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| Coronavirus: Does drinking tea help? | |
| (7 days later) | |
| With India now in a 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, there's been plenty of advice shared on how to prevent or cure the disease. | |
| BBC News has been fact-checking some of the most prominent examples. | BBC News has been fact-checking some of the most prominent examples. |
| Drinking tea | |
| "Who would have known that a simple cup of tea would be the solution to this virus." | |
| This false claim - shared on social media - refers to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who was hailed a hero for his efforts to raise the alarm about the virus early on in Wuhan, and who later died of the disease. | |
| It claims that in his case files, he had documented evidence that substances commonly found in tea can decrease the impact of the virus - these are known as methylxanthines. | |
| And that hospitals in China started giving Covid-19 patients tea three times a day. | |
| It's true that methylxanthines are found in tea, as well as in coffee and chocolate. | |
| But there's no evidence Dr Li Wenliang was researching their effect - he was an eye specialist, rather than an expert on viruses. Or that hospitals in China were specifically treating Covid-19 by giving patients tea. | |
| News reports in China in February also picked up on the claim that tea could be used to stop the virus, but said it was not true. | |
| Cow urine and dung | Cow urine and dung |
| There is a long tradition in India of promoting cow urine and dung as traditional remedies for various diseases. | There is a long tradition in India of promoting cow urine and dung as traditional remedies for various diseases. |
| And an MP from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Suman Haripriya, has suggested they could be used against the coronavirus. | And an MP from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Suman Haripriya, has suggested they could be used against the coronavirus. |
| There have been previous studies into the potential anti-bacterial properties of cow urine. | There have been previous studies into the potential anti-bacterial properties of cow urine. |
| And a Hindu nationalist group has held a cow-urine drinking event in the Indian capital, Delhi, to promote its use for tackling the virus. | |
| But Dr Shailendra Saxena, of the Indian Virological Society, told BBC News: "There is no medical evidence to show that cow urine has anti-viral characteristics. | But Dr Shailendra Saxena, of the Indian Virological Society, told BBC News: "There is no medical evidence to show that cow urine has anti-viral characteristics. |
| "Moreover, using cow-dung could prove counter-productive as bovine faecal matter could contain a coronavirus which might replicate in humans." | "Moreover, using cow-dung could prove counter-productive as bovine faecal matter could contain a coronavirus which might replicate in humans." |
| Alcohol-free hand sanitiser | Alcohol-free hand sanitiser |
| As well as cow-dung soap, Cowpathy has been selling alcohol-free hand sanitiser with "distilled cow urine obtained from indigenous cows" online since 2018. | As well as cow-dung soap, Cowpathy has been selling alcohol-free hand sanitiser with "distilled cow urine obtained from indigenous cows" online since 2018. |
| Currently out of stock, the product page says: "Due to high demand, we are currently limiting the purchase quantity per customer for this product to maximize access for our customers." | Currently out of stock, the product page says: "Due to high demand, we are currently limiting the purchase quantity per customer for this product to maximize access for our customers." |
| Meanwhile, Ramdev, a yoga guru on a popular Hindi news channel, has suggested making herbal hand sanitisers at home. | Meanwhile, Ramdev, a yoga guru on a popular Hindi news channel, has suggested making herbal hand sanitisers at home. |
| He also said consuming a mixture of the ayurvedic herb giloy, turmeric and basil leaves could help prevent coronavirus. | |
| But the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say it is important to use alcohol-based hand sanitisers. | But the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say it is important to use alcohol-based hand sanitisers. |
| And Prof Sally Bloomfield, at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says any homemade hand sanitiser will be ineffective as even vodka contains only 40% alcohol. | And Prof Sally Bloomfield, at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says any homemade hand sanitiser will be ineffective as even vodka contains only 40% alcohol. |
| Vegetarianism | Vegetarianism |
| Anil Vij, the Health Minister of Haryana state, in northern India, has made an appeal for people not to eat meat. | |
| "Be vegetarian," he tweeted. | "Be vegetarian," he tweeted. |
| "Do not create viruses like coronavirus, which pose a danger to humanity, by having [meat of] different kinds of animals." | "Do not create viruses like coronavirus, which pose a danger to humanity, by having [meat of] different kinds of animals." |
| A Hindu nationalist group, meanwhile, claimed the coronavirus had come to punish meat-eaters. | A Hindu nationalist group, meanwhile, claimed the coronavirus had come to punish meat-eaters. |
| But after the ministry that oversees livestock production said it had led to a fall in the sales of eggs and chicken, the Indian government's fact-checking service posted a rebuttal of the claim. | But after the ministry that oversees livestock production said it had led to a fall in the sales of eggs and chicken, the Indian government's fact-checking service posted a rebuttal of the claim. |
| And government minister Giriraj Singh said the Indian food regulator had found no evidence for it. | And government minister Giriraj Singh said the Indian food regulator had found no evidence for it. |
| 'Anti-coronavirus' mattress | 'Anti-coronavirus' mattress |
| The coronavirus pandemic has also led some businesses to sell products they claim can fight the virus. | The coronavirus pandemic has also led some businesses to sell products they claim can fight the virus. |
| A 15,000-rupee (£165) "anti-coronavirus" mattress was as advertised virus-resistant, for example. | A 15,000-rupee (£165) "anti-coronavirus" mattress was as advertised virus-resistant, for example. |
| Arihant Mattresses managing director Amar Parekh told BBC News: "It is anti-fungal, anti-allergic, dustproof and waterproof, so nothing can go inside it." | Arihant Mattresses managing director Amar Parekh told BBC News: "It is anti-fungal, anti-allergic, dustproof and waterproof, so nothing can go inside it." |
| But the advertisement had now been removed | But the advertisement had now been removed |
| "I do not want to cause harm to anyone," he said. | "I do not want to cause harm to anyone," he said. |
| "We did not do it after there was a backlash." | "We did not do it after there was a backlash." |