Coronavirus: In Iran, the false belief that toxic methanol fights Covid-19 kills hundreds
- Nearly 300 people have been killed so far by ingesting methanol across the country out of the false belief it kills the virus
- Fake remedies spread across social media in Iran, where people remain suspicious of the government after it downplayed the outbreak for days
Iranian media reports nearly 300 people have been killed and more than 1,000 sickened so far by ingesting methanol across the Islamic republic, where drinking alcohol is banned and where those who do rely on bootleggers. It comes as fake remedies spread across social media in Iran, where people remain deeply suspicious of the government after it downplayed the crisis for days before it overwhelmed the country.
“The virus is spreading and people are just dying off, and I think they are even less aware of the fact that there are other dangers around,” said Dr. Knut Erik Hovda, a clinical toxicologist in Oslo who studies methanol poisoning and fears Iran’s outbreak could be even worse than reported. “When they keep drinking this, there’s going to be more people poisoned.”
The pandemic has swept across the world, overwhelming hospitals, crippling economies and forcing governments to restrict the movements of billions of people. Particularly hard hit has been Iran, home to 80 million people.
As of now, there is no known cure for Covid-19, the illness caused by the virus. Scientists and doctors continue to study the virus and search for effective medicines and a vaccine.