people not to be afraid of the new coronavirus variant "Pirola."

Fahrettin Koca wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that COVID-19, which was once thought to be lethal, "is a disease that will be fought just as the flu is being fought now," advising people to be calm about the new coronavirus variant BA 2.86, dubbed "Pirola."

“A mass vaccination campaign or closure-like measures will never be implemented,” he added.

Due to the small number of cases so far, no specific Pirola symptom has been identified in the country.

However, severe nausea, a cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and an altered sense of smell were observed in the patients with whom the new variation was detected.