A video is spreading on multiple platforms with the claim that Chinese health officials are going door-to-door in schools spraying toxic chemicals because of a “new virus” that the authorities are allegedly hiding. The clip shows workers in protective suits spraying a white mist inside a classroom. However, we found that the claim is misleading.
Social Media Posts
Examples of captions shared with the video include: “Chinese health officials are going from door to door to spray toxic chemicals in every classroom. There’s a new virus they are not telling you about.”
Fact Check
The original video shows routine school disinfection
By checking the watermark and username in the viral clip, we can trace the footage back to a Douyin (Chinese TikTok) account: 阜阳心缘应急救援队 (Fuyang XinYuan Emergency Rescue Team)
The caption of the original post reads: 周末校园例行消毒 又是一个周末，队友们放弃休息，继续校园消毒#原创视频 #校园 #正能量 #阜阳心缘应急救援队
This translates as: “Weekend routine campus disinfection. It’s another weekend, and our teammates have given up their rest to continue disinfecting the campus. #OriginalVideo #Campus #PositiveEnergy #FuyangXinYuanEmergencyRescueTeam.”
There is no mention of a new virus, of an emergency, or of “toxic chemicals.” The team presents its work as a regular campus service activity.
On-screen Chinese text confirms it is a scheduled operation
The screenshot from the video includes additional Chinese text overlays. At the bottom left, the text reads “Year 2025, 23 November, Sunday.” At the bottom center, it says “校园例行消杀” or “routine campus disinfection.” At the bottom right is the name of the Fuyang XinYuan Emergency Rescue Team (阜阳心缘应急救援队). These overlays clearly identify the date, nature of the work (routine disinfection), and the organization. They contradict claims that this is a secret government operation linked to an undisclosed virus.
School disinfection activities are documented and routine
The practice shown in the video is consistent with other documented school-disinfection campaigns in China. For example, a 2020 report from the Fujian news portal described school disinfection activities in Fuzhou, where staff and volunteers disinfected classrooms, corridors and other facilities to maintain hygiene and prevent disease spread. Both the Fujian report and the Douyin video feature classrooms with stacked desks and no students present, personnel in protective suits using sprayers or fogging equipment, and descriptions of the work as routine disinfection for health and safety, not as a response to a mysterious new pathogen.
Another article on the education service site zhongzhao.org.cn reports that Dongxing City organised “全面消杀” (comprehensive disinfection) of the first batch of schools resuming classes. Staff in protective clothing followed a plan to disinfect teaching buildings, dormitories and canteens, focusing on corridors, staircases, walls, doors, desks, toilets and other “dead corners,” in order to “create a clean, hygienic and safe campus environment” for returning teachers and students.
Both reports show school staff or contracted teams disinfecting largely empty campuses in a systematic way, very similar to what is seen in the Douyin video. This supports the interpretation that the viral clip depicts a routine campus disinfection activity rather than an unusual, secretive operation linked to a “new virus.”
No evidence of a “new virus” connection
The rumour claims that the classroom disinfection is taking place because of a new, hidden virus in China. Available evidence from international health authorities and major news agencies does not support this.
In early 2025, China did report an increase in respiratory infections, including human metapneumovirus (hMPV), influenza, rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), particularly among children. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the levels of acute respiratory infections in China were within the expected range for the winter season, with no unusual outbreak patterns and no emergency response declared.
A Reuters fact-check on hMPV in China likewise concluded that social media posts were wrongly presenting hMPV as a “new virus.” Reuters noted that hMPV has been known for decades and that, as of January 2025, Chinese officials had not declared any state of emergency related to it. Coverage by outlets such as Al Jazeera also stresses that hMPV is a seasonal respiratory virus, not “the next COVID-19,” and that current spikes resemble typical winter surges rather than a novel pandemic threat.
Earlier, in late 2023, WHO reviewed reports of clusters of paediatric pneumonia in northern China and concluded that the surge was due to known pathogens such as influenza, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, RSV and SARS-CoV-2, rather than a new virus. This pattern of seasonal increases being misrepresented as evidence of a novel pathogen is consistent with the current wave of rumours.
Taken together, there is no evidence that a new, unknown virus is spreading in China or that the disinfection in the viral school video is linked to such a threat. The claim connects a routine campus hygiene activity to a broader, unsubstantiated narrative about a “new virus,” which is not supported by credible medical or epidemiological data.
Conclusion
The video circulating on social media does not show Chinese officials secretly spraying “toxic chemicals” due to a new virus. Instead, it depicts a routine school disinfection activity carried out by a local emergency rescue team on November 23, 2025. There is no credible evidence of a hidden new virus outbreak in China, and health authorities confirm that current respiratory illness levels are typical for the winter season.
Title:Video does not show Chinese officials secretly spraying “toxic chemicals” in schools due to new virus
Fact Check By: Pranpreeya PResult: False
