Welcome to our Myth Busting page about COVID-19. You have undoubtedly come across a lot of information concerning the Coronavirus and you might be questioning what is true and what isn’t. Below we have assembled resources that will show you what is Fact and what is fiction.
FACTS:
Proposed Solution |
What It’s Used For |
Possible Benefits |
More Information |
| Social Distancing | Reducing community transmission during a pandemic | Lower morbidity and mortality from coronavirus | CLICK HERE |
| Hand Hygiene | Reduces transmission | Kills virus that may be on your hands | CLICK HERE |
| Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth | Reduces virus chance from entering your body | Lowers chances of getting sick | CLICK HERE |
| Practice Respiratory Hygiene | To cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue, dispose tissue immediately | Droplets spread virus, therefore protects people from getting sick | CLICK HERE |
| When to use a mask | Used to protect yourself if you are taking care of a person with suspected COVID19
Used if you are presenting with COVID19 symptoms. |
Can limit transfer of the virus | CLICK HERE |
MYTHS:
Proposed Solution |
What It’s Use For |
Possible Harmful Effects |
More Information |
| hydroxychloroquine | To treat malaria and other infections. Prescription medication should only be used in accordance with guidance by your doctor | Cardiac Toxicity | CLICK HERE |
| Methanol | Industrial purposes: antifreeze, solvent, or fuel | Chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma, Causes delayed organ and brain damage | |
| Ingesting household cleaning supplies, bleach and disinfectants | Cleaning surfaces | Hemolysis (breaking apart red blood cells), liver damage, burns, stomach internal bleeding | |
| UV Rays | |||
| Disinfectant Sprays or Wipes use on skin | Used on hard, non-porous surfaces | Cause skin and eye irritation | CLICK HERE |
| Colloidal Silver | Has broad antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic effects when taken orally or placed on a wound.
Promoted on the internet as a dietary supplement |
Argyria – turns skin to a blue/gray color, which is irreversible | CLICK HERE |
| Hydroxychloroquine | FDA approved to treat Malaria, Lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis | Risks associated with these drugs include serious heart rhythm problems; low blood sugar, particularly among people with diabetes; anemia and other blood problems; worsening of seizures and other neurology (brain) problems; and retina (layer of eye tissue) damage that can cause vision problems. Chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate can also interact with other drugs and cause serious problems, so patients should tell their health care provider about all the medicines they are taking, including vitamins and herbal products. |
CLICK HERE |
| Ivermectin | FDA-approved for use in animals for prevention of heartworm disease in some small animal species, and for treatment of certain internal and external parasites in various animal species | side-effects that may be associated with ivermectin include skin rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, facial or limb swelling, neurologic adverse events (dizziness, seizures, confusion), sudden drop in blood pressure, severe skin rash potentially requiring hospitalization and liver injury (hepatitis). Laboratory test abnormalities include decrease in white cell count and elevated liver tests. Any use of ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 should be avoided as its benefits and safety for these purposes have not been established. Data from clinical trials are necessary for us to determine whether ivermectin is safe and effective in treating or preventing COVID-19 | CLICK HERE |
| Antibiotics | Treating bacterial infections. Antibiotics do not work against viruses; they only work on bacterial infections. Antibiotics do not prevent or treat coronavirus disease (COVID-19), because COVID-19 is caused by a virus, not bacteria. Some patients with COVID-19 may also develop a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia. In that case, a health care professional may treat the bacterial infection with an antibiotic | GI upset | CLICK HERE |
| Miracle Mineral Solution | Not approved for any use by the FDA | The solution develops into dangerous bleach which has caused serious and potentially life-threatening side effects | CLICK HERE |
NEEDS RESEARCH:
Proposed Solution |
What It’s Use For |
Current Evidence |
More Information |
| Blood Pressure Medications: ACEI benazepril (Lotensin, Lotensin Hct), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), ARB |
To control/lower blood pressure for the treatment of hypertension, kidney protection, and/or cardiac event prevention | There is no clinical evidence to date that ACE inhibitors or ARBs increase or decrease the severity of COVID-19 and multiple medical organizations have advised against starting or stopping these drugs to prevent COVID-19 infection. Patients who are taking an ACE inhibitor or an ARB and subsequently develop COVID-19 should continue to take the drug | CLICK HERE |
| NSAIDS Ibuprofen Advil Naproxen Aleve |
Pain control Fever reduction |
The Health Minister of France has warned that use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and others) to reduce fever in patients with COVID-19 increases the risk of severe adverse events and recommended use of acetaminophen (Tylenol, and others) instead. Controlled trials are lacking, but acetaminophen is an effective antipyretic and in recommended doses is less likely than an NSAID to cause serious adverse effects in most patients. Use of an NSAID or acetaminophen for continual fever suppression may reduce the immune response and prolong viral shedding. Patients who are taking NSAIDs for other indications should not stop taking them |