Consuming alcohol cannot protect you from COVID-19!

During March 2020, at a time when lockdown measures were being strictly imposed in Sri Lanka due to COVID-19, certain communities had not realized the real meaning of social distancing, with many arranging small functions often associated with alcoholic beverages, with friends and family circles.

Social Media Claims:

Against this backdrop, we noticed social media posts, some as satire, while others, on a more serious note, also claiming to be recommendations from official sources. Below is one such post, along with an image of a letter said to be from Saint Luke's Hospital.

The text narrative in the purported letter said, "After extensive research, our findings show that consuming alcoholic beverages may help reduce the risk of infection by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Vodka is the most recommended for drinking, cleaning and sanitizing."

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We also noticed posts similar to the one shared below with the narrative, "Finally the cure of Corona virus is here which is, alcohol so if you are not taking alcohol you are on your own tankio."

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Fact Check

Ever since the start of COVID-19 in late December 2019, World Health Organization and health officials around the world have stressed the importance of hand hygiene to reduce the spread of the virus.

CDC Recommendations

Alcohol being a key ingredient in hand sanitizers, the use of alcohol-based hand rub has often been misinterpreted as consumption of alcohol is a recommendation to control the virus.

Due to several such queries on the effect of alcohol on COVID-19, WHO has replied in its Q&A on a Facebook post, "No, drinking alcohol does not protect you from coronavirus infection. Alcohol should always be consumed in moderation and people who do not drink alcohol should not start drinking in an attempt to prevent the infection."

Furthermore, WHO's Myth Buster section also they have indicated that spraying alcohol or chlorine all over the body will not kill viruses and, in fact, can be harmful if sprayed closer to mucous membranes (i.e. eyes or mouth)

While inspecting Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, we noticed that in a Facebook post, they had denied making a statement recommending alcohol for COVID-19 and had replied, "False reports are circulating that say drinking alcohol can reduce the risk of COVID-19. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Saint Luke's follows CDC guidance:" Below is the original post by Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City."

As coronavirus concerns grow, hand sanitizers are in high demand. This article explains why alcohol is a key ingredient in hand sanitizer and why making your own supply at home is not recommended.

Guide to Local Production: WHO-recommended Hand-rub Formulations

Conclusion

Our investigation shows that while WHO and CDC both recommend using alcohol-based sanitizer for hand hygiene, the claim that "consuming alcoholic beverages may help reduce the risk of infection by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19" is totally baseless and false. Consuming alcohol does not protect you from coronavirus infection.