Saturday, 21 March 2020
Coronavirus is spreading in more and more countries and there’s no known cure. Unfortunately, people are using the virus to promote some health advises that are proven to be fake. Some of those advises are pretty useless, while others are pretty dangerous.
Here are the 5 widespread claims and what science has to say about them:
1. Home-made hand sanitiser
There has been a shortage of hand sanitiser gel, since washing your hands is key to prevent spreading the virus. When the reports of shortage emerged, people started sharing recipes for home-made sanitiser. These home-made sanitisers are not suitable for use on skin, while they can be good for cleaning surfaces. Professor Bloomfield from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine explains that there’s no way to make an effective product for hand sanitising at home.
2. Garlic
Many claimed that garlic can prevent the virus. The World Health Organization explains that while garlic is extremely healthy, there’s no evidence that eating it can prevent coronavirus.
3. Drinkable Silver
A person claimed that drinking colloidal silver, tiny silver particles suspended in water, can kill some strains of the coronavirus in just 12 hours. Some people even claim that colloidal silver can treat many conditions and can help the immune system.
There is no evidence that this silver solution is effective for any health condition. The silver solution can cause seizures, kidney damage and argyria, a condition that can turn your skin blue.
4. Drinking water every 15 minutes
One post that went viral said that drinking water every 15 minutes can flush out any virus. Professor Land from the University of Oxford explains that water can not just wash a respiratory virus down into your stomach and kill it. Constantly drinking water can not prevent coronavirus.
5. Heat and avoiding ice cream
There are many claims that heat kills coronavirus. One post even claims that drinking hot water and exposure to sun can kill the virus. That same post claims that you should avoid ice cream. The reality is that the virus doesn’t survive well outside the body during the summer, but scientists don’t know yet how heat impacts the new coronavirus. Exposing yourself to heat and the sun, will not protect you from the virus.
1. Home-made hand sanitiser
There has been a shortage of hand sanitiser gel, since washing your hands is key to prevent spreading the virus. When the reports of shortage emerged, people started sharing recipes for home-made sanitiser. These home-made sanitisers are not suitable for use on skin, while they can be good for cleaning surfaces. Professor Bloomfield from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine explains that there’s no way to make an effective product for hand sanitising at home.
2. Garlic
Many claimed that garlic can prevent the virus. The World Health Organization explains that while garlic is extremely healthy, there’s no evidence that eating it can prevent coronavirus.
3. Drinkable Silver
A person claimed that drinking colloidal silver, tiny silver particles suspended in water, can kill some strains of the coronavirus in just 12 hours. Some people even claim that colloidal silver can treat many conditions and can help the immune system.
There is no evidence that this silver solution is effective for any health condition. The silver solution can cause seizures, kidney damage and argyria, a condition that can turn your skin blue.
4. Drinking water every 15 minutes
One post that went viral said that drinking water every 15 minutes can flush out any virus. Professor Land from the University of Oxford explains that water can not just wash a respiratory virus down into your stomach and kill it. Constantly drinking water can not prevent coronavirus.
5. Heat and avoiding ice cream
There are many claims that heat kills coronavirus. One post even claims that drinking hot water and exposure to sun can kill the virus. That same post claims that you should avoid ice cream. The reality is that the virus doesn’t survive well outside the body during the summer, but scientists don’t know yet how heat impacts the new coronavirus. Exposing yourself to heat and the sun, will not protect you from the virus.