Can alcohol kill flu-virus? It has been reported that people around the globe have been drinking alcoholic beverages to protect themselves from COVID-19. But will alcohol kill flu-virus? Does alcohol kill coronavirus, at all?
Alcohol and Coronavirus
As the world continues to reel from the spread of COVID-19, it is unavoidable for some people to turn to snake oil remedies or remedies that aren’t remedies, but more of the stuff of urban legends and myths.
Myths and misinformation easily spread on the Internet because people are panicky, and they easily believe things they see on social media because there is so much anxiety about catching COVID-19 and getting sick from it. We believe that correct information will always trump misinformation, so read up on what the real deal is between drinking alcohol and avoiding getting infected from COVID-19.
There is currently no medicine available for COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization. What this means is that there is also no prophylaxis or anything that you can take orally to prevent being infected from COVID-19. This includes health supplements, organic medicine, and stuff like alcohol. There is nothing you can take to bar COVID-19 from infecting your body.
But don’t lose hope, there are many ways to prevent infection and lessen your risk of being infected when you are outside. Take note also that hydroxychloroquine is still not recommended as a treatment for COVID-19, so we cannot say that it is safe as treatment or prophylaxis for COVID-19. Do not buy any medicine online even if they are tagged as effective for COVID-19, because only doctors can determine what drugs will be effective for COVID-19 patients on a case to case basis.
Other Myths About COVID-19
Below are some other myths circulating about COVID-19. None of these things are true, and following them is mostly pointless:
- Adding hot peppers to foods like soup will prevent COVID-19. While hot peppers add lots of flavor and depth to food, they do not prevent COVID-19 or any other disease, as of this writing.
- Houseflies can transmit other diseases but not COVID-19. Flies do not transmit COVID-19, respiratory droplets do. You can easily get infected in crowded places if someone with COVID-19 sneezes or coughs, and you are close to the person with the virus. A single sneeze can eject up to 3,000 respiratory droplets and millions of viral particles. Viruses are smaller than bacteria, and a single respiratory droplet can have a ton of viral particles. This is the reason why COVID-19 can spread so rapidly in the populace.
- Unfortunately, some people have taken to drinking bleach to protect themselves from the virus. Unfortunately, bleach only works to disinfect surfaces. Drinking bleach can kill you, so don’t do it, not even a drop. Drinking bleach will poison you, not cure you.
- Derivatives of alcohol, such as ethanol and methanol, are also being consumed according to reports. These are poisonous substances and are no less dangerous than bleach – do not consume them to protect yourself from the novel coronavirus.
- There is also a persistent myth circulating that 5G networks are responsible for spreading COVID-19 so quickly in advanced or wealthy nations. This is utter nonsense because viruses travel through the air through respiratory droplets, not through radio waves. Radio waves kill viruses and bacteria, as is the case when you microwave objects to disinfect them. Viruses simply do not operate that way, so this myth should be forgotten completely.
- Some people have taken to washing their hands with vodka and gin, or even whiskey. Even though some alcoholic beverages are marked with 80 proof, these are only equal to 40% alcohol concentration. The minimum for killing viruses and bacteria is 70% alcohol, so they’re not effective, they won’t kill viruses and other human pathogens. You’re going to end up wasting alcoholic beverages without accomplishing anything.
The Correct Way of Protecting Yourself from COVID-19
The best way to protect yourself out in public is by practicing social distancing (keep one to two meters away from other people) and by avoiding touching your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth. The eyes, nose, and mouth are susceptible to orifices where viruses and bacteria can get in when you touch them with your hands.
If you want to boost your immune system, be sure to get a lot of vitamin D and eat whole food that the body needs. Some data currently suggests that getting at least 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 can help protect you from the coronavirus. This much vitamin D3 has to be taken for several weeks before the dosage is reduced to 5000 IU. The concentration of vitamin D3 has to increase before it can have any effect on how the body prevents infections naturally through the immune system.
To reduce the chances of community transmission, people should practice frequent hand-washing, and they should also regularly disinfect surfaces that people usually touch at home.
Outside the home, you can also use 70% rubbing alcohol to keep your hands clean and free of viruses. Rub the alcohol around your fingers, palm, the back of your hands, and the wrist area and allow the alcohol to linger there for at least 60 seconds. In laboratory tests, it takes about 60 seconds to kill bacteria and viruses with alcohol.
Do not wipe away the alcohol immediately after applying it to your hands. Other hand sanitizers such as hydrogen peroxide, Benzalkonium chloride, and alcohol-based hand gels can be used to kill viruses on your hands. Again, allow the sanitizer to linger for a minute or so before wiping it away. This gives the active ingredients in these sanitizers enough time to clean your hands.
Remember to wash your hands with soap and water if these are visibly soiled. The effectiveness of hand wipes depends on the concentration of the active ingredient – they are usually not as effective as applying rubbing alcohol directly.
