MSU denies report on faculty as COVID-19 positive

By ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL YAHYA

MARAWI CITY: The Mindanao State University (MSU) has denied a FaceBook post that a faculty member of its College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM) has been tested positive of the pandemic Coronavirus 2029 (COVID-19) and is now confined at the University Infirmary and that the University is also in lockdown.

A statement from the office of the MSU President Dr. Habib W. Macaayong said the recent Facebook post of a certain Hadja Khadijah Baulo about a CNSM faculty member being tested positive of COVID-19 is absolutely a fake news which is aimed to create panic and confusion among the university constituents especially students.

Although the FB user has retracted the post, many had already seen it and shared it which may have caused unnecessary panic, said Macaayong.

It said Dean Aringa of the CNSM paid a visit to the Infirmary to verify the incident. But, "there was no one from the college admitted there, and none being observed for COVID-19," it said.

"We, the administration of the Mindanao State University would like to inform its constituents and the general public that the said post is a piece of misinformation," the statement said, adding that "Only capable facilities and the personnel can make COVID-19 diagnoses on Persons Under Investigation."

"We are enjoining the MSU constituents and the general public to refrain posting and sharing misinformation and unverified information on their social media accounts regarding COVID-19," it added.

"Furthermore, the constituents are enjoined to follow guidelines disseminated by the Department of Health so as not to contract or spread the said illness," the official statement said.

The MSU administration assured of taking steps to ensure the coronavirus will not affect its constituents and its operations. (RSP)