It’s been two months and one day since I’ve been cooped up at home under voluntary quarantine. Honestly, I avoid going outside unless it's for an essential reason. Being at home all this time has enabled me to spend outrageous amounts of time on the internet, exposing me to all types of myths and misconceptions surrounding COVID-19. As someone who isn’t quick to believe everything I hear, I did my research on all types of misinformation spreading around the internet. Here are the top three COVID-19 misconceptions I was able to debunk:
Young people are not at risk
This is certainly not the case. Although people over 65 are at a heightened risk of becoming severely ill after contracting COVID-19, this does not mean that younger people are not at risk. According to WHO, anyone with an underlying health problem such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma have a higher risk of developing health complications due to COVID-19. The truth is that any person of any age group is susceptible to contracting the virus. This means that even if you’re young and healthy with no underlying illness, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have an asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 case. This means that you may be a carrier for the virus without even knowing it. So, for any young person reading this who thought they didn’t need to worry, think again. Comply with all social distancing rules, try wearing a mask in public, wash your hands often, and most importantly, don’t treat this virus as a joke.
Warmer temperatures kill the virus
Everyone’s hoping that by summer, life will resume back to normal, and for a while, there was information circling the internet suggesting that it would be this way. As seen in other viruses, they usually flourish when temperatures are low and disappear when temperatures rise. This belief that the sun miraculously kills the virus, has led people to increase their sun intake, and leave items outside in the sun to “disinfect” them. However, the truth is that scientists have no idea how coronavirus reacts to different temperatures, and so far warmer temperatures have not stopped outbreaks in places like India.
Garlic and Vitamins can protect you from COVID-19
If you’ve been on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter lately, you have surely come across an ad talking about garlic as a “miracle” cure for COVID-19. Or perhaps you’ve seen companies promoting their COVID-19 “immune shots” or even their “COVID-19 cough syrup”. There is currently no evidence to support statements that vitamins, supplements, or other home remedies (like raw garlic consumption) aid against the virus. Most of these companies are taking advantage of the pandemic to promote their fraudulent practices. Word of advice, don’t purchase anything marketed as a “cure” for COVID-19. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure. Here is a list compiled by the FDA on fraudulent coronavirus products: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/fraudulent-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-products.
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