Walter Taccone, partner of Futura Diagnostica, the laboratory that was responsible for Lazio’s Covid-19 tests, discussed the current situation in an interview with Italian radio broadcaster Radio Punto Nuovo earlier today.
I’ll answer to the terrible accusations in a very simple and personal way, not on behalf of Futura Diagnostica. And if anyone wants to respond, they’ll have to do it to me. I have the impression that someone, without naming any names because we all know, has to get involved in a transparent situation.
I would have understood if this matter came from Rome’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, but not only did Avellino’s office come to us to carry out these ‘checks’, they also took the trouble to go to Lazio to inspect things.
He touched on how Futura Diagnostica has followed all protocols and procedures, for all the clubs they work for.
There are some who when they read the name ‘Taccone’, they get angry like a bull seeing a waving red flag. This story must end. We are a nationally recognized laboratory. And this story is hurting everyone, our reputation and work.
It bothers us because we have always worked with the utmost fairness and transparency, for Lazio, Perugia, Salernitana and Viterbese. I would like to remind people that we are the same lab that stopped Viterbese when they had some positive cases. Because, when positive cases appear, we do our job and communicate that to everyone.
He commented on how the lab carry out their analysis.
When we do it, we analyze all three genes, plus the fourth control one inserted inside the tube. Now, when all three genes come out, the answer will be present. If none of them appear, it’s negative. If only one of them appears, like what happened in the case of my friend Ciro Immobile, we signal the presence of only gene N.
Taccone spoke about what happens next and how Immobile, Thomas Strakosha and Lucas Leiva all tested negative for the virus.
We always give the correct answers based on the results. Then, what happens next is not our responsibility. I would not even be able to talk about it, but I want to do so as an analyst.
On day 6 we repeated the tests on these three guys, who then went spontaneously to get rechecked at the Biomedical Campus, and I say spontaneously because it is not like I am talking to Immobile or Strakosha, what I know I learnt from the newspapers.
In our lab, Immobile, Strakosha and Lucas Leiva all tested negative for all three genes. And we have given this answer. In the same session, Lazio also had some positive cases, which we reported immediately.
He discussed how the second check, carried out in a different laboratory, also confirmed their results.
For our image and correctness, after the result of the Biomedical Campus on the three previously mentioned, we carried out a second check, relying on a laboratory in Naples, MeriGen. A very serious laboratory that with Dr. De Biase has great experience and professionalism.
There, the four positive cases found were confirmed as such, they verified the absence of the three genes for Strakosha and Lucas Leiva, reserving a further control only for Ciro Immobile’s test.
This morning he called me, after accurate tests, and told me the positivity of the latter only of the N gene. Only the one, which is an inconsistent gene, sometimes it comes out positive, other times not. And it cannot be evidence of an infection.
Taccone commented on the ongoing investigations into the laboratory and the Biancocelesti.
The Guardia di Finanza of Avellino has seized the samples of these seven that were in our lab, which are available to anyone who wants to analyze them. And not only that, they also seized everything related to the procedure started by Lazio on November 6.
Repeating myself, Lucas Leiva and Strakosha could have played against Juventus 100%, as well as Ciro Immobile, in my opinion. And I hope that when this situation will be ascertained, I imagine that President Lotito will not be happy at those responsible, blocking absolutely negative players.
The test is only one of the medical-legal aspects that allows to evaluate the suitability of the player. From the point of view of possible transmission of the virus, it is right that this is stopped, but then it is up to Lazio to make the remaining clinical and instrumental evaluations, and I do not doubt that it has done so in a probable and correct way.
Finally, Taccone touched on why Lazio president Claudio Lotito chose Futura Diagnostica to carry out the tests.
It is very simple, we started to work with them to analyze Salernitana’s tests. And given our esteem, the Granata director Fabiani suggested to Lotito to rely on our laboratory. From there, Lazio asked us for any certification and/or legal document, starting from the accreditation, before starting our work together.
We have a team of five people, exemplary professionals, working hard behind the scenes. There is not only Taccone. Only after having had all the guarantees, Lazio decided to rely on us.
And we’ve been providing for the club since May, not a few days ago. We have already reported a thousand tests for Lazio.
Investigations are currently ongoing to determine the cause of Lazio’s inconsistent Covid-19 test results. Thomas Strakosha, Ciro Immobile and Lucas Leiva featured against Torino at the start of this month, despite being forced to miss Champions League games on either side of that fixture.
