List of unproven methods against COVID-19

Diagnosis

• Counterfeit testing kits, which were originally used for testing HIV and monitoring glucose levels, were touted as for coronavirus diagnosis.
• Holding one's breath for 10 seconds was claimed to be an effective self-test for the coronavirus. The WHO stated that this test did not work and should not be used.
• Manufacturer Bodysphere briefly sold what it claimed were coronavirus antibody tests. It falsely marketed them as having received FDA Emergency Use Authorization. It also falsely claimed they were made in the United States.

  Prevention and cure claims

Disinfection-related methods

Hand cleaning

• Hand sanitizer is not more effective than washing in plain soap and water. Washing in soap and water for at least 20 seconds is recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the best way to clean hands in most situations. However, if soap and water are not available, a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol can be used instead, unless hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
• Soap is effective at removing coronaviruses, but antibacterial soap is not better than plain soap.
• Red soap is not more germicidal than soaps of other colors, contrary to claims in a popular Facebook post, said Ashan Pathirana, the registrar of Sri Lanka's Health Promotion Bureau ; he suggested that it might be a reference to carbolic soap.
• Hand sanitizer prepared at home by mixing rum, bleach and fabric softener has been widely promoted as effective at preventing COVID-19 in YouTube videos in the Philippines. The Integrated Chemists of the Philippines released statements saying that alcoholic drinks contain only about 40% alcohol, less than the 70% needed in effective hand sanitizers, and that mixing bleach and alcohol creates chloroform, which is toxic and dangerous when inhaled or when it comes in contact with the skin. The manufacturers of the brands of rum and bleach used in the videos have both publicly issued statements calling the recipe dangerous and urging people not to use it.
• Vodka was alleged to be an effective homemade hand sanitizer, or an ingredient in one. The company whose brand was alleged to be protective responded to the rumours by citing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statement that hand sanitizers needed to be at least 60% alcohol to be effective, and stating that their product was only 40% alcohol.
• Claims that vinegar was more effective than hand sanitizer against the coronavirus were made in a video was shared in Brazil. That was disproved, as "there is no evidence that acetic acid is effective against the virus" and, even if there was, "its concentration in common household vinegar is low".

  Gargling, nasal rinses, and inhalation

• Inhaling bleach or other disinfectants is dangerous and will not protect against COVID-19. They can cause irritation and damage to tissues, including the eyes. They are poisonous and should never be taken internally; they should therefore be kept out of the reach of children. They can be safely and effectively used to disinfect non-human surfaces, like countertops, but not humans.
• Controversial alternative medicine proponents Joseph Mercola and Thomas Levy claimed that inhaling 0.5-3% hydrogen peroxide solution using a nebulizer could prevent or cure COVID-19. They cite research using hydrogen peroxide to sterilize surfaces, incorrectly asserting that it can therefore be used to clean human airways. A tweet from Mercola advertising this method was removed from Twitter on April 15, 2020, for violating the platform rules. Inhalation of hydrogen peroxide can cause upper airway irritation, hoarseness, inflammation of the nose, and burning sensations in the chest. At high concentrations, inhaling hydrogen peroxide can cause permanent neurological damage or death. There is evidence that nebulizing and inhaling low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide may cause interstitial lung disease in the form of acute pneumonitis.
• Gargling with saltwater was said to kill the coronavirus in claims on Weibo, Twitter and Facebook. These claims were falsely attributed to respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan, Wuhan Union Hospital, and a number of other people and institutions, sometimes with the attribution changed and the actual advice copied verbatim. Zhong Nanshan's medical team published a refutation, asking people not to share it; they pointed out that the virus settles in the respiratory tract, which cannot be cleaned by rinsing the mouth. The WHO also said it had no convincing evidence that this method would provide any protection against COVID-19.
• Saltwater sprays were given at the door of the River of Grace Community Church in South Korea in the false belief that this would protect people from the virus; the same unsterilized spray bottle was used on everyone, and may have increased the risk. Subsequently, 46 devotees were infected with the virus.
• "Corona-Cure Coronavirus Infection Prevention Nasal Spray" was fraudulently marketed online.
• There is no evidence that saline nasal rinses help prevent COVID-19.

