Boiled orange peels with cayenne pepper are a cure for coronavirus.
The claim originated in a post (archived here) published on Facebook by Steven Earnest on March 22, 2020. It opened:, Users on social media only saw this:, , "The post advised that a concoction of boiled orange peels and cayenne pepper would help prevent or treat the coronavirus (the user doesnt specify which).", University of Melbourne Professor of Virology Damian Purcell told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that herbal home remedies would not ward off the coronavirus. He said:, "Its a risky strategy to believe something works without proper clinical trials and as yet there are no trials focused on examining whether specific herbs would be effective.", This is not to suggest that this orange peel method would not provide some relief to someone suffering from a buildup of mucus, a cold or a sinus infection. However, it is not a medically-approved treatment for COVID-19., The Los Angeles Times reported on the fake home remedies being shared on social media. It observed:, Officials say that not only do the false claims for cures and tests fuel the national anxiety, they could prevent sick people from seeking the help they need, or discourage healthy people from adopting best practices such as social distancing and washing their hands., The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the best way to prevent illness is to avoid close contact with others., The Facebook post does not offer sound medical advice, and it joins a growing list of online misinformation surrounding the coronavirus. Here are some other fact checks by Lead Stories you may want to check out:, Lead Stories is working with the CoronaVirusFacts/DatosCoronaVirus Alliance, a coalition of more than 100 fact-checkers who are fighting misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about the alliance here., "Ryan Cooper, a staff writer and fact-checker for Lead Stories, is the former Director of Programming at CNN International, where he helped shape the networks daily newscasts broadcast to more than 280 million households around the world. He was based at the networks Los Angeles Bureau. There, he managed the team responsible for a three-hour nightly program,\xa0Newsroom LA.", "Formerly, he worked at the headquarters in Atlanta, and he spent four years at the London bureau. An award-winning producer, Cooper oversaw the networks Emmy Award-winning coverage of the uprising in Egypt in 2011. He also served as a supervising producer during much of the networks live reporting on the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2006, for which CNN received an Edward R. Murrow Award.", Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, deceptive or\n      inaccurate stories (or media) making the rounds on the internet.\n      \n      Spotted something? Let us know!., Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, deceptive or\n        inaccurate stories (or media) making the rounds on the internet.\n        \n        Spotted something? Let us know!.
Fact Check: Boiled Orange Peels With Cayenne Pepper Are NOT Effective Treatment For Coronavirus | Lead Stories