Coronavirus didn’t spread as fast as the health myths related to the Coronavirus spread. You can find people in every corner telling you one or another thing about the new virus guest. “Do this, it will stop the virus from spreading”, “Don’t do this, you will catch infection”, “Eat this to boost your immunity”, or “Do not eat this, else you will get the virus” and so on. The list is endless as everyone has their own mind and everyone has their own ideas about the virus. The world is flooded with stupid health myths related to Coronavirus.
But still, how someone can say drink alcohol to kill the virus? I mean, if it had been so easy, people were not be suffering like this, the US won’t be crying over the deaths of countless people or China was not getting blamed by the entire world. But it can’t be helped. Let the rumor mill run. But it is important to understand what to believe and what not to believe as these myths related to Coronavirus are making it difficult for people to survive.
Thus here are some of the most common health myths related to Coronavirus, that you must know about.
Health Myths Related To Coronavirus
Food Myths
The food myths related to Coronavirus has changed the entire diet charts in many households.
1. Bats Spread the Virus – This was the first thing every news channel showed after the virus outbreak. Yes, the bats are natural reservoirs of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, but the virus didn’t come from the bats directly. So, I would say don’t trust the media, as they spread nothing but negativity.
2. Bat Soup Is the Reason- Yes, this was another reason people claimed to have spread the virus. Even though I am not aware of the Chinese recipe book, and trust me I am not interested, the Chinese bat soup is surely not the reason for the spread of the virus.
3. Garlic Is An Ally In The Battle Against Virus- Now that we are talking about food; let’s talk about garlic as well. Yes, it is a well-known fact that every vegetable, fruit, and spice in our kitchen helps our body in one or another way. Garlic is also considered very beneficial for health and research also suggests that it can slow the growth of bacteria but it cannot protect against the virus.
4. Home Remedies Can Be Helpful- One of my neighbors and his family stayed completely locked for a few days in their home and when they came out, they claimed that they were infected but treated themselves with home remedies. I heard about many people who claimed so. But it is a fact that you cannot treat Coronavirus with any home remedy like sesame oil, garlic, fish tank cleaner, sage, etc. They do not treat the coronavirus for sure but they are very helpful in preventing, not only coronavirus but all the other infections. You must always eat healthily, and not just for the sake of Coronavirus. The only remedy is to wash your hands regularly with soap and water.
5. Chinese Food Can Spread The Coronavirus- The Chinese food we eat in India is not even Chinese, then how the Chinese virus will spread through it?
6. Non-Vegetarians Have Higher Risk- There are certain people who missed the chicken curry, egg rolls, and mutton chops after the virus outbreak as people believe that eating chicken, meat, fish, and their favorite subway can cause Coronavirus. Please read about the ways the infection can spread.
7. Eating Citrus Fruits Can Help- Orange juice in the morning and lime water in the noon- does your diet chart says something like this? Do you know why we are suggested citrus fruits? Because the virus affects your immunity and these Vitamin-C rich fruits boost it. So, eat them as much as you want, but once you get the virus, they cannot cure you.
Remedial Myths
The remedial myths related to Coronavirus are a pain for doctors.
8. Alcohol and Chlorine Spray On Skin Can Kill the Virus– Imagine people soaking themselves in the tubs full of alcohol. Eewww! Some people emptied their precious whiskies only for disinfecting. Stop right there as it can cause damage if it gets into your eyes. Want to use it for surfaces, go ahead, but don’t spray these things on your body.
9. Face Mask Can Protect Against The Virus- All of us do not have professional masks. We are using cloth masks or disposable masks. These masks are going to help in public places only if you maintain social distancing as well as do not make any physical contact with people or things. Touching your nose, face, ears, eyes, etc, will wash away the benefits obtained from the mask.
10. Rinsing Nose with Saline Water– Rinsing the nose with saline water can definitely protect against respiratory infections but this virus is not just a respiratory infection. It can spread from your mouth or eyes, so using saline water can reduce the symptoms of an infection but it cannot reduce the risk of infection.
11. Taking A Hot Bath or Drinking Hot Water Can Help– The common symptoms of the infections are the same as the flu, such as fever, cold, cough, etc. You may drink hot water and feel better, but do not expect it to cure your infection as it can’t. The same goes for a hot bath.
12. Ayurveda Can Help- People claimed to treat Coronavirus with Ayurveda and then backed out. Unani medicines also claimed to help fight against the virus but to date, there is no scientific evidence available.
13. Gargling Bleach Can Help in Killing Virus- No, no, no. This is the most stupid thing to think that drinking or gargling with bleach or any other household disinfectant can kill the virus. These things are poisonous and can affect you worse than any virus. It’s just another way of damaging your body instead of treating it.
14. Flu and Pneumonia Vaccines Can Help in Treating Coronavirus- Most of the Indian population thinks that Coronavirus is just another form of cold which is deadly just like pneumonia. But it is not. It is an entirely different virus, whose vaccine is eating up billions. All the doctors and researchers will commit suicide after knowing that they were spending their time and energy on a virus that could be treated by the flu vaccine.
15. You Should Drink Alcohol To Kill Virus- Yes, you can use alcohol for cleaning the surface and even the skin but it cannot kill the virus inside your body. WHO has clearly said this. In fact, drinking alcohol can go against you as it weakens your immune system.