  Temperature

• Cold weather and snow do not kill the COVID-19 virus. The virus lives in humans, not in the outdoors, though it can survive on surfaces. Even in cold weather, the body will stay at 36.5-37 degrees Celsius inside, and the COVID-19 virus will not be killed.
• Hot and humid conditions do not prevent COVID-19 from spreading, either. There have been many COVID-19 cases in countries with hot and humid climates.
• Drinking warm water or hot baths/heating to will not cure people of COVID-19. It has been claimed that these statements were made by UNICEF in coronavirus prevention guidelines, but UNICEF officials refuted this.
• High temperatures cannot be used on humans to kill the COVID-19 virus. Taking very hot baths can cause burns, but the body will stay at 36.5-37 degrees Celsius inside, and the COVID-19 virus will not be killed.
• Hot saunas and hand or hair dryers do not prevent or treat COVID-19.
• Steam inhalation was suggested as a cure for coronavirus infection that circulated on Facebook.

  Radiation

• Exposing people to sunlight will not prevent or cure COVID-19. It has been falsely claimed that UNICEF said so, in coronavirus prevention guidelines; UNICEF officials refuted this. The virus can spread in even the sunniest weather.
• UV-C light cannot be used on humans to kill the COVID-19 virus. Attempting to use UV to sterilize people can cause skin irritation and damage the eyes.

  Other disinfection-related methods

• White color does not have a 'harmful effect' on coronavirus, as claimed in a widely shared Facebook post; nor does the colour of a handkerchief have an effect on the virus, according to Ashan Pathirana, the registrar of Sri Lanka's Health Promotion Bureau. Using handkerchiefs or tissues of other colours to sneeze or cough into will be just as effective.
• Posts on social media claimed that volcanic ash from the eruption of the Taal Volcano on January 12, 2020, in the Philippines was the cause of low infection rates in the country, stating that it could kill the virus and had "anti-viral" and "disinfectant qualities".
• Drinking bleach is extremely dangerous and will not protect against COVID-19. Bleach is poisonous and damages internal organs. Drinking it can cause disability and death.

  Protective equipment

• A USB key, a small computer accessory that can be bought for less than $10, is being sold for $370 as a "5G Bioshield", purportedly offering protection from the non-existent threat of infection transmitted via 5G mobile telephone radio waves.
• Over 34,000 counterfeit surgical masks — which may have been touted for as coronavirus prevention — were seized by Europol in March 2020.
• Making masks out of wet-wipes has not been officially recommended as an alternative to surgical masks, contrary to some claims. Some public health authorities have issued directions for making and using homemade cloth face masks. See face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Aerosol Boxes — acrylic boxes placed over patient's heads during aerosol generating such as intubation — can potentially increase dispersal of COVID-containing aerosol particles if a patient coughs.

  Drugs of abuse

• A mix containing amphetamines, cocaine, and nicotine, on sale on the dark web for US$300, was presented as a vaccine against COVID-19.
• Cocaine does not protect against COVID-19. Several viral tweets purporting that snorting cocaine would sterilize one's nostrils of the coronavirus spread around Europe and Africa. In response, the French Ministry of Health released a public service announcement debunking this claim, saying "No, cocaine does NOT protect against COVID-19. It is an addictive drug that causes serious side effects and is harmful to people’s health." The World Health Organisation also debunked the claim. Facebook flagged the rumour as misinformation.
• A claim that cannabis could protect against the coronavirus appeared on YouTube, along with a petition to legalize cannabis in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Health authorities pointed out that there was no evidence that cannabis protected against COVID-19. A fake webpage purporting to be a Fox News article also claimed that CBD oil was a potential cure.
• Chloroform and ether-based drug :pt:Cheirinho-da-loló|loló was said to cure the disease in messages spread in Brazil.
• Boiled betel leaves will not cure COVID-19.
• Industrial methanol was claimed to cure the coronavirus. Drinking alcohol is ethanol, while methanol is acutely poisonous. Iranian media were reporting nearly 300 dead and 1000 hospitalized as of April 8, 2020. Alcoholic beverages are illegal in Iran, resulting in a black market in liquor made illegally; while drinking alcohol is ethanol, other alcohols, such as methanol, are acutely poisonous, and may be present in badly prepared alcoholic beverages.
• Contrary to some reports, drinking ethanol alcohol also does not protect against COVID-19, and can increase health risks.

