Breathing steam from boiling citrus peels prevents and cures coronavirus.
A video shared on WhatsApp claims heating orange peels to boiling point and breathing in the steam can prevent the new coronavirus., In the video, a woman shows how to make the mixture. She says you must “inhale the steam because from what we have heard, coronavirus enters through the nose, which is really cold, colder than other parts of the body” because “it has been scientifically proven that the virus cannot stand the heat, so the longer you sit around this steam the more your nose gets heated and the more chances of the virus dying”., She also claims that you could boil lime or lemon peels, garlic or onions instead of orange peels, but that you should add salt to the mixture, and also warns that the procedure is “really hot”., Similar videos have been shared on Facebook. As Africa Check has been reporting, there is not yet a cure or vaccine for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. So is there any truth to the claims about inhaling steam?, According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no way to increase your body temperature to kill the coronavirus., “Your normal body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the temperature” of the steam you breathe, or the hot bath or shower you take, the WHO says., And Isaiah Nnanna Ibeh, a professor of microbiology and medical laboratory science at the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, told Africa Check: “There is no research or specific data to prove this is a cure or a way to prevent the virus from getting into the body., “Lemons … can aid with the respiratory system, but there is no scientific proof of this effect on the coronavirus yet. The disease can be contracted if the virus enters through the nose and the mouth,” Ibeh said., This confirms advice from the WHO on how to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus., It says you should wash your hands frequently, maintain at least one metre distance between yourself and someone who is sneezing or coughing, avoid touching your face, and cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze., Lawrence Chigbu, a professor of medical microbiology at Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria, told Africa Check that while it is “possible” that the use of citrus will help with the symptoms of Covid-19, “there are no documented studies to prove that yet”., He repeated that this is a new disease, so research and trials are ongoing. – Jennifer Ojugbeli, , "A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”. What should you do? First, dont delete!", Click on our guide for the steps you should follow., Publishers guide, Africa Check is a partner in Facebook’s third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media., The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it., You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how., Africa Check is working with the CoronaVirusFacts/DatosCoronaVirus Alliance, a coalition of more than 100 fact-checkers fighting misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic., Learn more about the alliance here., , © Copyright Africa Check 2020. Read our republishing guidelines.\xa0You may reproduce this piece or content from it for the purpose of reporting and/or discussing news and current events. This is subject to: Crediting Africa Check in the byline, keeping all hyperlinks to the sources used and adding this sentence at the end of your publication: “This report was written by Africa Check, a non-partisan fact-checking organisation. View the original piece on their website", with a link back to this page., We depend on voluntary donations to run this site. Please help us to keep public figures accountable by supporting the project., Find out more, For democracy to function, public figures need to be held to account for what they say. The claims they make need to be checked, openly and impartially. Africa Check is an independent, non-partisan organisation which assesses claims made in the public arena using journalistic skills and evidence drawn from the latest online tools, readers, public sources and experts, sorting fact from fiction and publishing the results., , Get a weekly dose of facts, straight to your inbox.
No, breathing steam from boiling orange or lemon peels doesn’t cure or prevent coronavirus | Africa Check