{"id":610,"date":"2020-03-17T06:54:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T06:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=610"},"modified":"2025-10-07T03:38:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T03:38:10","slug":"fact-check-misleading-claims-about-traditional-cures-and-self-checks-for-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/fact-check-misleading-claims-about-traditional-cures-and-self-checks-for-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"Misleading claims about traditional cures and self-checks for Coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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With World Health Organization declaring COVID19 a pandemic situation with worldwide spread of the disease, social media platforms have been flooded with dubious claims that prevents or cures the coronavirus infection. Our fact checks revealed almost all claims are not scientifically proven, while some of these remedies might have symptomatic improvement for COVID19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this series, we come across a Facebook page named Indika S Vithanage spreading a post with a graphic stating \u201cCorona virus before it reaches the lungs it remains in the throat for four days and at this time the person begins to cough and have throat pains. If he drinks water a lot and gargling with warm water & salt or vinegar eliminates the virus. Spread this information because you can save someone with this information.\u201dThe same message was widely shared with Sinhalese and Tamil translations in Sri Lanka. Below is such a post with a Sinhala text of the same message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Link1<\/a><\/td>Link2<\/a><\/td>Link<\/a><\/td>Link 4<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Archived Link1<\/a><\/td>Archived Link2<\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/a><\/td>Archived 4<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Below is a post in Tamil with the same claim which has been extensively shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Link 1<\/a><\/td>Link 2<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Archived 1<\/a><\/td>Archived 2<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A similar health advisory was shared widely in Sri Lanka with the text \u201c\u0d9a\u0ddc\u0dbb\u0ddd\u0db1\u0dcf \u0dc0\u0ddb\u0dbb\u0dc3\u0dba \u0d91\u0d9a\u0dca\u0dc0\u0dbb \u0dbd\u0d9a\u0dca\u0dc2\u0dab \u0db1\u0ddc\u0db4\u0dd9\u0db1\u0dca\u0dc0\u0dba\u0dd2. \u0d91\u0dba \u0daf\u0dd0\u0db1\u0d9c\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1\u0dcf \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0da7 \u0db4\u0dd9\u0dab\u0dc4\u0dbd\u0dd4 50% \u0d9a\u0dca \u0d86\u0dc3\u0dcf\u0daf\u0db1\u0dba \u0dc0\u0dd3 \u0d87\u0dad. \u0d91\u0db8 \u0db1\u0dd2\u0dc3\u0dcf \u0dad\u0dcf\u0dba\u0dd2\u0dc0\u0dcf\u0db1\u0dba \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0dc1\u0dda\u0dc2\u0da5 \u0dc0\u0ddb\u0daf\u0dca\u200d\u0dba\u0dc0\u0dbb\u0dd4 \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0dc3\u0dd2\u0db1\u0dca \u0dc3\u0dbb\u0dbd \u0d9a\u0dca\u200d\u0dbb\u0db8\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dca \u0dc4\u0db3\u0dd4\u0db1\u0dca\u0dc0\u0dcf\u0daf\u0dd3 \u0d87\u0dad. \u0d94\u0db6 \u0dc3\u0dd1\u0db8 \u0d8b\u0daf\u0dd1\u0dc3\u0db1\u0d9a\u0db8 \u0d85\u0dc0\u0daf\u0dd2 \u0dc0\u0dd3\u0db8\u0dd9\u0db1\u0dca \u0db4\u0dc3\u0dd4, \u0daf\u0dd2\u0d9c\u0dd4 \u0dc4\u0dd4\u0dc3\u0dca\u0db8\u0d9a\u0dca \u0d9c\u0dd9\u0db1 \u0dad\u0dad\u0dca\u0db4\u0dbb \u0daf\u0dc4\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dca \u0d91\u0dba \u0dbb\u0daf\u0dc0\u0dcf\u0d9c\u0dd9\u0db1 \u0dc3\u0dd2\u0da7\u0dd2\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1.. \u0dc3\u0dcf\u0dbb\u0dca\u0dae\u0d9a\u0dc0 \u0d9a\u0dd0\u0dc3\u0dca\u0dc3, \u0db8\u0dc4\u0db1\u0dca\u0dc3\u0dd2\u0dba, \u0d85\u0db4\u0dc4\u0dc3\u0dd4\u0dad\u0dcf\u0dc0\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dca, \u0dad\u0daf \u0d9c\u0dad\u0dd2\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dca \u0db1\u0ddc\u0db8\u0dd0\u0dad\u0dd2\u0dc0 \u0d94\u0db6\u0da7 \u0dc4\u0dd4\u0dc3\u0dca\u0db8 \u0d85\u0dbd\u0dca\u0dbd\u0dcf\u0d9c\u0dd9\u0db1 \u0dc3\u0dd2\u0da7\u0dd3\u0db8\u0da7 \u0dc4\u0dd0\u0d9a\u0dd2 \u0dc0\u0dd4\u0dc0\u0dc4\u0ddc\u0dad\u0dca \u0d9c\u0dd0\u0da7\u0dc5\u0dd4\u0dc0\u0d9a\u0dca \u0db1\u0ddc\u0db8\u0dd0\u0dad \u0daf\u0dd2\u0db1\u0db4\u0dad\u0dcf \u0db4\u0dd2\u0dbb\u0dd2\u0dc3\u0dd2\u0daf\u0dd4 \u0dc0\u0dcf\u0dad\u0dba \u0d87\u0dad\u0dd2 \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0da7 \u0db8\u0dd9\u0db8 \u0db4\u0dbb\u0dd3\u0d9a\u0dca\u0dc2\u0dcf\u0dc0 \u0dc3\u0dd2\u0daf\u0dd4 \u0d9a\u0dbb \u0db6\u0dbd\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1.. \u0d8b\u0d9c\u0dd4\u0dbb \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0dba\u0dc5\u0dd3\u0db8\u0da7 \u0d89\u0da9 \u0db1\u0ddc\u0daf\u0dd9\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1… \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0db1\u0dcf\u0da9\u0dd2 15\u0d9a\u0da7 \u0dc0\u0dad\u0dcf\u0dc0\u0d9a\u0dca \u0dc4\u0ddd \u0dc0\u0dad\u0dd4\u0dbb \u0db4\u0dcf\u0db1\u0dba \u0d9a\u0dbb\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1.. \u0d91\u0dc0\u0dd2\u0da7 \u0dc0\u0ddb\u0dbb\u0dc3\u0dca \u0dad\u0dad\u0dca\u0dad\u0dca\u0dc0\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dca \u0d87\u0dad\u0dca\u0db1\u0db8\u0dca \u0dc0\u0dad\u0dd4\u0dbb \u0db8\u0d9c\u0dd2\u0db1\u0dca \u0d91\u0dba \u0dc3\u0dda\u0daf\u0dd3 \u0dba\u0dba\u0dd2.. \u0db4\u0dd2\u0dbb\u0dd2\u0dc3\u0dd2\u0db3\u0dd4 \u0dc0\u0dd9\u0dba\u0dd2..\u0db1\u0dd2\u0dad\u0dbb \u0da2\u0dbd\u0dba \u0db4\u0dcf\u0db1\u0dba \u0d9a\u0dbb\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1.. \u0db4\u0dd9\u0db1\u0dc4\u0dc5\u0dd4\u0dc0\u0dbd\u0da7 \u0dc0\u0ddb\u0dbb\u0dc3\u0dba \u0d87\u0dad\u0dd4\u0dc5\u0dd4 \u0dc0\u0dd3\u0db8\u0da7 \u0d89\u0da9\u0db1\u0ddc\u0daf\u0dd9\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1… \u0d9a\u0dbb\u0dd4\u0dab\u0dcf\u0d9a\u0dbb \u0dad\u0dc0\u0dad\u0dca \u0d85\u0dba\u0dd9\u0d9a\u0dd4 \u0daf\u0dd0\u0db1\u0dd4\u0dc0\u0dad\u0dca \u0d9a\u0dbb\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

English translation \u201cThe coronavirus does not show symptoms at once. Once you are aware of the infection almost 50% of the lungs are infected. Therefore, Taiwanese specialist doctors have introduced a simple method. After you wake up every morning, take a deep breath and hold it for ten seconds. If you are able to breathe successfully without coughing, tiredness, discomfort, and fatigue, there is no problem. Drink water for at least 15 minutes. If there is a viral condition, it will be washed away with water. Drink plenty of water. Do not let the virus enter the virus … Please educate someone else. \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FB Link 1<\/a><\/td>Archived<\/a><\/td>FB Link 2<\/a><\/td>Archived<\/a> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A message mentioning how a Japanese doctor offers excellent advice on preventing COVID-19 was shared widely among Sri Lankan Facebook users as shown below with the above narrative<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FB Link 1<\/a><\/td>Archived 1<\/a><\/td>FB Link 2<\/a><\/td>Archived 2<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Number of users had requested to fact check these claims and were skeptical whether these claims such as Gargling with Salt Water, Continuous drinking of water are actual remedies for the deadly virus or holding breath really a \u2018Simple Self-Check\u2019 for Coronavirus, none of which had not been verified by any authorized sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Check <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combination of salt mixed warm water has been regarded as a cure to reduce sore throat and related illnesses, for a long time. Yet there is no scientific proof that they can help reduce COVID-19 virus infection. And although the virus is said to originate through nasal secretions in most reported cases, we could not find any documentation that confirms that the virus remains in the throat for four days as claimed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We contacted Dr Ashan Pathirana of Health Promotion Bureau of Sri Lanka about these claim. He emphasized that there is no scientific evidence, for the claim that drinking lots of water and gargling with warm water & salt or vinegar eliminates COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We checked the website of World Health Organization for information on Coronavirus infection. WHO also emphasized that drinking water is not a prevention method against Coronavirus. We found this Twitter post message of WHO Western Pacific Region<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q: If drinking water alleviates a sore throat, does this also protect against #2019nCoV<\/a> infection?

A: While staying hydrated by drinking water is important for overall health, it does not prevent coronavirus infection. pic.twitter.com\/AWb1wK89Wj<\/a><\/p>— World Health Organization Philippines (@WHOPhilippines) February 8, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>