DOES HOME REMEDIES CURE COVID-19?

29/08/2020

FALSE: COMBINATION OF SOME HOME REMEDIES DOES NOT CURE COVID-19

An article published by content aggregation site Opera News claiming that consuming a mixture of three home remedies can cure and prevent COVID-19 is FALSE.

The first of the three remedies combines lemon and bicarbonate of soda, and the claim is that drinking this mixture alkalizes the immune system, killing the COVID-19 virus and completely eliminating it from the body.

PesaCheck has previously debunked the claim that consuming alkaline foods can treat COVID-19. Additionally, altering the pH of the body can result in metabolic alkalosis, a serious disorder which occurs when the blood pH rises above 7.45, requiring medical intervention.

The second home remedy mentioned in the article combines garlic, which can either be boiled or eaten raw, with lemon.

However, while garlic has health benefits, including some antimicrobial properties, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that there is no evidence that eating it has protected people from COVID-19.

The third remedy suggested by the article is steaming. This is done by filling a bucket with boiling water, adding Vicks, and inhaling the steam from the bucket for 5–10 minutes while covered in a blanket.

The WHO has maintained that some home remedies may provide comfort and alleviate symptoms of mild COVID -19, but there are currently no approved cures, and the organization does not recommend self-medication.

The WHO recommends protecting oneself and others from the disease by frequent hand washing, avoiding touching the eyes, coughing into a tissue or the crook of a bent elbow, and maintaining an interpersonal physical distance of at least one meter.

PesaCheck has looked into the claim that consuming a mixture of three home remedies can cure and prevent COVID-19, and finds it to be FALSE.

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