A recent, outrageous example in Greece was that of the political leader, leader of the Hellenic Solution, Kyriakos Velopoulos, who, through telesales, launches a product that is supposed to protect against the coronavirus.
The BBC has compiled some of the most popular medical claims and advice, which are being shared on the internet and quoting what science really knows about coronavirus.
Garlic
Many messages suggesting the consumption of garlic to prevent infection are shared on Facebook. The WHO (World Health Organization) says that while garlic is "a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties", there is no indication that it can protect people from the new coronavirus.
In many cases, these types of treatments are not harmful on their own, but they can be done. The South China Morning Post reported that a woman was hospitalized after consuming 1,5 kilos of raw garlic. We know that, in general, eating fruits and vegetables and drinking water help us stay healthy. However, there is no evidence that certain foods help fight this particular virus.
The "Miracle" solution
YouTuber Jordan Sather, who has many thousands of fans on different platforms, claims that a "mineral supplement can kill coronaviruses." Contains chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach. Sather and others promoted the substance (MMS) even before the outbreak, and in January wrote on Twitter that "not only is chlorine dioxide (also known as MMS) an effective killer of cancer cells, but it can also eliminate the coronavirus ". He even says that YouTube censors his videos.
Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of the dangers of consuming MMS. Health authorities in other countries have also warned. The FDA says it "does not know of any research showing that these products are safe or effective in treating any disease." Warns that consuming these chlorine dioxide products can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and symptoms of severe dehydration.
Homemade hand cleanser
In Italy, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus, supermarket and pharmacy shelves are empty of disinfectants. There are reports of deficiencies and even a gel product that is very popular and is called Amuchina. As the product became scarce, recipes for making it yourself at home began to appear.
But, these recipes were for a disinfectant suitable for cleaning surfaces and as the scientists pointed out, they were not suitable for use on the skin.
Alcohol-based hand gels usually also contain emollients, which keep the skin soft and have an alcohol content of 60-70%. Professor Sally Bloomfield, of the London School of Hygiene and Medicine, says she does not believe one can make an effective hand sanitizer at home and that even vodka contains only 40% alcohol.
For cleaning surfaces, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the most common household disinfectants need to be effective.
Drinking silver
The use of "drinking silver" was promoted on Jim Bakker's teleshopping show. Colloidal silver contains tiny metal particles that have been liquefied. A guest on the show claimed that he kills some coronavirus strains within 12 hours, while admitting that he had not yet been tested in Covid-19.
The idea that it could be an effective treatment for coronaviruses has been widely shared on Facebook, especially by so-called "medical freedom" groups who are controversial for their general medical advice.
Proponents of colloidal silver claim that it works as an antiseptic and claim that it helps the immune system. However, there is clear advice from US health authorities that there is no evidence that this type of silver is effective for any health condition. Most importantly, it can cause serious side effects, such as kidney damage, seizures, and silver (or silvering), a condition that affects the skin.
They say that, unlike iron or zinc, silver is not a metal with any function in the human body.
Drink water every 15 minutes
A post that went viral through many Facebook accounts says that a doctor in Japan recommends drinking water every 15 minutes to eliminate any virus that may have entered the mouth. A version of the claims in Arabic has been shared more than 250.000 times. Bloomfield says there is no evidence that this will help.
Airborne viruses enter the body through the respiratory tract when you inhale. Some of them may enter your mouth, but even drinking water constantly is not going to block the transmission. Nevertheless, drinking water and hydration is generally good medical advice, but it does not protect against the virus.
Keep warm and avoid ice cream
There are many variations of the tips that suggest that heat kills the virus. Among the tips are drinking hot water, taking hot baths or using a hair dryer.
A post that reached many social media users in various countries and falsely attributed to Unicef, claims that consuming hot water and sun exposure will kill the virus, but says that ice cream should be avoided.
Charlotte Gornitzka, who works for Unicef, talks about misinformation about the coronavirus issue. disease. Of course, the claim is completely untrue. "
We know that the flu virus does not easily survive outside the body during the summer, although we do not yet know how heat affects the new coronavirus. But trying to warm your body or exposing it to the sun, believing that you will make it inhospitable to the virus, are completely ineffective, according to Professor Bloomfield. One must remember that once the virus is in your body, there is no way to kill it and your body just has to deal with it. That is why the British government is focusing on prevention.
"To actively kill the virus you need temperatures around 60 degrees," says Bloomfield. And this is much hotter than any bath or sauna. Washing bed linen or towels at 60 degrees is a good idea, as this can kill any viruses on the fabric. But it is not a good choice to wash our skin. Also, taking a hot bath or drinking hot liquids will not change your actual body temperature, which remains constant unless you are already sick.