Doctor becomes target of fake news over COVID

Reis Magos: A doctor was targeted on social media with a fake news of being COVID-19 positive after coming in contact with a positive patient who visited the doctor’s clinic, thereby sending the locals into a panic.

Sarpanch of Reis Magos Kedar Naik, when contacted, said it is disheartening that such a thing has happened on social media.

It was stated that after this false news went around, some people went to the houses of the staff of the doctor and told them to stay away.

“I had to intervene and resolve the issue,” the sarpanch said.

As per the doctor, the trigger for the rumour was that a migrant labourer, aged 50, along with a young man, in his 20s, visited the clinic complaining of chills and fever and both the patients were referred to Candolim Primary Health Centre for malaria test which came positive; subsequently, a day later an elderly man came complaining of chest pain and was rushed to the GMC where he was diagnosed for mild heart attack and subsequently a test was conducted for COVID-19, as he was having fever and chest pain, wherein the swab test came positive.

“Then I got a call from the PHC, Candolim informing about the positive case coming in contact with me. I immediately shut my clinic, and I and my two staffers underwent the test for COVID which came negative,” the doctor said.

The clinic has been kept shut for 14 days as per the government protocol, it was stated.