RESIDENTS in Bridgwater have been left feeling concerned after a flyer which disputes the validity of Covid-19 testing.

The flyer, which has been distributed in Bridgwater in the last few weeks, claims PCR tests used by the Government to test for coronavirus cannot test for live virus and ‘positive’ results are ‘enabling ministers to spread panic.’

It said:“The PCR test is used for ‘Covid-19’ and has been carried out on a large number of people.

“It detects the presence of minute amounts of genetic material from various (often dead) viruses, the Covid-19 virus among them, but does not necessarily mean the person is actually infected with a live virus.

“This material produces a ‘positive’ result which is then called a ‘case’ enabling ministers to spread panic at the number of cases and lockdown the country, shut small businesses and wreck the economy, as well as stopping families and friends getting together and enjoying the normalities of a work, social and cultural life.

“It’s all based on false positive results because the PCR test cannot test for live virus.

“It’s all an illusion. You can research for yourself and ask why?”

One Bridgwater resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was worried when she received the flyer through her door and feels it was ‘a deliberate attempt to misinform’ people.

She said: ‘“I feel frustrated when I see things like this online, but there’s at least means online to fact check and prove things wrong.

“Posting a flyer locally like this seems to me not just a concern from someone who is worried and more a deliberate attempt to misinform - very worrying and quite dangerous in a pandemic when we should all be heeding advice and working together to get through it.”

Trudi Grant, Somerset County Council’s Director of Public Health, said the council advises people to only on information which comes from an official source.

She said: “In recent weeks the number of Covid-19 cases in Somerset has almost trebled, and sadly we are also seeing an increase in the number of people in our local hospitals and dying from Covid-19.

“It is fantastic that the vaccination programme is gathering pace, but now is not the time to get complacent. If we act now by adhering to the lockdown rules, as well as the Hands, Face and Space guidance, we can hopefully bring our local infection rates back down and save lives.”