  Commercial products

• "Virus Shut Out Protection" pendants, supposedly from Japan, worn around one's neck, have been sold with claims that they prevent infection. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that no evidence had been presented that they work, and took legal action against importers.
• A Twitter post claimed that scientists from the "Australian Medical University" had developed a vaccine for the coronavirus. It accepted 0.1 Bitcoin as payment for a vaccination kit and promised shipping in 5–10 days. The linked website was later removed.
• Homeopathic 'Influenza complex' has been marketed as a preventive measure for COVID-19 by a man in New Zealand, who claimed to have identified and imbued his product with the "frequency" of COVID-19 using a "radionics machine". Homeopathic remedies such as this one have no active ingredients and cannot protect against flu, colds, or COVID-19, said University of Auckland associate professor and microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles. The NZ Ministry of Health said that COVID-19 was not a strain of flu, and criticized products which claim to prevent COVID-19 as giving dangerous false confidence.
• Homeopathic treatment with Arsenicum album is claimed as an "add on" to prevent COVID-19.
• A person living in California marketed pills for curing coronavirus, although the contents of the pill were not made public. He was arrested for attempted fraud, which carries up to 20 years of prison.
• Claims that colloidal silver solution can kill over 650 pathogens including coronavirus prompted antifraud actions. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health warned on their website against taking colloidal silver as dietary supplement. Seven warning letters were filed to companies for selling fraudulent products. Preacher Jim Bakker had been claiming that the colloid silver he sold could be used to treat COVID-19. Colloidal silver is not an effective treatment for anything, and may interfere with other medications or cause permanent argyria.
• Toothpastes, dietary supplements and creams were being sold illegally in the US, with claims that they could cure coronavirus infection. Alex Jones was directed by the USFDA to cease promoting these products as a cure.
• Celebrity chef Pete Evans claimed that a device called the BioCharger NG Subtle Energy Platform, costing US$14,990, could cure the coronavirus. He faced backlash, taking down his advertisement after the Australian Medical Association dismissed the product as a "fancy light machine". The Australian distributors, Hydrogen Technologies Pty Ltd, stated the device would help "open the airways of Coronavirus victims by reducing the inflammation it causes in the lungs" as well as other unproven therapeutic claims.
• "Miracle Mineral Solution" is a mixture of sodium chlorite and an acid, which reacts with the sodium chlorite to produces a solution of unstable chlorous acid, which becomes chlorite, chlorate, and chlorine dioxide, an industrial bleach. The FDA has warned against using it, saying there is no evidence that it cures, prevents, or treats COVID-19, and that it is seriously hazardous to health. The "Genesis II Church" calls its mail-order MMS a "sacrament", and when warned by the FDA that their claims that it could cure COVID-19 were fraudulent, vehemently refused to stop making them, saying the FDA had no authority over them, and they would never stop. Their status as a religious organization was disputed in a successful filing for a temporary restraining order on grounds of public safety, by the U.S. Attorney's Office in South Florida.
• Shuanghuanglian, a mixture of plants invented in the 1960s as part of official state-sponsored TCM, was advertised by the Xinhua News Agency as being able to treat the coronavirus. Posts on Weibo claimed that many people violated social distancing rules while queuing to buy it. Some attributed the news stories to stock market manipulation.
• Jennings Ryan Staley, a licensed physician and owner of Skinny Beach Med Spa, is accused of selling mail-order "COVID-19 treatment packs", claiming they would protect against COVID-19 for six weeks and cure it "100%", causing the disease to disappear in hours. He has been arrested and is being "vigorously investigated" by the FBI; if convicted, he may face 20 years in prison.
• A hand cream sold by the right-wing populist party leader of the party Greek Solution, Kyriakos Velopoulos, via his TV shop, is claimed to completely kill COVID-19, although it is not approved by medical authorities.
• An "anti-coronavirus" mattress was advertised as being anti-fungal, anti-allergic, dustproof and waterproof and able to fight the coronavirus.
• Mohanan Vaidyar, a self-proclaimed naturopath, was arrested in Kerala for claiming that he can cure COVID-19 and treating people.

