11 popular tips that won't save you from coronavirus
Health / / December 28, 2020
WHO recommendsWHO recommendations for the population in connection with the spread of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) wash your hands thoroughly or regularly treat them with a sanitizer, wear a medical mask, have less contact with others, ventilate the room, drink enough liquid, lead a healthy lifestyle. And this is justified.
But there are many other recommendations on the Internet that have nothing to do with evidence-based medicine. You shouldn't follow them. Otherwise, you can harm the body or lose money.
1. Drink high doses of vitamin C
Research showsVitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold., taking supplements with vitamin C does not reduce the risk of contracting ARVI, which includes COVID-19, and does not alleviate the course of diseases.
And the shock doses of vitamin C, which are recommended by some "doctors" on social networks, are completely dangerous. On a day you canIs it possible to take too much vitamin C? take no more than 2000 mg of ascorbic acid. Exceeding this dose can lead to indigestion (nausea, diarrhea, vomiting), headache, and even formation
Safety of vitamin Cstones in the kidneys.2. Take zinc supplements
Since the end of winter, an email has been circulating on the Web that the American virologist James Robb sent to his loved ones. The doctor lists basic hygiene rules that reduce the risk of infection, and also recommends taking lozenges (lozenges) with zinc. According to the letter, they are capable of blocking the multiplication of viruses, including Wuhan, in the throat and nasopharynx.
Virologist James Robb exists and works in the Department of Pathology at the University of California. And he actually sent such a message. But in his own wordsDid a Noted Pathologist Write This Viral Coronavirus Advice Letter?, did not expect that the text would be read by someone else besides the family. Therefore, it was incorrect in expressions.
James Robb, Zinc Health Viral Writer (Snopes interview)In my experience as a virologist, zinc supplementation suppresses the multiplication of many viruses, including coronaviruses. I expect that in the case of COVID-19, this could also work. But I don’t have unequivocal experimental evidence to support this.
In general, zinc supplements are not useless. They will not reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus. But, according to some sourcesCan Zinc Lozenges Ward Off Coronavirus? What Doctors Say, can shorten the duration of ARVI. In this regard, zinc is effective if taken in the first 24 hours after the onset of symptoms and in an amount of at least 75 mg (we are talking about the so-called elemental, or pure, zinc; dosage is indicated on the package of supplements).
But there is danger here. If you overdo it and take more than 150 mg of elemental zinc per day, the trace mineral will become toxicZinc. Poisoning can make itself felt with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache. There are also more serious consequences - including a decrease in immunity. This will make you more vulnerable to COVID-19.
3. Drink vodka, chacha and other spirits
Another Internet myth that became popular after a screen of a letter with the logo of St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City (USA) spread on Facebook. A piece of paper, similar to the official one, reported that drinking hard liquor, especially vodka, can protect against coronavirus.
Of course, the "document" turned out to be fakeFALSE: Alcoholic drinks 'reduce coronavirus risk': St. Luke's Hospital has denied any involvement in this message.
Hope for alcohol in the fight against COVID-19 is not recommended by WHO. “Alcohol should only be drunk in moderation. People who do not drink alcohol should not start trying to prevent infection, ”saysDoes Drinking Alcohol Prevent The New Coronavirus? organization on your Facebook page.
4. Use vodka to disinfect hands and surfaces
Ethyl alcohol, which is the basis of vodka, is indeed capable of destroying the coronavirus. As, however, and any other viruses that have a shell: alcohol simply destroys its lipid (fat) layer.
But there is an important clarification: only solutions with an alcohol concentration of at least 60% can effectively fight virusesEpidemiologic Background of Hand Hygiene and Evaluation of the Most Important Agents for Scrubs and Rubs. Fortress vodka — 40%. Therefore, it makes sense to use it for disinfection only as a last resort, when there is no soap and water or a more effective antiseptic.
What WHO and virologists recommend🧐
- How to make a hand sanitizer that definitely works
5. Gargle
On the Internet, they suggest using salt water, alcohol, vinegar, bleach for this... But, according to doctorsCoronavirus Disease 2019: Myth vs. Fact, none of this will help.
