Muscat: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has denied rumours about the presence of a new COVID-19 mutant in the Sultanate of Oman.

A statement issued online by MOH said: "The curve observatory of the Directorate General of Disease Surveillance and Control shows the registration of small numbers of positive tests for the COVID-19 virus during the past weeks, and the high registration of cases of seasonal influenza, stressing that what is rumoured about the presence of a mutated virus for COVID-19 is incorrect."

"In response to the rumour of the presence of a new COVID mutant, the epidemiological trend shows the small number of positive COVID tests in the past weeks and the high positive of seasonal influenza tests, as the orange color represents COVID and blue is influenza," Dr Abdullah Al-Quyudhi, a consultant in inflammation and immunology at the Directorate General of Disease Surveillance and Control.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that respiratory viruses spread naturally at this time of the year, and cold and fever symptoms are frequent, and this is what we witness annually from an increase in the activity of respiratory viruses during this time of the year, and there is no need for concern.