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Claim: Individuals posing as health workers are infecting people with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through contaminated needles used in blood sugar tests.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: Several variations of the chain message are circulating on social media, with one such post receiving 38 reactions, 15 comments, and 91 shares as of writing.
The post claims to be an urgent notice from “National Intelligence” under the Office of the President. It warns the public that so-called members of the “Faculty of Medicine” are visiting houses to conduct blood sugar tests. The post further claims that these individuals are members of the Islamic State (ISIS) using needles allegedly contaminated with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Several variations of the chain message exist, such as one claiming that the virus is spread under the guise of providing an anti-tetanus injection. Another version of the post in a different language is circulating in private chats.
The facts: The Department of Health (DOH) released an advisory stating that the viral social media posts are a hoax.
“The Department of Health (DOH) warns the public on a circulating message on social media falsely claiming to be a member of the Faculty of Medicine visiting houses for a blood sugar test,” the January 11 notice read.
“The Philippine National Police has also debunked this message, confirming that it is a scare tactic with no factual basis,” it added.
The health department also urged the public “not to share unverified claims that may cause unnecessary alarm,” and reminded them to check information from legitimate sources and platforms.
Debunked in 2018: The Philippine National Police (PNP) previously dismissed a similar chain message as a hoax in 2018. Then-PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. John Bulalacao said it was a prank designed to spread fear among the public.
In a December 2018 fact check, Rappler also debunked a similar claim that ISIS was spreading AIDS through fake vaccines at health centers.
Dubious details: The false posts that recently resurfaced online mentioned an institution called the “Faculty of Medicine” that purportedly conducts the house-to-house blood sugar tests. However, the government institution responsible for public health matters is the DOH.
Similar fact checks: Rappler has debunked other chain messages and health hoaxes. These include false claims regarding a state of emergency in China over an alleged new epidemic and the supposed declaration of mpox as a global pandemic. – Precious America/Rappler.com
Precious Grace America is a Rappler volunteer. She is a senior BS Development Communication student at the University of the Philippines Los Banos.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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