Chilufya Urges Public To Go To Designated Covid-19 Testing Centres

Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya has urged Zambians to go to designated government and private laboratories for their Covid-19 tests, in order to avoid false negative results from unlicensed home tests. 

Speaking at the daily Covid-19 briefing yesterday, Dr Chilufya said: “We have noted the emergence of some facilities that are purporting to be doing COVID tests and issuing false-negative results”.

The minister criticised these facilities and instead drew citizens’ attentions to the government designated testing centres at Levy, UTH and other sites. 

He urged the public not to be taken in by unscrupulous individuals peddling fake Covid antibody tests. The tests are well known to give false negative results, lulling customers into a false sense of security when they might in fact have the virus. 

He also dismissed rumours that certain blood types are immune to the coronavirus.

“No o blood group is known to be protected from COVID-19, yes there has been data showing that blood group O could have some protective effect, this has not been confirmed and so the position today is there is no proven blood group that confers protection,” the minister said. 

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Zambia currently stands at 8,085, with 235 deaths.