MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday dismissed as false an alarming social media claim that a medical professional was allegedly going house-to-house, conducting blood sugar tests with needles contaminated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

In a statement issued on January 10, the DOH clarified that the viral post was “fake” and echoed the Philippine National Police’s earlier remarks, labeling it as a “scare tactic” with no factual foundation.

The post had suggested that an individual posing as a “Faculty of Medicine” member was visiting homes to conduct blood sugar tests using HIV-contaminated needles.

“The DOH urges the public to refrain from sharing unverified information that could unnecessarily cause panic,” the advisory stated.

The DOH also reminded the public to rely only on trusted sources and official channels for health-related information.

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