Rabat – The Moroccan social media sphere has been buzzing with a new controversial and polarizing COVID-19 conspiracy theory, as the country is experiencing an alarming third wave of infections.
As cases increase exponentially, testing has become more difficult for the average Moroccan.
Free testing, available in all public hospitals across the country, is plagued with long queues and crowded waiting rooms. In the meantime, private laboratories and health facilities offer testing at a price – MAD 700 ($78) – that most Moroccans find exorbitant and unaffordable.
Moroccans have since come across a Moroccan-made salivary COVID-19 self-testing kits marketed by Gigalab, a Casablanca-based importer and producer of medical material.
A Legitimate Business ?
Gigalab announced the release of its salivary test kits during a webinar held in early June 2021. During the event, the company’s CEO, Karim Zaher, said the test is “very easy to use” and that its reliability rate varies between “94.5% and 99.99%.”
These made-in-Morocco PCR tests were sold as individual single use tests, as well as in a 25 box set, with a price ranging from MAD 80 to MAD 100.
Zaher announced that his company has a production capacity of 2 million saliva tests per month, which can be increased according to demand. He also spoke of plans to export the tests, with an emphasis on the African market.
But none of these claims were proven by any data, and Gigalab has declined to answer Morocco World News’ questions on how the company arrived at such attractive conclusions regarding the quality of its products.
Pharmacy Union Complains
In a letter by Bouchra Meddah, the president of Morocco’s Drug and Pharmacy Directorate (DMP), the head of the Moroccan Union of Biologists explained that inspections had been carried out in pharmacies and distributors of pharmaceutical products “following complaints” about the quality of the Gigalab kits.
In its campaign against the commercialization of Gigalab’s products, the Union had denounced “the commercialization of the Covid-19 salivary antigenic rapid diagnostic kits in pharmacies,” noted the letter.
According to the union, the collection of saliva for testing purposes constitutes “a medical and pharmaceutical task” that should not be delegated to private individuals.
On July 14,the Ministry of Health ordered a total recall of batches of the salivary Covid-19 testing kit marketed by Gigalab.
The ministry stated that its decision was motivated by the fact that “the test in question was put on sale without the authorization of the Ministry of Health,” and that the kits had not undergone the quality control testing required prior to the authorization.
Business or Science ?
However, a source close to the case told Media24 that the ban has no scientific or legal basis, and that big pharmaceutical operators and labs “simply want to protect their monopoly, to the detriment of public health.”
Faced with the difficulty of equal and safe access to testing in various national public and private facilities, Moroccans vented their frustration online, with many saying they were outraged at the government for banning the affordable and accessible testing kits.
As people took to social media to express their outrage in support of the Gigalab product, some facebook pages went as far as advancing the theory that the government’s ban is entirely profit-motivated. Over 1,600 people have mentioned the Gigalab product on Facebook as of August 7.
Online Pushback
A post, alleging the ban resulted from the association of Moroccan biologists fearing the competition from the Gigalab product prompted the governmental ban, has now gone viral.
Most netizens are baffled at the recall of the product, calling the decision a “criminal act against the Moroccan consumer.”
Some Moroccans are now resorting to illegally purchasing the testing kit online, as batches that were withdrawn from pharmacies are now being commercialized on Facebook marketplace and closed groups on the social media site.
Advertisements by people offering the product or seeking to purchase it are gathering nearly 10,000 likes and comments per post.
Upon the publication of a post urgently requesting 280 Gigalab tests, dozens of Internet users were quick to respond, offering the kits at prices ranging from MAD 72 to MAD 150.
Morocco World News reached out to Gigalab on more than one occasion, to find out if the company is aware of these illegal sales. But Gigalab declined again to answer our questions.
Public outrage grew with Moroccans finding out that the Gigalab testing kits are available for sale in doctors’ offices at MAD 300, excluding doctor’s fees.
Lack of Public Data
Driving the controversy is the ongoing lack of publicly available data on the reliability of the testing kits. Without official data, online audiences and Moroccan biologists and pharmacists continue to make diametrically opposed claims about Gigalab’s products.
Both the Ministry of Health and the Union of Biologists appear to be making a clear case that the tests are unreliable. But Moroccans’ declining trust in political representatives suggest that the best way to end the ongoing controversy would be for both Gigalab and the ministry to publish clinical data on the quality and reliability of the saliva test.
In a time of rising COVID-19 cases, the Gigalab controversy presents a good opportunity to build public trust in the government. With public health officials already strained under the current caseload, swiftly resolving this prolonged debate with clear scientific data can help dissolve online myths and help build more trust in local medical establishments.
As Morocco experiences a record-breaking third wave, it is crucial for Moroccans to follow the government’s recommendations while making the distinction between fact and propaganda. But it is equally important for the government and local authorities to communicate clearly and show the public the data informing their strategies and recommendations.
The lack of transparency and clear communication on such vital matters allows for speculation and conspiracy theories to fester in the digital sphere. This can be deadly for many, as the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is as intellectual as it is sanitary.