  Botanical claims

• A complex Sri Lankan herbal drink was said to remedy all virus infections which can affect humans, including COVID-19, with reposts circulating widely on Facebook. The drink might reduce fever symptoms, but this might lead to the infected person infecting other people, and the mixture could have long-term health complications, according to L. P. A. Karunathilake, a senior lecturer at the Colombo University Institute of Indigenous Medicine.
• Andrographis paniculata was claimed to boost the immune systems and relieve symptoms of coronavirus by a Thai media website. Pakakrong Kwankao, Head of the Empirical Evidence Centre at Chao Phraya Abhaibhubehjr Hospital, and Richard Brown, Programme Manager of Health Emergencies and Antimicrobial Resistance at the World Health Organisation in Thailand, said that there was no evidence to back these claims.
• Sap from Tinospora crispa plants was claimed to serve as an antibiotic against the coronavirus when used as an eye drop; it was also claimed that the coronavirus is from the skin and crawls to the eyes. These rumours circulated in the Philippines. Jaime Purificacion from the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Herbal Medicine said that while there was evidence for makabuhay as a treatment for scabies, there was no evidence that it was useful for treating coronavirus, and no evidence that putting the sap in your eyes was safe. He strongly advised against putting plant sap in the eyes, saying it could be dangerous. The WHO has stated that antibiotics do not kill the coronavirus, as they kill bacteria, not viruses.
• The poisonous fruit of the datura plant was falsely promoted as a preventive measure for COVID-19, which resulted in eleven people being hospitalized in India. They ate the fruit, following the instructions from a TikTok video that propagated the misinformation. The fruit was claimed to be effective on the grounds that it is spiky and looks a bit like the coronavirus virion.
• A recipe consisting of ingredients often purported to prevent and cure colds, including lemon grass, elder, ginger, black pepper, lemon and honey, was promoted by María Alejandra Díaz, a member of the Venezuelan Constituent Assembly as a cure for COVID-19. Díaz also described the virus as a bioterrorism weapon.
• The President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina launched and promoted Covid-Organics in April 2020 : a herbal drink based on an artemisia plant as a miracle cure that can treat and prevent COVID-19 despite a lack of medical evidence. The drink has been exported to other African countries.

