Beware of fake COVID tests

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

Someone is making money out of fake COVID-19 test results, according to the head of the Western Visayas Medical Center Sub-National Laboratory (WVMC-SNL).

Dr. Stephanie Abello, WVMC-SNL chief pathologist, made the statement after they issued an advisory warning the public against fake RT-PCR COVID-19 results bearing the logo of the hospital and the Department of Health.

The fake test result was discovered after a staff of the Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF)-Dingle campus went to the hospital to validate the document.

According to the WVMC-SNL, the bogus document bears the names of fake signatories Arriane Sibal, Abigail Joy Pastolero, Andres Miranda, and Pierre Layson who are not employees of the hospital.

“We strongly condemn such act and any person found to be liable for faking the WVMC-SNL RT PCR results shall be lawfully dealt with,” WVMC said.

The hospital also asked the public to report to authorities any person found to be releasing the fake document.

Dr. Abello told Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo that the fake test result lacks security features like the bar code and the name of the person who underwent testing was not on their records.

Except for the illegitimate signatories, the fake RT-PCR results are almost identical with the authentic RT-PCR results being issued by WVMC as it also contained logos and contact details of WVMC.

Abello suspects that business may have motivated unscrupulous individuals to fake COVID-19 tests.

“Isa sa mga rason kun ngaa may nakagguwa nga peke nga RT-PCR test bangod ginanegosyahan na nila,” she said.

Abello added that employees who were pressured to secure a negative RT-PCR result by their employers may have fallen into the trap and resorted to faking their RT-PCR results.

One possibility could be personalities who go around in the guise of extracting swab specimen for RT-PCR testing, especially on persons who need negative COVID-19 test results in their work.

Persons who have exceeded the 14-day quarantine period might have resorted to securing spurious test results so they can go home.

Abellos said communications on test results is only between the WVMC-SNL and the local government unit or Disease Reporting Units.
The WVMC-SNL is planning to seek the help of the National Bureau of Investigation in investigating the alleged racket.
WVMC warned that any person found to be liable for faking the RT-PCR results of WVMC-SNL shall be lawfully dealt with.

“Everyone is enjoined to be vigilant and report to any law enforcement authority, the Department of Health Region 6 (DOH-6) or to the WVMC any person found to be releasing fake RT-PCR results.” (With a report from ERS)