Central Bedfordshire council warns residents of coronavirus scams

Central Bedfordshire Council is warning residents after reports of a number of bogus medical products being sold claiming to treat or prevent COVID-19.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have reported an increasing number of bogus medical products being sold through unauthorised websites.

These can include self-testing kits, ‘miracle cures’, ‘antiviral misting sprays’, and unlicensed medicines.

Several websites and social media accounts, identified as selling fake or unauthorised COVID-19 products, have recently been disabled by the MHRA.

The MHRA are advising consumers not to be fooled by online offers for medical products to help prevent or treat COVID-19.

There are currently no medicines licensed specifically to treat or prevent COVID-19 and there are no CE marked self-testing kits approved for home use, therefore any claiming to do so are not authorised and have not undergone a thorough approvals process which allows them to be sold on the UK market.

The MHRA cannot guarantee the safety or quality of the product and this potentially poses a risk to your health.

The risk of buying medicines and medical devices from unregulated websites are that you just don’t know what you will receive!

To stay safe when buying medicines online, the MHRA advises that consumers only purchase from a registered pharmacy – either from the premises or online.

If consumers suspect they have received a dodgy medicine or medical device they can report if via the MHRA safety monitoring system - the Yellow Card Scheme.