I was going online the other time and I noticed there have been some lies and myths being spread around by people either to intentionally misinform them or they’re just plain ignorant about the outbreak in it’s entirety.
While I’m no CDC or WHO expert, there is a general guideline giving to us by experts and health workers to keep ourselves safe from contacting the virus which when followed will keep the spread at a minimal until it’s fully swept out in it’s entirety.
One simple but common rule is to wash your hand with soap for at least 20 seconds on the frequent and also sanitize yourself. We even did a guide on how to sanitize your home from the Coronavirus as the world prepares for more isolation and social distancing with companies agreeing to allow workers work from home.
But the disappointing part is the spread of misinformation based on social media sites spreading bad information and myths about ways by which people can protect themselves but which aren’t approved by the WHO and expert health workers anywhere.
The COVID-19 is officially a Pandemic meaning a global health disaster with the number of those contracting the virus on the rise on the daily a predicted by the WHO, there have been numerous questionable advises on social media sites and elsewhere whereby peoeple were spreading misinformation and myths about the spread of the virus which are rather dangerous if the expert advises aren’t followed.
It’s reached the point where Facebook moved to ban any ads promoting fake coronavirus cures and even Apple moved to stop any Fun/Entertainment applications or games targeting the Coronavirus outbreak.
So to set the record straight, we’ve been able to compile a list of popular myths and misguides spreading online which are rather dangerous and offer no help to curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic
In an effort to get the facts straight, we are going to bust these common coronavirus myths that have taken over our feeds.
Myth 1: Holding your breath for 10 seconds to test if you have COVID-19
The thought is that whatever makes you to not be able to hold your breath for at least 10 seconds max, then you have the disease because by the time you’re unable to breath properly, the possibility of just the 50% of the lungs working due to pulmonary fibrosis which is an irreversible scarring and hardening of the lung tissue has happened all courtesy of the COVID-19 disease.
Which when the post about holding of breath for 10 seconds had been causing people to panic about whether they’ve contracted the virus or not because I had a friend who told me to do the same exercise and it felt really ridiculous.
Even popular celebrity Debra Messing shared it on her Instagram page before finally taking it down just to show how viral the rumor went throughout the internet. One of the false claims to back this myth up is that it’s being advised by medical experts from the Stanford University but that was a plain lie.
But as advised by health workers, it’s very advisable to seek medical attention at this critical period especially if you’ve been to areas or met with people who have tested positive or interacted directly or indirectly with whomever has the virus.
Myth 2: Drinking water doesn’t flush virus out of your mouth
Those that created this myth said that the virus cannot survive in the stomach and so advised the intake of liquid especially water every 15 minutes as it would flush the virus down into the gut as the stomach acid is too harsh on the virus and allow it to survive rather than getting into the lungs where it thrives.
Some even went a s far as asking people to gaggle warm water and salt combination or vinegar in order to eliminate the virus from the throat
One important thing to always do is to get hydrated every once in a while especially when you feel dehydrated but salt and warm water isn’t recommended by the WHO as a way to eliminate the virus from the throat. Virus are super micro-organisms and so having them right in your mouth wont get flushed out by some active washing using vinegar. Seek medical help in case you feel you might have been exposed to the virus somehow.
Myth 3: Warm weather will get rid of the coronavirus
There is this public opinion that viruses cannot thrive in too harsh conditions and so people who take warm water will be immune somehow to the virus.
What’s even worse is the US President stating that the virus will go away by April when the weather starts getting warmer but this is a really terrible assumption from someone who has no knowledge about infectious diseases.
The President also was quoted as saying “the heat generally speaking kills this kind of virus,” referring to the idea that warmer weather will kill the virus and thus help minimize its spread.
Meanwhile, even in hot regions such as Africa, there have been cases of the virus which means the weather or region doesn’t determine whether it will spread or not and the WHO did agree to this saying it doesn’t matter where you live, the Coronavirus will infect anyone that doesn’t take the necessary measures advised by the organization.
Myth 4: Face mask will not protect you 100%
There was this initial rumor that the Coronavirus is airborne meaning it will spread through the air and so the need to wear surgical face mask was mandatory leading to companies providing them in large quantities while some retailers hiked the price of the product.
While the face mask can of course block the direct entrance of airborne virus directly in the nostrils or airways, the Coronavirus can be contracted in a number of ways which includes droplets or oral fluids from the infected person.
Masks should be used when you fall ill or you have symptoms of the virus. The essence is to trap the virus in your body rather than spreading it out or prevent you from contracting it from someone else while you’re in their midst which is why the constant hand washing is mandatory.
Myth 5: Garlic or herbs will not protect you from contracting the virus
Rumor also has it that Garlics will help in boosting the immune system after all general sentiment was that the most threatened among us includes older people and those with compromised immune system so this might seem like a good idea.
In fact, a post has a procedure where it advised people to boil garlic in a water and then drink the left over water. Some also advised the brewing tea from herbs which is concluded to protect kids from getting the coronavirus but while garlic is a good natural herb that works by actually strengthening the immune system, it’s not an agent that can protect you from the coronavirus at least not what the WHO agreed upon and also is the DIY herbal tea.
Myth 6: Spraying of both bleach and alcohol won’t protect you from coronavirus
It’s as though we’re in a post apocalyptic era whereby stores starts running out of hand sanitizers, people began following another approach as the human instincts would always struggle to survive in difficult times.
Some people were reportedly spraying their body with disinfectants as well as their clothes but that’s not what the WHO advised.
According to the health experts at the WHO, rubbing alcohol or bleach on the body will cause harm to the mucous membranes. Also do not drink bleach or get yourself into alcoholism as both will cause serious health complications that can in fact lead to death.
Myth 7: Black People are not immune to the virus
I was disappointed when I went on YouTube and saw a Pro-black claiming that the Black DNA is made up of great genetics and so is why the virus never affected any black person but white.
Meanwhile, there have been black actors and sports superstars coming out with their COVID-19 test results which were positive. This is not the time to be racist towards one another but instead come together as a global entity and fight together as one.