Coronavirus ‘wellness scams’ being pushed by homeopaths, aromatherpists and naturopaths
As the coronavirus threat gets worse, so too does the misinformation surrounding the novel disease.
From ‘miracle minerals’ to herbal remedies and supplements, it seems the wellness industry will stop at nothing to capitalise on the worst public health crisis in a generation.
Homeopaths have claimed they have a cure. Aromatherapists are selling ‘anti-viral essential oils’. Chiropractors claim spinal treatment can ‘boost the immune system’ and natropaths have recommended eating garlic to prevent an infection.
None of these claims are true. There is no cure for Covid-19, and scientists across the world are racing against the clock to develop a vaccine for it. Yet with people desperately rushing to supermarkets to get their hands on anything that can reduce their risk of infection, many are falling for this false health advice.
Here are some of the top coronavirus wellness scams to look out for – and why they won’t work…
Eating garlic can get rid of coronavirus
During the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak a post on social media, shared by hundreds of thousands of people, claimed drinking boiled garlic water would ‘improve and cure’ people afflicted with the virus overnight. Several naturopaths have claimed eating garlic, along with other ‘immune boosting’ food such as ginger and veg, can also prevent catching Covid-19.
Throughout history many cultures have hailed garlic for its alleged ability to treat and prevent various illnesses, including colds and flu. However, scientific evidence supporting such claims are weak. The World Health Organisation (WHO) even addressed this rumour in their myth busting guide to Covid-19.
WHO said: ‘Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.’
The NHS says eating fruit and veg and drinking plenty of water will, in general, keep you healthy. But there is no evidence specific foods will help fight this particular virus.
Herbal remedies and supplements will boost your immune system
On that note, it’s worth pointing out that the whole concept of ‘boosting your immune system’, whether by eating superfoods, doing a juice cleanse or taking herbal remedies and supplements, is scientifically suspect.
Charles Bangham, professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Imperial College London, has previously warned against the idea that the ‘immune system is some kind of internal force field that can be boosted or patched up’. In an interview for The Guardian way before anyone had ever heard of Covid-19 he said: ‘This couldn’t be further from the truth. As the name suggests it’s not a single thing but a system incorporating many organs and biological functions.’
Of course, this has never stopped Instagram influencers and alternative medical practitioners claiming conveniently expensive products can do exactly that. Even at the best of times, immune- boosting is a popular marketing trend, never mind during a global pandemic.
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has said it is taking swift action after a number of homeopaths in the UK claimed they had remedies to cure Covid-19 (again, there is no cure for the virus). A Telegraph investigation found these remedies include colloidal silver to ‘boost the immune system’, the side effects of which include turning the skin a bluish grey colour, which can be permanent, and kidney damage.
In the US, the Food and drug administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are pursuing legal action against seven companies for selling unapproved herbal remedies and other supplements to ‘treat or cure the novel coronavirus’.
One of those companies has ran out of ‘anti-viral herbals’ due to ‘overwhelming demand’, but advises people to google immune herbs as they are being sold ‘across the nation’.
Homeopathy is hugely popular in the states and proponents may genuinely think they notice health benefits when they take special remedies. But, according to Dr Ben Neuman, the head of the biology department at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, this is down to the ‘placebo effect’ – when your brain tricks you into thinking that this works.
Addressing claims about supplements, Medicine researcher Dr Melanie R Graber from the University of Connecticut has explained: ‘Unless you have a vitamin deficiency, it is believed that supplements aren’t really necessary. Focus on eating a diet full of various fruits and vegetables to meet your vitamin and mineral needs.’
This is inline with NHS advice, which says there is ‘no good-quality evidence that homeopathy works as a treatment for any health condition’ and that most people don’t need to take vitamin supplements if they already have a balanced diet.
Drinkable Silver
Another myth gaining popularity amid the coronvirus pandemic is that colloidal silver – tiny particles of the metal suspended into liquid – can cure the disease. This false claim was brought to the attention of US authorities after it was promoted on televangelist Jim Bakker’s show.
A guest said it hadn’t been tested on Covid-19, but claimed the liquid solution had been tested on other strains of coronavirus, ‘and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours’. Not only does silver ‘totally eliminate’ the virus, the so-called natural health expert claimed, but does it, also ‘kill it, deactivate it and then boost your immune system’.
Bakker is now being sued by the State of Missouri for refusing to take the produce off his website, insisting the treatment does work. His belief has been widely shared on Facebook, particularly by ‘medical freedom’ groups which are extremely suspicious of mainstream medical advice.
DIY hand sanitiser
Due to a global hand sanitiser shortage sparked by panic buying, many are taking it upon themselves to promote their own recipes online. While this may be well-meaning, it can harm your skin if made wrong.
The World Health Organisation has published a guide on how to make a safe and legitimate hand sanitiser. But some experts say soap and hot water is a better option than doing it yourself as it is not an easy process.
Hand gels usually contain emollients, which make them gentler on skin, on top of their 60-70% alcohol content. That’s stronger than anything you would find in a store – even vodka only has 40% alcohol (and we don’t recommend using that!)
Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. said there is no real need to make your own hand sanitiser ‘as soap and water works just fine’.
Here is a guide on how to wash your hands properly, as advised by the NHS.
Drinking water to ‘flush out’ the virus
The NHS advise drinking six to eight glasses of water a day as part of a healthy diet. But some on social media have taken it upon themselves to proclaim it has the power to heal when consumed in excess amounts (spoiler: it doesn’t).
One post that appeared on multiple Facebook accounts quotes a ‘Japanese doctor’ who recommends drinking water every 15 minutes to flush out any virus that might have entered the mouth. Meanwhile, there is a version in Arabic that has been shared more than 250,000 times.
University of Oxford Professor Trudie Lang says there is ‘no biological mechanism’ that would support the idea that you can just wash a respiratory virus down into your stomach and kill it.
Meanwhile, Dr Neuman, called it ‘bonkers’, explaining that once the virus enters your body it will quickly infect your cells and, over time, spread to your lungs. Although in some cases it does reach the intestines, gulping down water won’t have any effect as ‘the intestines actually have more of the virus receptor than the lungs, and would offer a potential route of access to the bloodstream’.
Essential oils
I think we’ve established by now that there is no cure for Covid-19. Needless to say, ‘anti-viral oils’ will not help you fight off symptoms of the pneumonia-like flu.
US beauty influencer Michelle Phan has come under fire for making such a claim on her Instagram account to over two million followers. Posting a picture of her essential-oil diffuser she wrote: ‘If you are burning antiviral essential oils around you this will kill off the virus before it enters your system.’
She was forced to apologise when Dr Sandra Lee – known more commonly as Dr Pimple Popper – shut down her claim, writing ‘Sorry, antiviral essential oils DON’T EXIST.’
Aromatherapists would disagree – and several have written articles on the ‘best antiviral oils to ward off the novel coronavirus’, promoting ingredients such as cinnamon bark, lemon and clove bud.
We asked a couple of experts who both agreed with Dr Pimple Popper that oils can’t fight viruses. That being said, they’re not completely useless for alleviating some symptoms of a common cold.
‘Antiviral essential oils are an alternative form of treatment for some of the symptoms of colds and flu and can alleviate conditions like a blocked nose, or aid sleep to improve recovery times,’ explains Dr Simran Deo at UK-based online doctor, Zava UK. ‘However, there is no evidence to suggest that inhaling or applying essential oils to the skin can prevent infection in the first place,’ she adds. ‘Viruses are spread by coming into close contact with someone who has one, or touching infected surfaces or objects and then putting your hands in your mouth.’
Dr Diana Gall agrees on the lack of evidence. She doesn’t think essential oils can have a preventative effect against viruses. ‘While they may help to soothe the symptoms of viruses such as flu, they have very little effect in stopping viruses making their way into the body,’ she said.
Miracle Minerals
YouTuber Jordan Sather, who has thousands of followers across different platforms, has been falsely claiming that a ‘miracle mineral supplement,’ called MMS, can ‘wipe out’ coronavirus.
It contains chlorine dioxide – a bleaching agent.
He and others promoted the substance even before the coronavirus outbreak, despite numerous warnings from health authorities accross the globe about the dangers of drinking it ( it can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and symptoms of severe dehydration).
The FDA has warned: ‘Miracle Mineral Solution does not cure COVID-19 and has not been approved by the FDA for any use. The solution, when mixed, develops into a dangerous bleach which has caused serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.’
So, how do you protect yourself from coronavirus?
Symptoms of Covid-19 and how you can protect yourself
Symptoms
The early symptoms of coronavirus include a dry cough, a high temperature or fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing and a sore throat.
While many of those affected have shown only mild symptoms, scans on some patients have shown fluid in the lungs which is consistent with viral pneumonia. The World Health Organisation (WHO) have advised that older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease seem to be more vulnerable to becoming ‘severely ill with the virus’.
For more information about symptoms, click here. To read more about what counts as an underlying health condition, click here
How to protect yourself
To protect yourself from coronavirus, advice from WHO includes: ‘Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. ‘
‘Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.’
You should also avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
For more advise on how often you should wash your hands, click here
When to see a doctor
If you develop symptoms including a high temperature, cough, runny nose, sore throat or difficulty breathing, the NHS advises that you stay at home for avoid public transport, work places, your GP, hospitals and schools for seven days.
At present, you do not need to contact the 111 helpline to tell them you’re staying at home.
The NHS says you should contact 111 if:
- you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
- your condition gets worse
- your symptoms do not get better after 7 days
Social distancing & self-isolating
Boris Johnson has urged people to work from home and avoid social contact and non-essential travel as the coronavirus outbreak continues to grip the UK.
The Prime Minister has also said that those over the age of 70 should be prepared to self-isolate for at least 12 weeks, and that anyone who is living with someone who has symptoms should also self-isolate for 14 days.
For information on how to self-isolate, click here