ExplainerDrinking alcohol kills coronavirus? Another one for the WHO myth-busters list

Name: US coronavirus death toll hits record 250,000 after highest daily fatalities in months
Uploaded: 2020-11-22T09:00:19.000Z
Duration: 3 min 14 s
Description: US coronavirus death toll hits record 250,000 after highest daily fatalities in months

Misinformation has spread around the world about effective protection from the virus that causes Covid-19

The World Health Organisation offers answers to some of the most common queries about what works and what doesn’t

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Alcohol-based hand sanitizer and soap are the most effective options for disinfecting skin, according to the WHO. Photo: AFP

Nadia Lam

Published: 5:00pm, 22 Nov 2020Updated: 5:00pm, 22 Nov 2020

“Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it,” is the quote attributed to satirist Jonathan Swift in the 1700s, though the adage has since been reworked into: “A lie travels twice around the world before the truth has tied its shoelaces” and other variants.

The World Health Organization (WHO) perhaps took note of the proverb in putting together what it called its myth-busters list for the coronavirus pandemic. Here are 10 responses compiled by the WHO to top queries on Google about Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Most people who contract Covid-19 recover

The majority of people who get the disease develop mild or moderate symptoms and then recover. The WHO does advise anyone who develops a cough, fever or difficulty breathing to seek early medical care. It adds that for those who develop a fever and live in areas known for malaria and dengue to seek immediate medical care.

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US coronavirus death toll hits record 250,000 after highest daily fatalities in months

Drinking alcohol doesn’t kill the coronavirus inside your body