UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday about a “dangerous epidemic of misinformation” surrounding the global coronavirus outbreak, AFP reports.

“This is a time for science and solidarity,” Guterres said in a statement and video message.

“As the world fights the deadly COVID-19 pandemic — the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War — we are also seeing another epidemic, a dangerous epidemic of misinformation,” he said.

Guterres did not cite any specific countries or media outlets but he said that “harmful health advice and snake-oil solutions are proliferating".