#KissForFaour: Minister's Swine Flu Remarks Spark Social Media Humor

  • W460
  • W460
  • W460
  • W460
  • W460

Humorous remarks by Health Minister Wael Abou Faour about abstention from kissing as a precaution against swine flu have triggered a sarcastic campaign on social networking websites.

"The solution would be to decrease kissing, unless extremely necessary," Abu Faour said jokingly to journalists during a press conference on Wednesday.

His comments sparked a new hashtag on Twitter -- #KissForFaour -- that saw Lebanese users post pictures of themselves kissing their partners, children, or even pets.

Other social media users resorted to posting jokes as some netizens referred to Abou Faour's remarks to slam a ruling class and authorities largely seen as corrupt and negligent towards citizens' welfare.

Swine flu has killed four people in Lebanon since the beginning of the winter season in November, Abou Faor said on Wednesday.

He said the four fatal cases were a child aged three, a 31-year-old woman, a 36-year-old pregnant woman, and a 58-year-old man. 

He also said reported cases had increased by 20 percent but that the number of deaths was comparable with the previous winter season, in which five people died of H1N1.

Abou Faour also dismissed fears that the recent swine flu cases might be linked to the country's ongoing garbage disposal crisis, which erupted in July 2015.

A regional outbreak of swine flu in 2009 sparked warnings from governments and the World Health Organization. 

By August 2010, when the WHO lifted its warning, the virus had killed 18,500 people in 214 countries.

Y.R.

Comments 1
Thumb lubnani.masi7i 10 February 2016, 21:27

hoping the kiss of death will touch all the lebanese politicians.