Coronavirus ‘cures’ like gargling or using a sauna won’t help you. Here are the facts

As coronavirus cases rise across the United States, so too do reports of bogus, fake or just plain unhelpful homebrew remedies circulating online.

“We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, general-director of the World Health Organization, the Los Angeles Times reports. “Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous.”

More than 1.7 million cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed worldwide with more than 109,000 deaths as of April 12, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 530,000 confirmed cases with more than 20,000 deaths.

The World Health Organization has declared coronavirus a global pandemic. The United States has declared a national emergency.

The most effective way to prevent coronavirus is to practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s what you need to know about homebrew coronavirus remedies:

Can you sweat coronavirus out in a sauna?

One bogus report says a 20-minute trip to the sauna will sweat the COVID-19 virus right out of your body, but doctors say that’s ridiculous, KATU reports.

People need to self-isolate to stop the spread of coronavirus, not stuff themselves into small spaces with other people, says Dr. Katrina Armstrong of Massachusetts General Hospital, according to the station.

“If they’re sweating in a sauna, they’re leaving stuff for other people,” Armstrong said, KATU reported.

Can you kill the COVID-19 virus with a blow dryer?

Breathing hot air from a blow dryer won’t kill the virus, says Refinery29. In fact, it might hurt your chances of avoiding coronavirus.

“You could easily burn or more likely cause superficial damage to your eye, nose, and mouth lining by trying to breath in hot air, which promptly damages your first line of defense against infection — an intact lining,” said Dr. Jill Grimes, an urgent care doctor, according to the site.

Hot air from hand dryers won’t work, either, WUSA says. The air’s just not hot enough to kill the virus, not that you’d want it to be. Wash your hands, instead.

Can gargling help stop coronavirus?

Another fake report says the virus lodges in the throat for four days before descending into the lungs and can be stopped by gargling warm salt water, The New York Times reports.

“It won’t stop it from getting into the lungs,” said Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease expert at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, according to the publication. “What it could do is decrease inflammation, which would make your throat less sore.”

Other versions of the hoax suggest gargling or drinking bleach or ethanol, Johns Hopkins Medicine says. Definitely don’t follow any of those tips — they could kill you.

Steroids, essential oils or acetic acid won’t help fight off the COVID-19 virus either, according to the site.

Neither will so-called Miracle Mineral Solution drinks, Healthline reports.

“The way this virus infects you is in your respiratory cells, not your gastrointestinal system,” said Dr. Andres Romero, a Providence Saint John’s Health Center infectious disease specialist in California, according to the site..

Can a hot bath help prevent coronavirus?

One hoax says taking a hot bath can protect you from coronavirus by raising your body temperature, but that’s not the case, says the World Health Organization.

Your body temperature remains pretty much the same in or out of a hot bath or shower, WHO says. And bathing in extremely hot water can scald you, which won’t help your health one bit.

Washing your hands with soap and warm water protects you by getting rid of the virus before you touch your mouth, nose or eyes and infect yourself, not by killing the virus entirely, WHO explains.

Does ultraviolet light kill the COVID-19 virus?

Ultraviolet light can damage viruses by scrambling their DNA, making it impossible for them to replicate once they enter a cell, Digital Trends says. It’s already commonly used to sterilize objects, surfaces and rooms.

But WHO advises against trying to disinfect your body with ultraviolet light, which can give you a sunburn or at least irritate your skin.

Should you spray alcohol or chlorine on yourself to kill coronavirus?

If it’s good for disinfecting walls or furniture it’s good for disinfecting people, right? Wrong, says Vox. Lysol and other disinfectants, along with alcohol and chlorine, are not meant for your skin.

They also can be dangerous if inhaled or ingested, or if they come into contact with your eyes or skin, according to the site.

Also, pure alcohol — or, more exactly, vapors from pure alcohol — can be flammable, Gizmodo says. This is so not a good idea.

Can rinsing your nose out with saline prevent coronavirus?

There’s no evidence that saline nasal sprays, which can help with some colds, are any help against coronavirus, Advisory.com says.

Are any medicines effective at treating coronavirus?

There are not yet any effective vaccines or treatments for coronavirus, though studies and clinical trials are underway on some prospective medications, WHO says.

That also goes for hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump as a potential cure, which has yet to be proven, Bloomberg reports. In fact, a small study in China shows hydroxychloroquine is no more effective than conventional care.

And antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, not viruses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Coronavirus ‘cures’ like gargling or using a sauna won’t help you. Here are the facts."