"Positivity Disguise" "Bacteria Injection During Testing"... Fake News Paralyzing Quarantine Efforts

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] "Going to the public health center turns negative cases into positive ones," "They might inject the virus while testing."

These statements are spreading mainly on SNS (social networking services) amid concerns about the resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The 'fake news' claiming that quarantine authorities manipulate diagnostic test results for political purposes and inject the virus into patients during testing has been rapidly spreading since the rally at Gwanghwamun on the 15th.

All of these are baseless fake news. In response to the spread of such false information, Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters leading domestic quarantine efforts, stated, "'There is a lot of false news spreading that 'if the health authorities test, everyone comes out positive,' but this is not true." Currently, there are about 600 screening clinics nationwide, and many private medical institutions and diagnostic specialist companies participate in the diagnostic testing process. There is no evidence anywhere in the fake news to support claims that the government manipulated diagnostic tests or attacked specific groups.

The harm caused by fake news poses real threats in daily life. On the 18th, a man in his 50s who escaped from isolation treatment at Paju Hospital was captured by the police after roaming around Jongno and Sinchon in Seoul for 25 hours. Cases of people refusing to undergo COVID-19 diagnostic tests or fleeing after testing positive are threatening not only medical staff on the front lines of COVID-19 quarantine but also ordinary citizens.

An audio recording of a conversation with an employee of the Seocho-gu public health center is also spreading online. In this video, similar claims that the public health center manipulates test results are made. A woman who called the Seocho-gu public health center official said, "Many people who participated in the rally tested positive at the public health center, but when they went to the hospital and got tested again, the results were negative," claiming these were "false positives." However, the Seocho-gu public health center stated, "There has been no reversal of test results."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.