Rebecca King, NorthJersey.com Published 1:25 p.m. ET April 3, 2020 | Updated 12:04 p.m. ET April 6, 2020
Bleach on the skin, mineral supplements to fight coronavirus, hot baths? Rebecca busts these and other coronavirus myths. NorthJersey.com
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been very clear in its directives to prevent coronavirus.
Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Wash them often. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Stay home if you’re sick. Stay home if you’re well. Wear a mask if you’re sick. Frequently clean surfaces with a disinfectant.
And yet, “home remedies” and “alternative cures” have still begun circulating. These methods — like eating garlic, standing out in the sun, and drinking more alcohol — will not cure or prevent coronavirus, and in many cases can have adverse health effects.
Here are some “home remedies” and why they don’t work.
Standing in the sun
The World Health Organization busted the myth that exposing your skin to the sun or keeping your house at 77 degrees or higher will prevent COVID-19.
“You can catch COVID-19, no matter how sunny or hot the weather is. Countries with hot weather have reported cases of COVID-19. To protect yourself, make sure you clean your hands frequently and thoroughly and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose,” wrote the WHO on its website.
The WHO said there is no link to temperature and the spread of coronavirus. Cold temperatures won’t slow down the spread, nor hot. Taking a hot bath will also not prevent coronavirus.
Spraying chlorine or bleach on skin
There is no need to use chlorine, bleach or any harsh chemical to sanitize your skin. National Geographic quoted Jane Greatorex, a virologist at Cambridge University, saying using bleach “is like using a bludgeon to swat a fly.” Soap and water is the best prevention. Exposure to harsh chemicals can lead to respiratory health problems when inhaled over long periods of time.
The WHO confirms that these substances can be harmful to mucous membranes and ruin clothing. Alcohol and chlorine can be used to disinfect surfaces, it said, but should not be used directly on the body.
Eating garlic
We’ll let the WHO handle this one, as well:
“Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.”
‘Miracle Mineral Supplement’ or MMS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first warned against MMS in 2010. Recently, YouTuber Jordan Sather has been promoting it as a cure for coronavirus. “Miracle” or “Master” Mineral Solution is a sodium chlorite solution that is intended to be mixed with citric acid (like lemon or lime juice) before drinking. The added acid turns the solution into chlorine dioxide, a bleaching agent. Drinking MMS can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and severe dehydration, according to the FDA.
Drinking alcohol
Rumors have circulated that drinking alcohol will kill coronavirus germs in your body. The WHO stated on its website that this is a myth and that excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of health issues.
Consuming silver
Televangelist Jim Bakker made headlines when a guest on his show claimed colloidal silver kills coronavirus in 12 hours. The solution, called “Silver Sol Liquid” is made of microscopic particles of silver suspended in liquid. The show instructed watchers to put the colloidal silver in a nebulizer and inhale it to kill the virus.
The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission sent a letter to Bakker admonishing him for promoting the substance, affirming that it cannot cure or prevent COVID-19 and stating that Silver Sol Liquid is an “unapproved new drug sold in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.” He was also sued by the state of Missouri.
Drinking water
A post went viral on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp stating that Japanese doctors treating coronavirus recommend taking sips of water every 15 minutes so if the virus gets into your mouth it will wash down into your stomach where your stomach acids will kill it.
Drinking water is a healthy thing to do, and it is true that the acids in your stomach do kill coronavirus. However, this method will not prevent you from catching coronavirus.
The BBC spoke to Kalpana Sabapathy, a clinical epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, to debunk this myth. “One gaping hole in it is the likelihood that you managed to flush all of them down into your stomach,” she told the BBC. “You would probably have already got them in your nostrils by then, for example — it’s not foolproof.”
Using an ultraviolet lamp
The WHO has said that using an ultraviolet lamp should not be used to kill germs. Again, it recommends washing hands with soap and water. UV radiation can cause skin irritation.
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Qingfei Paidu soup
The Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that a soup called Qingfei Paidu, which is made of the medicinal plants ephedra and licorice root, successfully treated the symptoms of hundreds of coronavirus patients. But, this report has not been substantiated by doctors.
Rebecca King is a food writer for NorthJersey.com. For more on where to dine and drink, please subscribe today and sign up for our North Jersey Eats newsletter.
Email: kingr@northjersey.com Twitter: @rebeccakingnj Instagram: @northjerseyeats
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