Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses: WHO

GUWAHATI: With all sorts of preventive measures floating around, WHO has come up with a list of myth busters to help you deal with coronavirus outbreak.

“Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (i.e. eyes, mouth). Be aware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendations,” WHO says.

WHO also says the following:

“Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill the new coronavirus.

Taking a hot bath does not prevent the new coronavirus disease

The new coronavirus cannot be transmitted through goods manufactured in China or any country reporting COVID-19 cases.

The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.

Hand dryers are not effective in killing the 2019-nCoV.

UV lamps should not be used to sterilize hands or other areas of skin as UV radiation can cause skin irritation.

Thermal scanners are effective in detecting people who have developed a fever (i.e. have a higher than normal body temperature) because of infection with the new coronavirus.However, they cannot detect people who are infected but are not yet sick with fever. This is because it takes between 2 and 10 days before people who are infected become sick and develop a fever.

At present, there is no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus.

Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus.

There is no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with saline has protected people from infection with the new coronavirus.

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.

People of all ages can be infected by the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.

Antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria. The new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment.”

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