COVID-19 Fact Check: This Is What WHO Says About Drinking Alcohol To Prevent Coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc across the world and, with no cure in sight, the internet is filled with unusual remedies.

A remedy doing the rounds suggests that alcohol can protect you against the coronavirus. The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, tells his people that vodka, banya (a traditional sauna) and hockey are the best cures for anything including the COVID-19 virus.

He suggested that, after the sauna session, drink vodka to fight the coronavirus. “When you get out of sauna you shouldn't just wash your hands — down a shot of vodka,” Lukashenko said, according to CNN.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that alcohol does not help you fight the coronavirus.

“Drinking alcohol does not protect you against COVID-19 and can be dangerous.” The WHO added that excessive or frequent alcohol consumption will increase the risk of health problems.

Meanwhile, the WHO has released guidelines to help countries run essential health services during the coronavirus pandemic.

The essential services include “routine vaccination; reproductive health services including care during pregnancy and childbirth; care of young infants and older adults; management of mental health conditions as well as noncommunicable diseases and infectious diseases like HIV, malaria, and TB; critical inpatient therapies; management of emergency health conditions; auxiliary services like basic diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and blood bank services, among others.”

The guideline stresses the importance of country-level planning, coordination, and monitoring of essential services. Moreover, the WHO also stated that, in these challenging times, it is critical to engage with the public about COVID-19. In countries with high-risk of local transmission or imported cases, rapid response teams and surveillance will ensure timely detection of coronavirus cases.

According to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center, more than 37,000 people have died due to the coronavirus as March 30, 10.30 p.m. Eastern Time. The data compiled suggests that 784,716 people have tested positive with COVID-19. The U.S. has surpassed all the countries with 163,807 active cases and 3,040 deaths. Meanwhile, 165,837 people have recovered from this illness.