Fact Check: Post claiming gargling with bleach can cure coronavirus is fake

A post doing rounds on social media claims that if you get coronavirus through Chinese food, gargle with bleach to cure coronavirus. Vishvas News investigated and found that the viral post is fake. Neither Chinese food causes coronavirus nor gargling with bleach can cure it.

Claim

The post shared on Twitter by a user named GONCE reads: If you get coronavirus from Chinese food the simple cure is to gargle bleach. The archived version of the post can be checked here.

Investigation

As per World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

Food should be washed and cooked properly before consuming it. One should regularly and thoroughly clean hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Nowhere has it been mentioned by any health organization that Chinese food, in particular, can cause coronavirus.

Vishvas News further investigated on whether gargling with bleach can cure coronavirus. We found a report on the website of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which states that bleaches are used for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that can contain viruses. Nowhere has it been mentioned that gargling bleaches can cure coronavirus or any type of viruses.

Vishvas News spoke to Dr. Nikhil Modi who is a Pulmonologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. He said: “Firstly, it will be wrong to say that Chinese food causes coronavirus. Secondly, Gargling with bleach can be dangerous. If ingested it can corrode the food pipe and can also cause serious problems.”

As per Missouri Poison Center, accidental ingestion of 1-2 mouthfuls can cause mouth and throat irritation, stomach upset and vomiting.

The post is shared on Twitter by a user named GONCE. When Vishvas News performed social scanning of the user we found that the user is based out of USA.

Disclaimer: The #CoronavirusFacts database records fact-checks published since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic and its consequences are constantly evolving and data that was accurate weeks or even days ago might have changed. Remember to check the date when the fact-check you are reading was published before sharing it.