Be wary of social media posts giving advice on the new coronavirus

FACT CHECK

No evidence behind DIY coronavirus ‘test’ shared hundreds of thousands of times on social media

Holding your breath for ten seconds ‘without coughing’ is not a legitimate test for Covid-19. This advice shared countless times on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp—either in block text or as an image—has no basis in fact.

Even if it’s been shared by someone you know, that doesn’t make it true. And in this health emergency, advice like this could lead to somebody infected with the virus to believe they are healthy and go on to infect others.

The same chain message claims that drinking water will ‘wash’ the virus into the stomach, where acid will kill it. This is also incorrect. Drinking water does not prevent an infection and there have been cases where the virus has survived in the stomach and affected people’s intestines. It’s important to call out bad information when you see it.

FACT CHECK

We do not know if the new coronavirus will be stopped by warmer weather

A number of people, including President Donald Trump and the government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, have claimed that the spread of Covid-19 could be slowed during the hotter months.

It’s not unreasonable to speculate that the new coronavirus could peak during colder months and dissipate in the spring or summer, given our experiences of similar viruses.

However, new viruses behave differently to ones that have been in the population for a long time, and the reasons behind the seasonality of viruses are not fully known.

Whatever the effect of temperature is on Covid-19, we will still need to take precautions. The WHO still insists that the most effective way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is by frequently washing your hands.

FACT CHECK

Got a question for us?

Our team is working hard to find and check claims that are made about the new coronavirus online, but we can’t see everything.

If you’ve seen some advice on how to deal with the new coronavirus that you’re unsure of, or perhaps a news article about the origins of the virus that doesn’t seem quite right—this is your chance to get your questions answered.

FACT CHECK

Also this week...

• False claims about the link between the coronavirus and 5G continue to spread
• Drinking and gargling water will not prevent or cure this virus
• The WHO has clarified that they are not warning people against using paper money