  Religious and magical methods

• Drinking cow urine and applying cow dung on the body was claimed to cure coronavirus by Indian politician Swami Chakrapani. He also stated that only Indian cows must be used. MP Suman Haripriya also promoted cow dung and urine. Dr Shailendra Saxena of the Indian Virological Society stated that there is no evidence that cow urine has any anti-viral effect, and eating cow dung might even create a new zoonosis.
• Drinking camel urine has been advocated in the Middle East. The WHO stated that camel urine should not be drunk, in order to avoid Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a more deadly COVID-19-like coronavirus.
• Televangelist Kenneth Copeland had urged followers to touch their televisions as a means of vaccination by proxy, and also attempted to exorcise COVID-19 on at least three occasions by summoning "the wind of God", stating that this had destroyed the virus. Earlier, he had urged followers to ignore public health advisories and come to his churches, saying they could be healed there by the laying on of hands if they fell ill.
• "Happy Science", a secretive pay-to-progress religious group, sells "spiritual vaccines" to prevent and cure COVID-19, advertises virus-related blessings at rates from 100 to over US$400, and sells coronavirus-themed DVDs and CDs of Ryuho Okawa lecturing, which are claimed to boost immunity,. After initially defying social-distancing measures, it later closed its New York temple, and administered spiritual vaccines remotely.
• A suggestion that COVID-19 could be prevented by applying a cotton ball soaked in violet oil to the anus has brought Abbas Tabrizian renewed widespread ridicule in Iran. The IRNA news agency reported that Abbas Tabrizian, who has often promoted his remedies as Prophetic medicine in opposition to standard medicine, has also claimed that COVID-19 is God's revenge against those who had bothered him. An arrest warrant has been issued for Morteza Kohansal, a follower of Abbas Tabrizian's, who visited the coronavirus section of a hospital in Iran without wearing protective gear, and applied what he described as "Prophet's perfume" to affected patients. Using Prophetic medicine has caused some Iranian clerics to delay getting standard medical treatment. Ayatollah Hashem Bathaie Golpayegani announced that he had cured himself of COVID-19 three weeks before being hospitalized. He died two days later.
• Some religious hardliners in Iran have advocated that people visit shrines to be healed, and opposed government closures of pilgrimage sites.
• Parliamentarian Ramesh Bidhuri of the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that experts say using Namaste as a greeting prevents transmission of COVID-19, but using Arabic greetings such as Adab and As-salamu alaykum does not prevent it as they direct air into the mouth.
• Religious and scientific misconceptions related to the coronavirus have been found to be widespread in Pakistan. According to a survey research conducted by Ipsos, 82% of people in Pakistan believed that performing wudu/ablution five times a day will keep them protected from contracting COVID-19. Meanwhile 67% polled believed that jamaat cannot become a source of infection and 48% people believed that shaking hands cannot infect anyone since it is Sunnah.

  Food and drink

Fruit

• Drinking lemon in warm water has been claimed to prevent both COVID-19 and cancer by increasing vitamin C levels. This claim circulated on Facebook in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. There is no evidence that vitamin C was effective against coronaviruses, nor are lemons the fruit with the most vitamin C content, said Henry Chenal, director of the Integrated Bioclinical Research Centre in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The WHO said that there was no evidence that lemons would protect against COVID-19, though they recommended consuming fresh fruit and vegetables in a healthy diet.
• Bananas were claimed to be able to strengthen the immune system and prevent and cure COVID-19. The claim was based on a composited video that falsely attributed the statements to researchers at the University of Queensland. The University stated that the video was faked and urged people not to share it.
• Eating mango or durian will not cure COVID-19.
• Onions were rumoured to be a preventive measure against COVID-19 on Facebook.

  Herbs and spices

• Garlic was said to prevent COVID-19 on Facebook. There is no evidence that garlic protects against COVID-19.
• Hot peppers cannot prevent or cure COVID-19.
• Consuming large amounts of boiled ginger after fasting for a day was rumoured to prevent or cure coronavirus on Facebook. There is no evidence that this prevents or cures any coronavirus infection, Mark Kristoffer Pasayan, a fellow at the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, said.
• Juice of bittergourd, a vegetable used in traditional medicine, was suggested as a cure for COVID-19 on social media.
• Consuming turmeric has been claimed to help prevent COVID-19, but the WHO says there is no evidence that it does.
• Neem leaves were claimed to be remedies for COVID-19 in rumours that circulated in India.
• Assorted retailers have marketed herbal products and essential oils fraudulently claimed to cure or prevent COVID-19.

  Drinks and frozen foods

• Drinking alcohol will not prevent or cure COVID-19, contrary to some claims. Drinking alcohol may cause subclinical immunosuppression.
• Drinking water every 15 minutes was claimed to prevent coronavirus infection. Drinking large amounts of water will not prevent or cure COVID-19, though avoiding dehydration is healthy.
• Tea was said to be effective against COVID-19 in claims circulating on social media, which said that since tea contained the stimulants methylxanthine, theobromine and theophylline, it was capable of warding off the virus. These claims were falsely attributed to Dr Li Wenliang.
• Fennel tea was claimed to be a cure in Brazil.
• So-called cures in messages spreading in Brazil included avocado and mint tea, hot whiskey and honey, essential oils, and vitamins C and D.
• Facebook claims that 'gargling salt water, drinking hot liquids like tea and avoiding ice cream can stop the transmission of COVID-19' have been criticized by health professionals.
• Eating ice cream and frozen foods will neither cure nor cause COVID-19, as long as they are hygienically prepared. This claim was widely attributed to UNICEF, which put out a statement saying that they had made no such claim: "To the creators of such falsehoods, we offer a simple message: STOP. Sharing inaccurate information and attempting to imbue it with authority by misappropriating the names of those in a position of trust is dangerous and wrong".