Infection Myths
16. Children Are Safe from Coronavirus- The virus doesn’t know your age. Yes, the adults are more prone to it, but children are not entirely safe. They can definitely get the infection. In fact, we have heard about infants getting infected from the virus.
17. Adults and Young Are Prey to Virus- It’s not about being young, adult or infant. Even though the virus contracted most of the adults but those who are already fighting with a health condition are prone to it.
18. Pets Spread Coronavirus- It was very heart-breaking news that several people disowned their pets due to this myth. But the reality is that the animals got an infection after coming in contact with the sick owner. But the reports of pets spreading the virus have not surfaced yet. They are your family members, you cannot disown them just because they are sick or you believe that they can make you sick.
19. You Need To Spend Some Time (10 minutes) With The Infected To Get The Virus- This is stupid. If you are not taking precautions, the virus can catch you in a minute. But if you are taking all the precautions, you can be safe even after spending the whole hour with the patient. It is all up to you.
20. A Package from China Can Spread the Virus- Oh really! All the facts are right before us. All we need to do is look. It has been already made clear that Coronavirus cannot survive for a much longer time on papers and packages. After all, it also needs a favorable environment for its survival. So, the Chinese virus won’t be able to travel and survive for so long on your packages arriving from China.
21. Urine And Feces Are Also A Medium of Infection- I don’t know how people can get infected from these but this is something you need to understand. In case of flu, you swallow mucus which directly goes into your stomach, where your gut denaturalizes the virus. So, yes, the virus is found in your stool but it is not clear if it is an infectious virus.
22. Shared Water Facilities Can Cause Infection- People believe that they can get infected if they will get into the same waters as an infected person, like pools, hot tubs, etc. If the facility owner is aware enough to disinfect the water and the surfaces, there is no chance that you can catch the infection.
“What Is It?” Myths
Oh Yes. WHO cleared that it is a deadly virus, but people have their own notions about what is it and where did it come from.
23. It Is Just Another Flu- Oh No. It is not. You can get rid of the flu by rest and proper vaccination but the Coronavirus won’t leave you alone. It is a more serious problem as well as deadly.
24. It Has Come from A Chinese Lab- You will be shocked to know that this is not the only kind of Coronavirus. There are two other types as well. And all three of these have been found in bats. Even yet, there has been no evidence that the Coronavirus was designed in a lab. It is more of natural evolution.
25. A Severe Form Of Cold- Yeah! Just like cancer is just another disease. LOL! There is a reason WHO has declared it a pandemic. It is a serious problem and not just a severe form of cold-like pneumonia. The Coronavirus is a clever virus that just uses you as a way to get to others.
26. It Is The Worst Thing the World Has Seen- You need to read about the Black Death (plague) or Ebola if you want to know about the worst thing. The mortality rate of Coronavirus is very less as compared to the above-mentioned epidemics.
Prevention And Detection Myths
Detection is easy if only prevention was also easier.
27. A Thermal Scanner Can Detect The Coronavirus– If you believe so, you need to understand what a thermal scanner does. It scans your temperature and detects if you have a fever. Fever is not the only symptom of Coronavirus. In fact, a person can have a fever due to several other reasons like cold or flu. So, Thermal scanners only detect fever and not Coronavirus.
28. Hand Dryers Kill Coronavirus- God knows from where did this myth come, but no, hand dryers do not kill Coronavirus. Alcohol-based or normal hand wash can.
29. Coronavirus Cannot Survive in Hot Temperature- Or Coronavirus will die due to excessive hot summer. India was locked down during the entire summer, but still, the Coronavirus did not getaway. Many countries with a very hot climate are also suffering from the pandemic. It is just a myth.
30. Hold Your Breath for 10 Seconds and You Will Know- I saw some teens doing it and asked them curiously and got a good enough reason to laugh like crazy. They said that if you can hold your breath for 10 seconds, you need not worry about it. In a normal scenario, a person can hold his breath for 30 seconds to 1 minute or 2 minutes at the extreme. 10 seconds is not a big deal and it is not going to tell if you are infected.
31. You Will Know If You Are Infected- I don’t think that the people who are getting tested are fools. The symptoms of Coronavirus are the same as of common cold and flu. How will you know? In fact, some people are not experiencing any symptoms. So, you cannot know on your own if you are infected.
32. Antibiotics Can Kill The Virus- What if it had been true? But, no it is not.
33. Coronavirus Means Death- Not at all. Do you know the recovery rate from Coronavirus has increased up to 80%? If your immunity is strong, you can definitely survive.
34. 5G Spreads Coronavirus- Nope. India is a country with no 5G network but the speed of Coronavirus is matching the speed of a bullet train. It is self-explanatory that it is a myth because Covid-19 transmits through infectious droplets and surfaces.
35. Wearing Masks Can Cause CO2 Poisoning- Wear a mask that allows you to breathe properly as well as fits perfectly, so you can avoid oxygen deficiency or CO2 poisoning.
It is important to be well informed in order to take care of yourself properly as well as busting the health myths related to Coronavirus. So, wear a mask, wash your hands properly, maintain distance, and be safe from the virus as well as the health myths related to Coronavirus.
