Manipulated units of a combined COVID-19 and influenza test have entered the European market.
The manufacturer has confirmed that batch FCO24090516 is counterfeit.
The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) was notified by Portuguese authorities about the circulation of falsified self-testing kits that combine detection of coronavirus and influenza A+B.
The original product is manufactured by Safecare Biotech, based in Hangzhou (China). However, the detected units bear the batch number FCO24090516, which the company has officially declared as falsified.
Although AEMPS has launched an investigation to trace distribution in Spain, so far there is no evidence that these manipulated units have reached pharmacies or distributors in the country.
There are legitimate versions of the same test with the same reference number (FCO-6032), which complicates immediate visual identification. An image of the test shows that the external appearance is identical, except for a minor detail.
