COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The breakout of the coronavirus has people searching for different means to “cure” it. But do these ideas actually work?
“You want that magic bullet, you want that one thing that will protect you from that virus, or to help you get over it if you have symptoms," said Texas A&M School of Public Health, Angela Clendenin.
From repeatedly wiping your hands with Lysol wipes to drinking excessive amounts of water, people are doing whatever they can to keep away the virus.
But these actions may not always be successful.
“People are familiar with Lysol wipes," said Clendenin. "Really those are designed to disinfect surfaces, not your hands. They contain chemicals that can actually irritate your skin if you use it frequently."
In fact, many have taken to flushing down these wipes like toilet paper, and it’s becoming a sewage problem across the globe.
Another trending myth is that heat and humidity will kill off the virus.
“Some viruses do tend to be a little bit reactive with heat, so when it does get warm, that’s why you don’t see as many colds in the summer or flus, so there is some basis for that," said Clendenin. "But this particular virus, does not seem to be susceptible to heat or extreme cold, so it’s not going to be a seasonal thing."
Despite searching for answers, fighting the virus is also a mental thing.
“Make sure you don’t get caught up in feeling unempowered, out of control, that’s when you start searching for the myths."
People search for that because they want something, they’re looking to grasp onto something that’s going to be helpful and give us that power to be in control of their situation. And they are in control. They’re absolutely in control," said Clendenin.
These evidence-based tools go back to the basics of good handwashing and social distancing.
The school of public health also advised that instead of focusing on all the things we can’t do during this time, it’s important to change that mentality of feeling trapped and focus on what we can be doing.
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