A man suspected of trying to sell so-called ‘corona kits’, which people can use to infect themselves with Covid-19, has been detained by police in the Netherlands.
The kit he offered through a dedicated website included a tube purportedly containing a Covid-19 liquid and a coronavirus test, the anti-fraud unit of the Dutch Ministry of Finance (FIOD) said.
“Do you want to decide for yourself when to become infected with the coronavirus? With the corona kit, you can make this choice yourself,” the promo on the website said.
Prospective customers were promised fresh viruses that were no older than three months, so they could be “sure that the latest mutations and variants are included.”
Getting self-infected and overcoming the virus is a sure way of obtaining a certificate of recovery from the virus that – just like proof of vaccination – allows attendance at various public venues, including restaurants, nightclubs, cinemas, and others, the website said.
It didn’t mention that there was also a chance of not overcoming the disease and said nothing about more than 20,000 people who have already succumbed to Covid-19 in the Netherlands since the start of the pandemic.
The man was ready to mail the virus to buyers for €33.50 (around $38).
The suspect was detained by the police on Friday and released the same day after questioning. His website was blocked.
Further investigation will determine if he really intended to sell the virus or simply wanted to swindle money from people, the FIOD said. Currently, the man is being accused of fraud.
“Anyone who infects themselves [with Covid-19] knowingly endangers public health,” the anti-fraud unit warned.