Gargling will not protect you from COVID-19. As, however, and from other respiratory infections.
Moreover: carried away by gargles, especially those containing alcohol and acids, you can burn the mucous membrane of the throat and nasopharynx.
6. Breathe in propolis and essential oils
So, in one video, it is advised to wear a medical mask, inside which a pad moistened with propolis is glued. Unfortunately, this recommendation has nothing to do with evidence-based medicine. And it certainly won't saveCoronavirus Disease 2019: Myth vs. Fact you from the coronavirus.
The popularity of such untested techniques is so great that the American Office of Control the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission even issued a warning letterCoronavirus Update: FDA and FTC Warn Seven Companies Selling Fraudulent Products that Claim to Treat or Prevent COVID-19 sellers who claim essential oils treat or prevent COVID-19.
Relying on the healing power of the same propolis, an infected person can ignore the symptoms of the disease and delay seeking medical attention. And as a result, it will launch the disease to a state that really threatens life.
7. Drink hot water
This pseudo-scientific recommendation is based on two things:
- Allegedly, the coronavirus dies at a temperature of 27 ° C. Therefore, if it has settled in the throat, you need to drink something warm.
- When you drink, water dumps the virus into your stomach. And there the infection is destroyed by stomach acid.
But if the coronavirus died at 27 ° C, it simply could not survive in a human body, whose temperature is 36.6 ° C. And in general, it is not yet known at what temperature SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 is destroyed. Its closest relative SARS ‑ CoV, which causes SARS, has diedFirst data on stability and resistance of SARS coronavirus compiled by members of WHO laboratory network when heated to 56 ° C for 15 minutes.
The second point is also wrong. Coronavirus is a respiratory virus that infects the respiratory tract. Therefore, its symptoms are similar to SARS. It is physically impossible to flush the virus from the respiratory tract (for example, nasal sinuses or nasopharynx) by swallowing water.
8. Rinse your nose often with saline (saline) solution
There is not a single proofNovel Coronavirus 2019: Myth Busters that regular rinsing of the nose protects against coronavirus.
But it can alleviate the condition and speed up recovery in case of ordinary, not complicated by bronchitis or pneumonia, ARVI.
9. There is a lot of garlic
Garlic - useful product. But there is no evidence that it protects against coronavirusNovel Coronavirus 2019: Myth Busters. But there is a risk of overdoing it.
British news source BBC NewsCoronavirus: The fake health advice you should ignoreciting the South China Morning Post, cites the story of a woman who had to treat a sore throat after consuming 1.5 kg of raw garlic.
10. Hope for breathing practices
Respiratory exercises strengthens the lungs and helps to relax and relieve stress. They are also sometimes prescribed during the recovery phase from pneumonia.Recovering from pneumonia or people who suffer from asthma or other chronic lung diseasesBreathing Exercises.
However, there is not a single scientific evidence that breathing practices could prevent ARVI - including that caused by the Wuhan coronavirus COVID-19.
11. Buy a coronavirus vaccine
And it really is already being sold: on Avito and local trading floors, no, no, and a similar announcement will slip through. Naturally, there are scammerswho want to take advantage of people's confusion and fear of the epidemic.
Remember a simple thing. There is no vaccine or "magic pill" for COVID-19Novel Coronavirus 2019: Myth Busters.
Perhaps such drugs will be created. Thousands of scientists around the world are working on this, and only in Сlinicaltrials (this is an American database of private and public clinical trials conducted around the world) is registeredCOVID-19 over 100 clinical studies related to the SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 coronavirus. And maybe it will happen quickly.
But between the creation of a vaccine and the beginning of its use, there will be months during which the drug will be tested first in animals and then in humans. Only after studies have established the effectiveness and safety of the drug, it will be certified and marketed. This information will surely be in the news - you definitely won't miss it.
Until then, consider all ads luring you with a medicine for coronavirus as a scam.
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