  Meat

• Claims that vegetarians are immune to coronavirus spread online in India, causing "#NoMeat_NoCoronaVirus" to trend on Twitter. Eating meat does not have an effect on COVID-19 spread, except for people near where animals are slaughtered, said Anand Krishnan, professor at the Centre for Community Medicine of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Fisheries, Dairying and Animal Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh said that the rumour had significantly affected industry, with the price of a chicken falling to a third of pre-pandemic levels. He also described efforts to improve the hygiene of the meat supply chain.
• Eating chicken will not cause COVID-19, as long as it is hygienically prepared and well-cooked.

  Dishes

• There is no evidence that eating curry or rasam protects against COVID-19.

  Exercises

• Taking six deep breaths and then coughing while covering one's mouth was circulated as a treatment for COVID-19 infection in social media, including by celebrities.

  Use of existing medications unproven against COVID-19

• No antibiotic is effective against COVID-19, because antibiotics kill bacteria not viruses, and COVID-19 is a coronavirus. Antibiotics may be used to treat bacterial co-infections in people with COVID-19.
• In March 2020, the US President Donald Trump stated that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, two related anti-malarial drugs, had been approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration for treating COVID-19. The FDA later clarified that it has not approved any therapeutics or drugs to treat COVID-19, but that studies were underway to see if chloroquine could be effective in treatment of COVID-19. Following the President's claim, panic buying of chloroquine was reported from many countries in Africa, Latin America and South Asia. Patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, who take these medications regularly, have had trouble obtaining supplies. Taking related products intended for aquarium use can cause serious illness and death. Misusing hydroxychloroquine can cause serious side effects, illness, and death.
• Rumours circulated in Iraq that the Iraqi pharmaceutical company PiONEER Co. had discovered a treatment for coronavirus. These reports were loosely based on a statement by PiONEER, which mentioned hydroxychloroquine sulphate, azithromycin, and zitroneer and said that it would try and make these drugs available free of charge. The statement did not say that these drugs can cure COVID-19. The company later clarified that they had not attempted to find a cure for COVID-19, and criticized the news media for spreading inaccurate reports and misinformation, running with the story without checking whether they had misunderstood the company's statement. Two days later, another false story was widely reported, saying that Samaraa, another Iraqi pharmaceutical company, had found a cure. Generally, antibiotics are not effective against viruses, only some bacteria. Azithromycin is sometimes given to patients hospitalized with COVID-19, but only to treat bacterial co-infection. Overuse of azithromycin causes antibiotic resistance, and rare side effects include heart arrhythmias and hearing loss.
• There were also claims that a 30-year-old Indian textbook lists aspirin, anti-histamines and nasal spray as treatments for COVID-19. The textbook actually talks about coronaviruses in general, as a family of viruses.
• Photos of a COVID-19 test kit were circulated with false claims that they were of a vaccine against COVID-19.
• There were also claims in April 2020 that an anti-viral injection had been approved as a cure in the Philippines, and the lockdown would be lifted. The persons making these claims were issued with a cease-and-desist order by the Philippine FDA, which reiterated the need to test treatments to be sure they are safe. The FDA said that they had not even received an application to register the treatment with the FDA. The agency has prohibited the use of the untested drug, and the clinic illegally promoting it subsequently closed.
• Vaccines against other respiratory infections, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B vaccine, only protect against pneumonia caused by those germs. They do not protect against COVID-19. COVID-19 is a new disease, and it is different enough from older diseases that it needs a new vaccine., there is no vaccine that is effective against COVID-19, although researchers are trying to develop one.

  Anti-fraud efforts